The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-01

For several days there has been n great
deal OF talk Of q compromise measure in
place Of the bin 10 repeal Internationally
the Sherman silver law. Compromise is
suggested by the opponents Of repeal and
is listened to by some Of those who favor
unconditional repeal But what possible
/ compromise can there be that would be at
all satisfactory The Sherman law is it.
self "A compromise, and it IS now con-
demned by men of all shades Of political
opinion. II is admitted uby the men
who proposed it that they made mis-
take.
Another compromise would only be de-
laying the settlement of matter that
viii have to be settled eventually upon a
| permanent basis. Any compromise
| agreed upon now would have to be set
aside IN the near future, and difficulties
and dangers in getting rid of it would be
met with similar to those that are now
being encountered.
The silver men are criticising the Presi-
dent because he does not say what he will
recommend in respect to silver provided
the Sherman silver law is repealed.
What more can he say than he has
already said2 Do they want him 10 say
that he will recommend the free coinage
of silver at ratio that would give the
country debased silver currency2 That
apparently is what they are insisting he
ought to say. He will never say anything
of that kind, however, for two reasons.
The first is that he is in favor of a sound
and stable currency, and the other is
that the national democratic platform
calls for a silver currency that will circu-
late on a parity with gold currency.
But he has already said that if the Sher-
man silver law were repealed he would
do all he could for silver money within
the limits that would keep it on parity
with gold. His utterances on that point
have been very explicit. He is not an
enemy of silver and it is unjust to him to
say that he is. What he objects to is that
silver shall be made the means of robbing
the people. 1t is to be regretted that the
silver men are not as frank as he is. They
cannot help knowing that if their views
were to prevail silver would become
a debased currency; yet they will not
admit that it would.
A compromise would settle nothing
and hence would be a mistake. The plan
proposed by the President is much the
wiser one. He says, in effect, clear the
way for final settlement of the silver
question by repeating the Sherman silver
law The whole question of the currency
can then be taken up, and an adjustment
reached that will be permanent one.
Before we can have solid prosperity we
must have a stable currency, a currency
that viii command the confidence of the
people, and which will be so satisfactory
that demagogues will not have sufficient
encouragement to be attempting con-
tinually to change it.
A currency of that kind is worth strug-
Cling for, and if the repeal senators do
what the people want them to do they
will continue to insist upon the repeal of
the Sherman silver law. If they are
firm they will succeed, because the ma
jority must eventually rule. The threat
ening talk Of the silver senators is an in
that they are weakening. They
know that a vote must be reached event.
ually, and that when it is reached the
Objectionable law will be repealed.