The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-05-05
COL. LEWIS WRITES
Gives HIS Opinion on the Political
Issues of the Day.
WESTERN MONEY CENTER
Relieves In Silver, the Protection Of the
Public Domain and Restriction
OF Immigra tiOn.

The following was written by Colonel
Port Angeles in reply to an inquiry as
to his views of the political issues be-
| fore the country:
In answer to what, in my judgment,
should be the issues upon which the
people should make their test, have
no hesitancy in saying that have con.
cluded that there are three great and
paramount issues which must be taken
up and contested by the American PEG.
pie for themselves. And further be.
lieve that the hope of this republic, il
it is to be sust aimed by the people, and
If we are relieved of these frightening
omens which surround and are the
constant fear of the monarchial nations
lies in close and strict adherence 10
the early principles of our fathers pur.
sued in the government, in not taking
backward step, and making close
and united aght for the Reconstruction
and preservation;
First, of sound and sufficient cur
rency by the public coinage of both gold
and silver, which, to use the quotation
! from the celebrated French bimetallist,
| Caruneschi, to such an amount in
circulation as shall be equal to the
amount of Indebtedness, in event
that the nation. like a merchant, should
at any hour desire to strike balance.
This is absolutely necessary to prevent
contraction in the medium of exchange,
and the forcing of the product of labor
to minimum and to a depreciation,
while the debt in the hands of the
creditor is EXCHANGED in value I am
not, however, in favor of the coinage
of silver, or of any other money, that
shall not be based upon the actual credit
of the nation; but am equivocally an
advocate to that other principle: that
the credit of this government should be
based on the products of the labor of
domain; and to this extent of value,
hold that any circulation or any medium
of exchange is neither extreme. nor
can 1t be considered imitation. The
ques tion submits itself plainly to this
the country is no more as it ives twenty
Eve years ago, limited in its resource
and development, likewise in its area
We are not any more frsgmentary
nation. bordering along the sides of the
Mississippi river, looking to the east
as our principal and only market of ex-
changes and money center. New York
cannot, in the nature of things, be a
money center for this west. An almost
new and thoroughly dissimilar nation
and generation of people have sprung
up west of che Missouri river-certainly
west of the Mississippi. Their habits
and customs have become dissimilar
from those of the east as the general
habits of the United States are from
those of England and Canada, and this
in many respects has been noted. In a
late article by Professor Goodwin
Smith, and in an article replying from
Erastus Wyman, both on the question
of annexation of Canada to this country,
these two agurative suggestions were
made: That the annexation to the
west might be agreeable but when it
come to annexation along the line near
New York into Michigan, such a dis
similarity would exist as to render the
commercial alliance unpleasant and
disagreeable. So, the needs of this
west as country can well desire to
look no further east than Chicago. Like
needs of all new countries. there must
be small circulating medium to pay
the small demands and small earnings.
This ought to b. in metal If the time
should ever come when any one metal
could be made the sole basis of money,
the raw product of it would, under the
present existing conditions, become the
subject of monopoly as completely as
timber, coal or iron has today. There
fore, 80 much labor or 50 much COM
modities would have to be given for so
small a part of the original crude metal
with the stamp of the governm ent
upon it, that the individual toiler would
soon be reduced to a practical condition
of serfdom, through nothing else but
the laws of trust and monopoly which
have been fostered by the thirty.Ave
year policy of the government under
mistaken idea of its duties to the citi-
Gems.
Therefore, for the further reason that
the hope of this country does not de-
pend on our merely earning enough to
buy that upon which we shall live. and
that with which we shall be clean; for
If this Is all, and we desire to buy from
the European nations, England espec.
tally, then these nations are in the pc.
sition of the storekeeper wherever he
may be, having the right both to de.
mand the amount, as we'll as the kind
of his money. In such event, it could
either exact gold, diamonds or any
other strong commodity of which there
was the least quantity in existence.
But, If on the other hand, as l contend,
the future of this country rests in not
what she is to buy, but what she shall
develop out of her resources and labor
and sell to other nations, then we see