Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-24
AS TO EDUCATION
The Question Presented to the Presi-
dent in New Way.
NO mere RIDICULE And ABUSE
Free Coinage Men Are Neither Ig-
norant Nor Dishonest.
INTEMPERATE SILVER MEN

Within the past week the President has
listened to a long and an exceedingly earn
est discussion respecting the so-called cam
paign of education on the money question.
The views presented were those of demo-
crat of ability and distinction. This gen.
tleman. while friendly to silver, does not
believe that the Unitel States could afford
singly and alone to enter upon a policy of
free coinage. At the same time he realizes
that there is strong sentiment in the
country in favor of such a policy, and he
advises that this be challenged in a very
radically different form from that upon
which the advocates of the opposing policy
have in the Presidents name set out. He
believes Campaign of education to be
necessary, but he insists that it must be a
campaign of education, and not one of rid
cule and abuse.
An Allegation of Ignorance.
The objection made to the campaign as
Naugurated by the sound money men is
two-fold:
% 1t proceeds upon the assumption and
assertion that the free coinage SEN
tment springs from ignorance. Can
this be maintained? Is Mr.. Teller an
ignorant man on the money question?
Has not he made 1t the study of his
Il
sat at the cabinet table of President of
the United States. and acquitted himself
we'll in his office. Is he a demaSogue? He
has served for years in the United States
Senate, and enjoys the unqualified respect
Of his associates there regardless of party.
This is the man most largely responsible
for the free coinage sentiment of the west.
Now, as to the south. Are Morgan and
Pugh of Alabama. Harris of Tennessee,
Walthail of Mississippi, Daniel of Virginia,
Coke of Texas, ignorant men? Were Beck
of Kentucky, Vance of North Carolina.
Browne of Georgia and others easily named
ignorant men? Free coinage sentiment in
the south owes its existence and it's
strength to those ard kindred sources. Is
Judge Thurman an ignorant man? He is
for free coinage. Was Mr.. Hendricks a
groper in darkness? He favored free CON-
age. This accounts for the free silver SEN
timent in the middle states.
The Charge of Dishonesty.
&c. do not these names alone dispose of
the assumption and assertion that free
coinage is the cry of the ignorant and the
reckless? and should not they compel
radically different treatment of the prop
osition?
(2) 1t is assumed and assorted that the
free coinage policy is a dishonest policy,
and that the west and south are trying to
get sonnet thing for nothing. The charge is
made that they are trying to force fifty
cent coin into circulation at the value of a
dollar, with full knowledge of the real re-
turn of the transaction. Is this true?
The people of the west and south are citi-
zenS OF the United States in good stand
ing. They have rot been as prosperous
the people of the east, and now and then
a severe financial pinch has brought them
real distress, but nothing they have ever
done warrants the charge that, as a peo-
pie. they are dishonest. Their affairs as
rule. are conducted on business principles,
and they are charitable and self-respecting.
Is there the slightest excuse, therefore. for
the revilings of those sound money cham
pions who have planted themselves upon
the breezy proposition that their opponents
are a mixture of knave and ignoramous
fit only to be cudgeled into line for the
right thing?
Mr.. Cleveland Listened.
This was the nature of the talk to which
the President listened, and to which he
gave respectful ear 1t seemed to interest
him no little. 1t is said of Mr.. Cleveland
that he does not resent plain talk of this
kind when it comes from a man in whom
he has faith. He realizes that his own
knowledge of the people in general is linn
tied, and that with the cares of his great
office on his shoulders his opportunities to
extend his acquaintance also are limited.
He has never visited the west at all, and
has made but one two haSty trips into
the south. His eyes have been almost con-
stantly directed toward the east and it is
with the sentiment and the leadership of
that section that he shows familiarity.
But the west and the south must, he was
assured, be taken into respectful account
in this matter. and he was urged to use
his influence with his lieutenants to miti-
gate both in the press and on the stump
the severity of their assaults on the oppo-
si.ion.
He was reminded that the question Is of
such magnitude, and of n nature 50 COM
plex. that men of the highest intelligence
into itx-fr ilyi1 on Wi in
curing thereby charges as to their mo-
tives. 1t is considered a safe guess that
compromise of some kind will in the end
be adopted. No such question was ever
settled short of the arbitrament of arms
in a way to give either side all for which
1t had been contending. And as COM
promise must result, and as all sections
must contribute to Its terms, why make
this labor the more difficult by indulging
at this time in ill-tempered Trades and
wholesale violations of all the rules gov
erning free debate?
silver Men Also Incorporate.
The silver men also have sins to confess
on this score. Their language is often as
Incorporate that complained of in the
other side Their assortment of epithets
is complete. and the ease and directness
with which they employ them testify to
a long experience and much skill in heated
controversy. For the word ignoramus they
OHer III exchange the WORD DloOdSucRer, OF
Shylock, and in reply to the charge that
they are seeking to multiply 50-cent dol
lars in the market, they accuse the gold
men of putting the screws to their own
kindred at the command of their masters
in England and in Europe. This is admit
ted and deplored. But, as the President
was reminded, two wrongs do not make a
right. The obligations of good temper are
primarily on the sound money men. They
claim that the question is essentially one
of business, and should be settled in a
business-like way. Now, all business of
Importance calls for a cool head and a
calm demeanor. The man who loses his
head and storms at his opponent invari-
ably misses the fine points of the negotia-
tons. He puts himself at a disadvantage
So that 1t is no excuse to say that the sill
yer men are angry and employing bad
language. That Is their affair, and it af-
fords all the stronger reason why the gold
men should keep within polite and parlia-
mentary bounds if they want to win.