New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-16
1yr DEFINITIONS ABOUT SILVER.

THE PREDICTIONS ABOUT SILVER
O,o Of President Ccveland's most ardent
fr;ords bas,ens into print with the positive
.,,,omort that the President has secured clear
majority of votes for repeal OF inc silver Id" III
,ho House and not less than forty five votes in
tbo Senate. This is news OF the character Gus
toma,iy known as important if true" Most
sincerely TIE TRIBUNE hopes it may prove at
Io,st 80 far true that silver purchases can be
stonucd without legislation OF more hultiul
character. But it seems necessary to advise
hus;,css men net to reckon too confidently upon
.,oso assertions however much in good faith
,bex may be given They come at first from
y Congressman who was quite Is positive, be-
fore the last session Of Congress began, that
il would repeal the Sherman law without delay
~ conditions lie was sadly mistaken, and may
NOT know the new House. in which there are
many members who are strangers to him. any
hotter than he did the old House, in which he
had been one Of the 240 Democrats more or
less.
One reason for caution is that the President
himself is quite likely not to know exactly how
Democratic Congressman feel. They are busly
engaged at present in trying to get favor' from
him II is natural that they try to agree with
him a far as they can. or at least t, seem 70
agree. misunderstanding in such cases is not
entirely inconcevabc, and j; may be feared
that even intentional Misrepresentation would
not be absolutely without precedent. Bm THIS
/, not the worst. The mt mbers who want 70
please the President now will want to please
their constituents little later. IL will begin
IN dawn mon some Of them that Sundry Dem
ocrats and Populi>iS are looking for their scalps
with smart chance Of getting them ii I'M
popular votes are cast. After all. mans con-
stituents have the right TO demand some things,
these Democrats will reason. AMI no assurances
given TO the. President in May or June can be
expected to stand against positive lnsir'lct.o n'
by constituents in September.
Then The President is probably counting upon
the assistance of nearly all the Republicans
He has right 10 count upon them in every
measure which they judge for the true interests
# the country. and Governor Mckinley was
justified in - declaring in hl' speech al The
Ohio G. invention. But if President Cleveland
proposes the repeal Of the sherman law IN con
ncction with ether measures i'll the nature OF
concessions IL he j. Mt unlikely 10 do, the
Republicans may find il their plain duty to
break up the combination. and prevent some
thing worse by holding fast the silver act
or If he propose, the naked repeal without any
thing else. there are some Republicans who d.
Mt think this i, now for the best interests 0t
the county. Il wa, made apparent that there
were some 1t the short session last winter
These Republicans maintained that the pledge
# public faith 10 prc.erve the parity OF gold
and silver wa, exceedingly valuable. and orgh;
moi 70 be repealed, even for the sake OF pre-
venting the vase of money for bullion. They
are in doubt now also. whether ii would be
best T. have 10 provision for increase OF cifcn-
aion with id going out Of the country. ard
whether any other increase proposed Is safer
than the issue Of notes rcdccmablc IN gold
against silver bullion deposited. THE TRIE-
Use is not jusiifying these opinions, but re-
citing the fIct that they are sincerely held by
.oric earnest and true Republicans.
For paIti.an purposes the evils of the silver
ac, have been much exaggerated. 1t has
pleased Democrats To a.cI1bc - that measure
a great share Of the bad consequences which
their victory and the transfer of power 10 III
unsafe ard anii-prDtcctyc party have really
caused. For this reason. and because the bu.i
nc.s world had come 10 believe the Sherman
act injurious. il seemed TO THE TRIBUNE that
it might wisely have been repealed last win
ter. ~ respects the silver purchase provision
a, least But a House nearly thrce-quartcrs
Democratic fatty refused al tina, time. The
dis;rlsl Of Dem cratic unwi dom, greatly sim
uiatcd by questionable ouigying, If the .Ad
mini>,,ation. has gon" - far by this time that
it may be doubted whether such a step would
suffice t, restore confidence. \ decisive de-
feat # the dangerous tendencies is needed and
ANYTHING looking in the least like a concession
or compromise may do more harm than good.