The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-05-04
OIL YE FAKIRS!

OIL W lAhthHi
The controversy which has sprung up
between Senator Plat, Of New York, and
Senator Sherman. Of ohio, furnishes an
occasion for tracking the Ohio Senator
up and showing pretty conclusively that
though posing for the past fifteen years
before the world as the especial advocate
Of a sound currency he has all the time
taken great care to place his advocacy Of
II in such a form as would not separate
him from the free silver men OF Ohio.
The casus belli between the New Yorker
and the Ohio Senator was the recent pub
LEGATION Of letter written some time back
BY Mr.. Sherman, in which he said, "As
between Tom Platt and TammaRy Han,
l do not care the toss up Of copper"
1t is well-known that the Ohio Senator
was moved to this declaration by what
he termed the "treachery Of the New
York delegation to him In the nomi-
mating convention OF 1855 The New
Yorker responds 10 the Ohio Senator's
nattering characterization of him by say
ing:
Il wish knew how 20 attune my views
10 the varying currents Of popular opin-
ion with that ready skill and easy con-
sistency which so highly distinguishes the
Senator from Ohio. The art which en-
abes a man 10 frame and pass a bill in
the interest Of free silver while retaining
the reputation Of a sound hnancier and
the leadership Of the gold monometallists
IS really a very useful art IN politics
This is very funny, very paradoxical,
but it is entirely true in its suggestions
also When Senator Sherman was max
ing his very fine speech on silver in the
Senate on the "a Of June. 1892, the fol-
lowing colIoquy took place. as the record
shows:
MIR. Teller: ! would like to know OF
the Senator IL be viii answer the ques-
ton. whether he was i'm favor Of what
he called the Bland-AllisOn act2
Mr.. Sherman: I think have answered
that once or twice, Mr.. President
was opposed 10 the Bland bin, though
not then member OF Congress, but Sec
rotary Of the Treasury. and so stated IN
a public speech. Does the Senator wish
me TO repeat IT.? / stated in a public
speech I'm the Senate and on the stump
that / vas opposed 20 the Bland bHi. hut
/ was I'm favor of the Allison bill; that !
did not concur i'm the view taken by Presi-
dent Hayes as TO the Allison bill. because
] drew clear line Of distinction between
the Allison bill and the Bland bin. one
was for the free coinage Of silver and the
other was for the purpose OF establishing
a timetable standard of gold and silver
tied 10 each other.
"Nlr. Teller: The Senator does not an
/ swer my question. / did not ask him n
( he was in favor of the Bland bill; ] asked
| him II ne was I'm favor OF the Bland
! Allison bill.
"Air Sherman: There is no Blaud-Alli-
/ son bill They took all the Bland out OF
it when they put the Allison I'm it.
mir. Teller: ] wish very much the Sena-
] tor from Ohio would answer the question.
/ whether he was IN favor of the bill of
| February o. 1873?
| "Mr. sherman: I was I'm favor Of what
! I call the Allison bill The Senator from
! Colorado cannot compel me 10 give a
! bad name 10 a good measure"
We here have the Ohio Senator's adj
mission that he was in favor OF the act
that passed Congress February .. ISIS,
though he insists upon calling 1t the Ali
son, instead of the Bland-Allison act,
! as all the rest OF the world calls 1t, and
we must recollect that Ohio was then,
if it Is not now. for free silver.
Now what did the Allison act. as the
Ohio Senator will have it. provide for?
1t required the Treasury to purchase every
month not less than 900 worth, nor
more than 100000 worth, Of silver bull
lion. and coin It as fast as possible into
u2 10 grains legal tender silver dollars
and it authorized any one TO deposit those
/ dollars when coined in the Treasury and
receive in place Of them Treasury certi-
Gates that they had been so deposited.
which certificates should be receivable
for customs. taxes and all public dues,
and might be ressued. Under this act
there had been coined and put out by the
Government in July. 1890. s3SS 100000 of
silver dollars, and an act that produced
| this result the Ohio Senator thought
! was a good measure" that established
a bimetaluc standard Of gold and silver
tied TO each other!" il is true the repu-
tation Of a sound hnancier had 10 be
preserved, and the free silver men Of Ohio
who were 10 elect a United States Sena-
tor very soon thereafter had 10 be kept in
good humor. But the world will very
much question whether the "bimetallic
standard Of gold and silver tied to each
other" received as much aid from the
Senator's efforts as the free silver men
Of Ohio. who were 10 elect a Senator re-
ceived from it.
Another remark is very pertinent here:
IL sounds both strange and paradoxical
TO hear the measure which IS now mp
setting everything in this country habitu-
ally referred TO as the Sherman law OF
July, 1880. A law fathered by the soundest
Of our hnanciers 10 be the cause Of all
the evils Of the dayi This is truly aston
fishing. But we must remember that when
that act was passed I'm July, 1890. to take
the place Of the Bland-Allison act OF
1915 the reputation Of a sound fnancier
had still TO be maintained. but 1t was
still just as important that the free silver
men Of Ohio should be kept in a good
humor. Let fakirs study this record for
their profit.
/
THE CUBAN REVOLUTION.
Latest reports confirm the news Of ar
| ,ttr,,.+ at ,.1r.,l,,tf.r OH, ,t.,,,rt