The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-06-23
,KTON. JUNE 50, 1894.
I TARIFF SILVER POLICY.

Republican State Conventions
lily held in Maine, Ohio and
sas, as well as the published
mons OF several prominent Repub
an leaders, indicate the possibility,
OF TO say probability, that the tariff
md silver questions will, in the next
Presidential campaign, be treated
correlatively, and it becomes, at this
time, the most interesting, and GER
talnly not the least important, polit-
ical query with individual Repub
licans, whether the Republican party
will be sufficiently influenced by its
advocates to adopt the tariff silver
policy as national party tenet.
We all know that the live issues OF
the next Presidential campaign will be
largely financial issues. The question
of bimetallism and free silver, the
question OF safe, convenient and
elastic currency, the question Of Fed
eral taxation for revenue and for
protection, and now the new ques-
ton of treating silver and protection
correlatively. as recently formulated
by ex Speaker Reed and endorsed
by numerous other national leaders
OF the Republican party, are ali
phases of the one great money ques-
ton.
As the last question, that of har-
Messing together silver and protec-
tive tariff, is new phase of the
monetary question, it is only proper
that Republicans everywhere should
be considering it, and by intelligent
reading and discussion, weigh its
advantages and objections with a
view of arriving at an intelligent
opinion of its merits.
1t is not our purpose, in the narrow
limits of this article, to discuss the
merits of or objections to the silver
tariff policy recently enunciated by
ex Speaker Reed, but rather to out,
line its character by referring to the
conditions that seem to justify it.
AS policy it is based upon the
conceded facts, that the Republican
party has always favored bimetal.
lism, and the recognition of silver
as circulating medium, and that
England, as our principal manufac-
turing competitor, is the principal
obstacle in the way of bimetallic
stand of commercial values.
The first fact, viz the attitude of
the Republican party On silver, has
recently been emphasized in the
State platforms adopted by the
Republican conventions of Ohio,
Maine and Kansas.
The silver plank of the Ohio plat
form is as follows:
We favor bimetallsm. Silver as well as gold
is one of the great products of the United States
Its coinage and use as a circulating medium
should be steadily maintained and constantly
encouraged by the National q Government; and
we advocate such policy as will, by dtscrim
mating legislation otherwise, most speedily
restore to silver its rightful place as a money
metal.
The Kansas platform favors bimet
allism and free coinage of the pro-
duct of the American silver mines,
with protective tariff duty on
imports of toreign silver. The
Maine platform demands "A hnan.
cial policy not in favor OF monomet-
allism, either of gold or silver, as the
basis of a financial system, but inter
national bimetallism to be secured
by all suitable means and by the
most strenuous efforts in the National
power"
Turning then to the fact, that
England is the great obstacle to the
restoration of silver to its rightful
place as money metal, it is no less
the fact, that the greater the dispar-
ity between gold and silver the great
er is her profit from her trade with
the silver using countries. Senator
Lodge recently demonstrated that
last year, England bought two bill
lions worth of goods with one billion
dollars in gold. Mr.. Reeds plan
embraces an international comb
nation by means OF tariff discrim
nations as will compel her to release
her hold on the throat of other
nations through the single gold
standard To this end silver must
be brought back to a parity with
gold. To do that there must be
greatly increased use OF silver. This
Mr.. Reed thinks, can be done with
out England and in spite of her.
Let France, Germany and the United
States, with the cooperation of the
silver using countries of Central and
South America and India, agree that
on certain date, say three years
hence, they will open their minis to
the coinage of silver; on an agreed
basis-say 10 to I Of gold-and as
that day approaches it will be seen
that silver will begin to approximate
gold, and when the day arrives it
will be found that the chasm has
been bridged and that the way is
open to safe bimetallism. 1t will
prove, as it did in the case of the
resumption of specie payments in
this country.
Whatever National policy the
Republicans may adopt in 1896, 1t
is certain that Mr.. Reeds plan will