Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-12-25

way and in manner calculated to excite
rather than allay the fear of capital.
The silver ma jority in the Sepate are in
a position where they can take advantage
OF the dire necessity Of the government to
press their own fallac.ous schemes. But
II do so will injure their cause. There Is
one feature about this message which
may exert an influence upon that silver
majority The Pre.ident's words OF
warning, however much exaggerated, and
whatever purpose lies back of them, have
excited the country to pitch where it
will not forgive any member OF the ma
tional Legislature who does not respond to
the txieencies Of the occasion in states
nanlike manner. Nothing could more
effectually bring free coinage theories into
greater disrepute throughout the country
than for advocates of these theories to
take advantage of what the public con-
siders our present financial weakness.
again these silver men In the Senate
nave 10 lace h grim IL WY
defeat any wise measure Of relief, for the
present financial situation. 1t is APP
parent that one motive actuatlDR the
Presidents message was a wish to shlrk
the responsibility Of issuing more bonds
under the conditions now permitted TO
him. If the silver men defeat the tenn
porary expedient of shor. term, low rate
bonds to be taken by our people they Will
stand before the country and tier own
constituents a. responsible for some such
bond syndicate deal as the administration
has already entered into once too many
times.
Moreover these silver men and the
Democratic members know that the
favored by the ways and
means committee are eminently sensible
In the first place there is inadequate
revenue and every greenback taken in
for gold must be Immediately paid out
again in settling the governments debts.
Thus exists that endless chain" about
which the President and Secretary Car
Isle have talked at tiresome length.
This cannot be broken so long as revenue
is insufficient Provide adequate rev.
enuc, repair the gold reserve by borrow
ing the money under the NEST favorable
break the "cndless chain, "
by holding back the greenbacks so long
as tho gold reserve is not up to limit,
and then in IA careful, considerate manner
take up the currency question and treat
it with the leliberaticn it demands at the
hands Of Congress.
To oppose such manifest duty rs this is
to incur the disapprobation of the
country, and expose the weakness of
cause that cannot undergo elaboration.
Are the silver men ready for that! Is
Grover Cleveland ready for that: ready
to dscredit himself on the Venezuelan
question by Withholding the govern
mont's hands from aiding him? We hope
not. There are patriotic men among
those who champion free silver. Aside
from the alternative that faces them,
from purely selfish standpoint, there is
the strongest possible appeal to their
patriotism. Moreover the President
knows that his advice to retire the green
backs cannot be followed under existing
no knows that the country
must suffer intensely with a possibility of
a great war or dsgraceful back down
hanging over it and no money in the
treasury. He allowed, what he declared
to be tariff measure rocking with "per-
fidy," and dishonor' to become law.
Can he consistently veto a measure of
relief made necessary largely through his
own acts, his fallacies and his unneces
sarily belligersnt attitude? He has no
more hope of third term than he has Of
lying. He owes it to himself no less than
to his country to act the part OF a states
man now We shall be much disap
pointed in him, of whom we never have
expected much, if he incurs the deserved
odium of refusal to do his duty at this
critical time