Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1895-05-31
THE MEMPHIS CONTENTION.

The almost volcanic outburst of enthu
siasm for sound money, on Thursday of last
week, in the Memphis Convention casts a
new and important light ON the political out
look. Ii states clearly and convincingly the
reasons why American citizens, rich and
poor, employers and employed, investors,
merchants. manufacturers and the great toll
ing masses should stand for sound money.
A dispatch says politicians were con
spicuous by their absence from the conven
ton" We may therefore fairly conclude
that its resolutions reflect better than any
thing save general election could do the
honest judgment and determined will Of the
Southern people.
Bimetallism ia desirable, and the Memphis
platform so declares But bimetalism, as
the platform also shows, no where exists in
fact. and cannot exist any where except by
inter national agreement There is no coun
try In the world which ia not on basis of
gold or of silver, and there is no country
in the world on a silver basis which is en-
lightened and progressive, and not one, to
quote the platform, "where the wages Of
labor are sufficient TO sustain the working
classes in comfort and independence.
The mastery speech Of Secretary Car
lisle,in whose honesty and sagacity all justly
confide, is ringing and will continue to ring
throughout the country, carrying convic
ton to millions of the people. Before the
solid array of unassailabe facts and truths,
before the massive and we'll msrshaled rea-
sonings which the great financier advanced
ON the field of discussion the clouds Of skirm-
ishers from the free coinage camp were forced
to retire In dismay. Ii the Memphis Conven
ton accomplished nothing more than to
furnish an occasion for its chief spokesman
TO elucidate the true American monetary
policy ii was great success.
But 1t has done much more The action
Of this eminently representative and prac
tically unanimous gathering discloses a
wide spread and manly opposition to free
coinage in the South. Though the South
has long been claimed by silverites as a
stronghold Of their heresy, they will dis
cover in the sober but ringing resolutions of
the convention unmistakable evidences that
the South is wheeling into line Of the sound
money advocates, and all know that when
the South takes stand it is not an easy
thing to drive her away from it. The cam.
paign, started by Mr.. Cleveland and now
pressed with Nspoleonic skill and vigor
by Mr.. Carlisle. has evidently not been fruit
less in the Sunny States. The planters have
found out that with cotton selling already
for 80 little they will suffer irretrievable
losses IL the gold standard is abandoned aud
they are consequently paid for their cotton
in short weight silver dollars, worth only
so cents
The Memphis Convention has bravely
ficed an issue which it has been the custom
of politicians TO shirk. II appeals TO the in
telligence Of the people. It points out dan
gers that are universally menacing. Above
all else it shows clearly that while no class
ui citizens could escape the calamitous con-
sequences of deliberate lapse from sound
10 unsonnd money the worst results OF such
blunder would fall upon those who toll
for their daily bread-the farmer. the laborer,
the mill hand, the small trader, the clerk
and the wage Garner Of every name and
kind