The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-11-24
WHAT THE EXPRESS is NOT FAMILIAR
WITH

The attempts of the evening organ oil
the silver standard to elucidate Democracy
| and to de hne what is and what is not
Dem ocratic on the financial question,
suggests the story shat is told of a young
KentucSy lawyer. This aspirant for the
honors that await on erldition dis played
at the har was thoroughly convinced of
the profundity and the comprehensive
ness of his professional kno wledee. So
addressing the famous Judge Marshall
one day he remarked: Your honor,
holi In my hand Coke upon Lit'leton,
q work With itch hatter myself am
thoroughly familiar" How is that
Harry" interrupted the court. ~ was
about" resumed the youn yster, "to read
passage from Coke upon Littleton, q
work with which I fatter myself
Harry, interrupted the jur,st again,
81 m damned if you don't hatter your
SELL" The Express is like Harry in fat
tarihg itself that it is thoroughly familiar
with Democracy. Unfettersd by any
consideration OF fact, reason or logic. its
editorial paper consumer has been lately
traversins the fields OF poll ical history
i. ropnlarly s.criOsd to 10 reotlss. fool
who precipitately inv,des this precincts
lett untrodien BY the prudent angel.
The journalistic sp sta of the twin
PHILOSOPHERS thar interdio.ed trada is
natural trade, and that 80 cents worth
of silver is equal to dollars worth of
golj, thinks-tnat Is, it thinks it tanks
1T discovers glar,ng inconsistency in
he
disposed to be friendly to silver some
years since, opposing now the free AMI
unlimited coinage of the metal at the
ratio OF l6 to /.
1t mentions John G. Carlisle as among
the Democrats who few yeas since,
in and out of congress, we're advocating
free silver and voting io' it,
In its allie cation this Express exhibits
the inaccuracy which seems to prrvaie
so abundautly the silverits AID the tariff
lite.
Secretary Carlisle not only never voted
for the free and unlimited coinage of sill
yer at any ratio, but ne never spoke in
behalf of the proposition in congress.
The only speech delivered by him on the
subject was delivered in the house of rep
since, when by the way, the bullion value
OF the silver in the silver dollar was
WITHIN cent. of being equal to tho bull
lion contained in gold dolar-and in
that speech Mr.. Carlisle supported a
measure providing for the limi tei coin
age of silver dollars on government &C.
count only, something vastly different
from unlimited coiasgs on private ac-
count, as is proposed nov. In the entire
speech. which, BY the way, has been most
attociously garbled By unsorupulous sill
yer protectionists, not eingle word can
be found favorable TO the free coinage of
silver. and instead of hsIng an effort
NJ ade in behalf ui free coinage, it was
really in opposition to the latter, and was
in support of q senate subst tute for the
free coinage bill then bsfore congress.
The Express ali4nment of the other
Democrats it named would be found,
very probably, on investigation 10 be
a bout as much in harm ony with the facts
as the attitude it assigned to Secretary
Carlisle.
But it is entirely INN ats-ial and IN no
way pertinent to the issue. at present
what the position of eminrnt Democrat.
was or might have been a long time ago
" then the gold and silver dollars were
at parity because the com mercial value
Of the bullion in each wac the same, or
approximately so.
The fact that some people, whether
Der ocrats or Methoiists, at one time
favored tne unlimited coinage Of silver
dollars, furnishes in itself no reason why
hey should do so now. It Is not the
mission OF humanity to maintain the !
price OF silver any more than that of
ne wspapers.
The Democratic party owes nothing TO
silver; the Republican patty may. !
Possibly the Sherman act did not entirely |
iquidate the debt it incurred when the
7otes or certain western states were !
seded.
Silver is not part of Dsmocracy's /
reed any moro than gold or iron or cop.
1er but "equal rights to all and special
privileges to none is. Only men. not |
metals, have rights. And when the Dem.
,oracy refuses to lend its aid to the |
chsme of allowing the owners of silver |
mines TO take the 80 cents worth of met
Il to the minis TO have a stamp placed on
I that will enable them TO use 1t In the |
discharge OF one dollars worth of indebt-
dne-s, or the purchase Of one dollars
worth Of labor, the party is consistent
With its cardinal uoc,rine OF "equal
lights to all and special privileges to
lone." the grantin. OF free and unlim-
ted silver coinage at the ratio of IS to l.,
rhen the commercial ratio is 80 to /,
would mean the conferrng of special
privilege on the mine owner. 1t would
mount to the paynent of a bounty of 80
ents Tor every so cents worth of silver
,roiuced. 1t might be appropriately a
'art OF the Republican program of taxing
be masses for the classes, but il has no
,lace in the Democratic plna OF taxing
he masses for the government only.