The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-16
LIGHT AHE AID,
To the Editor of the Eagle.

~ fIu'eoi VI tuS LdSic-
| Events of great importance to silve
have been crowdiDg each other fol
several weeks so that to all who ar;
| interested in the welfare of the country
as well as individual interests there i.
Eight ahead.' BY the more important
events of recent occurrence in this con
nection it begins to look like some oil
the pretended friends of silver on both
sides have been 'put in the hole" II
has been repeatedly charged that those
who were for the repeal of the purchase
clause of the Sherman act were the
enemies of silver, and that they would
miss no opportunity to degrade it. John
Sherman has been the chief object of
attack by free coinage advocates, and
has been roundly abused by members of
his own party for being what they termed
a Sgold bug" Time is beginning to
test the real animus of all parties, and it
must be confessed that those who have
been loudest in support of free coinage are
beginning to suffer by a comparison of
their course with that of men like John
Sherman who oppose free coinage under
present conditions. A great bimetailic
conference was recently held in London,
right in the heart of ''goid-bug" in
fiuence, ana it attracted universal atten-
ton The head of the present admin
lStratlon saw fit, for some reason not
explained. to ignore that conference by
falling to send representative from this
country. John Sherman and his fol-
lowers have been criticised for keeping
company with the president on the
financial question. Up TO this event in
London Mr.. Cleveland has been a pretty
good Republican on this question, but
here they have all come to where the
roads fork. The writer has commended
all along that if Mr.. Cleveland ever
took the gold road exclusively
that he would never have John
Sherman or any of his followers
for his companions. That prophecy is
about fulfilled. By cablegram to the
London bimetallic conference John Sher-
man and those who believe as he does
take the bimetallic road by heartily en-
dorslng the sentiments and objects of the
conference. Then comes Senator Lodge
of Massachusetts with a bill to lay dis
eliminating duties on the imports from
all foreign countries that do not agree
to enter into an international agreement
or plan TO rehabilitate silver as one of
the money metals of the world. Follow
ing this comes a bimetallic league in
Chicago, composed Of over fifty OF the
greatest capitalists in the world, whose
sole object is to force international bi-
metallism.
With the exception of few Demo-
cratic senators who voted for the repeal
of the purchase clause of the Sherman
act merely at the dictation OF the presi-
dent, all these men are opposed 10 free
coinage, and a ajority Of them are Re-
publicans.
The question naturally arises at this
time where have the free coinage advo-
cafes been while all these things have
been happening: In addition to the above
ex-Presldent Harrison together with the
Indiana Republican convention declared
in plain language for bi-metallism. but
they are all opposed to free Coinage.
Why have notthe advocates OF free COIN
age, who claim to be the only friends of
free silver, been showing some DISPOSE
ton TO bring about bi-metailism BY a
plan that would be guaranty against
loss TO any one through a deprecated
currency? Why have thev not ex-
pressed sympathy with a plan that would
lift silver up and deprive England and
Germany. the two principal recalcitrants
on this question. of the immense ad-
vantage they have by reason Of the low
price or silver, and the still greater al
vantage they would have if we were
forced to n silver basis by free coinage:
They demand payments in gold while
they go into all the world and buy with
cheap silver. II they were forced to an
agreement 1t would strip
them Of this advantage and then we
would all be on an equal footing. Free
coinage advocates simply wish TO COM
pei creditors to take deprecated dollars
Tor honest debts, and from the utter
lack of interest manifested by ihem in
any plan except their own pet theory of
free coinage IL begins TO look IS If there
Is where their chief interest lies IN
other words il locks Ike they ara willing
to legalizs Reputation TO the extent OF
the difference between the values of the
two metals IL seems 10 be not 50 much
their interest In the white meta that &C
tuates them as their desire to beat men
with a cheap dollar who have been
thrifty enough TO become creditors. l.
ter bat the degradation IF thrift aud en-
terprise through Law thai would oper-
ate a. 4 general act of bankruptcy, and
az the SANE time quiet their conscience