Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1893-07-18


combine TO add to the greatness
and grandeur Of our political and
industrial fabric. None of them
can be spared. To repress one
would pe like breaking a cog in a
great propelling wheel, marriug
the harmony Of the entire national
structure, and bringing confusion
and failure where nature has de-
signed harmonious cooperation
and success.
Mining is to the west what cot
ton is to the south, what wheat
and corn are to the middle states
and manufacturing to to east. As
these sections rightfully protest
against hostile Legislation affecting
their industries, 80 the west pro-
tests, and with equal right, to the
same character Of legislation con-
corning its great industry of min
ing.
There is a persistent effort to
create the impression that this
controversy in behalf of silver is
solely by and in behalf of the sill
yer miner. That is the farthest
possible from the fact, except as
mining has become one of the basic
industrial interests of the country
and the sole resource for the re-
EQUIPMENT Of its store of coin mon
ey against abrasion and loss, and
the vast demands of the arts, and
also as n of the instumentalities
of American growth and expan-
sion.
The miner of course wants free
coinage because he has a direct
personal interest in the issue, Just
as the merchant and sailor want
free trade that their opportunities
for active and profitable business
may not be hampered by tariff re-
striction.
The farmer, the mechanic, the
laborer and the wage Garner of
every vocation and in every de-
partment Of the industries, is also
interested in free coinage quite
as actively and directly as the
miner, because their opportunities
for regular and profitable employ
ment depend largely upon a rea-
sonable abundance of money for
the transaction of all the branches
of trade and business and the pay
ment of wages, and that will in
sure uniformity in values.
The fundamental law of the land
recognizes silver as absolute mon
ey, equally with gold, and till
within the last two decades the
laws of congress have been in ac-
cord with the Constitution. The
, mining Of silver was sanctioned
and encouraged by being accord
B ed the same treatment in all re-
spects as gold. The minis were
) open to the coinage of silver or
the same terms as gold.
But suddenly, without notice
without discussion, with no init.
nation whatever that it was to be
t done, silver was dropped from the
coinage. Great surprise was ex.
t pressed at the proceeding on the
/ part of the manipulators of fnan
: cial Legislation. 1t was plead that i
, was unintentional and an accident
If 1T had been accidental it would
be reasonable to suppose that thu
t wrong would have been rightet
= Immediately upon the first op
Q portunity to do so. But that tn
: omission was intentional and studi
ed, and for a purpose, is proven
t by the fact that 1t required
struggle of five years to restor
n SILVER and then by only a small
majority of congress; and evel
= then again, the restoration wa
i but partial and limited by law
while the coinage Of gold remain
e ed and continues free and unlim
g tied as before, as it ought to be
and as silver ought to have been.
Accompanied by the action @
g demonstration and apparently i
st intended justification of 1t, wa
# and is a continuing onslaught up
#. on the silver miner, with the &C
: cusation of unworthy selfshnes
in his opposition to and criticism
of hat action.
, Yes we hear nothing of tha
sort about the gold digger, thong
e it is as a rule impossible to pre-
IS duce either of the metals withou
II producing both.
l. The product If one is contemI