The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-07-14
sixteen to One.

Sixteen to One.
When a cause is just, the struggle
of its friends should be to win it, and
to win it ALL There is not an intelli-
gent bimetallist in the land who
doesn't know that the effort to restore
free coinage at the ratio existing when
the law was by artiice repealed is in
the interest of justice and our common
humanity. TO advocate free coinage
at greater ratio is to urge confisca-
ton of everybody's property to the ex-
tent of the change and start the new
financial scheme which is to control
the country for an indefinite time,
with the basic value of all property
permanently lowered not less than %
per cent. 1t is the voluntary enrich
ment of the moneyed classes by adj
ding an additional one-quarter to their
present wealth, every dollar of which
must be taken from the labor and pro-
perty of the common people.
The chief strength of the silver
cause is not in the mining states. 1t
is found among the farmers of the
west, the planters of the south and
the small tradesmen of these sections.
If it were not for the free coinage men
outside of the mining states, we of
Colorado, IN the fire of our zeal.
would be the laughing stock of the
country. 1t is no exaggeration to say
that the free coinage advocates in the
rest of the United States outnumber
those in all the silver mining section
more than 25 to 1. This vast outside
following does not labor that the
miner may be furnished more profit
abb market for his ore, but that the
coinage of the constitution may be re-
stored, and thereby the languishing
industries of the country be vitalized
from a greater volume of sound
money. That free coinage will en-
large the price of silver is mere in
cident in the reckoning of the bimet-
allisU outside of the mining region.
He is willing that it shall be, but he
seeks the general Improvement which
an increased volume of sound money
is certain to bring.
These agricultural bimetallists IT,
sist most strenuOusly upon the old
ratio. That is what they had when,
through the cOld-blOoded chicanery of
John Sherman and his few congress
sional allies, the country vas robbed
of it. They want the stolen goods re-
turned and they have not proposed to
cut off 25 per cent of what belongs to
them as reward to the freebooters.
The only proposition to increase the
ratio has come from mine owners and
smelters. Our outside allies may. it
is feared, misconstl ue the offer They
will reason that Colorado bimetallists
are selfish; that they care for profits
from their local industries only, and
were it not for their silver mines,
whose dividends are assailed by the
stoppage Of free coinage, they would
side with the goldbugs of Wall street
against the interests of the producing
masses.
In this connection it may be asked
who of silver's enemies have offered
to compromise on an increase ratioP
Has Cleveland, Carlisle, Harrison,
Sherman, Harter, Reed or TraceyP
Has Morton, Foster, Hoar, Walker, OF
any other of the goldbug contingent
within or without Wall street? Has
any man who has the right to speak
for the gold kings, or who, being of
them, has power to influence a vote
for bimetallism at any ratio, consented
to OF suggested free coinage at 20 OF
% to /? Not one. Then, with the
silver men outside of the mining
states, who outnumber those within
them 25 to 1, standing solidly for the
old ratio, and with not single enemy
of the old ratio possessing an ounce of
influence. offering such a compromise,
is it not fatally imprudent for us OF
the silver states to suggest or urge it?
The News does not pretend that
there may not in the end be a COM
promise. But that will be only after
Mr.. Cleveland and the rest of the
single standard zealots have been de-
feated in their efforts to permanently
destroy bimetallism. Even then, the
first advances must come from the de-
feated enemy and be acquiesced in by
the bimetallIsts outside of silver states.
Good faith to our allies, patriotic and
unselfish results, the restoration OF
silver to its just rank IN price and
cOin-the success of the movement in
any phase, all require that silver
miners and their friends shall stand
unflinchingly and undismayed for the
old ratio of Is to 1 and be the last OF
the contending forces to waver in the
demand.-Rocky Mountain News.