The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-04-27
Def OF BLACKBURN
He Boldly Throws Down the
Gauntlet
ON The SILVER QUESTION
Unlimited Coinage at i6 to I without
Regard 10 AN International
Agreement.

published in todays Courier-Journai
Senator Blackburn in unmlstakable
terms outlines his position on the silver
question and boldly throws down the
gauntlet to his opponents for similar
candor on the same subject. With his
usual aggressiveness the senator almost
dares his opponents to meet him on the
Issue he represents. and IL may be as
sumed that the issue will be promptly
accepted. Senator Blackburn has writ
ten statement of his position on which
he expects to stand or fall in the sena-
torial race He declares his position as
follows:
IF have not heretofore shown any
disposition to be interviewed by the
daily papers Of this city it has not been
because Of my purpose to conceal from
the people my views on any public ques-
ton. but because I was anxious to
avoid. if possible. the perversion and
distortion to which my utterances hav~
generally been subjected
Il never had, have not now. and never
intend to have any secrets in politics.
l am al loss to understand how any
one especially in Kentucky, can remain
| in ignorance as to my sentiments upon
the silver question If thew feel enough
interest in the matter to desire such in
formation. For the last 20 years. In con-
gress and on the stump, anywhere and
everywhere, l have earnestly and per-
sistently insisted upon the restoration
of silver metal to that place in the mon
! ey system of the country which IL al
ways held prior to the passage of that
| disastrous act of decentralization in 1873
! Upon this subject 1 have never held an
| opinion or made an utterance that have
| in the slightest degree altered or mod
flied in all these years. Yet If there is
still any of the uniformed who desire
to know my views l viii reiterate them
in the shortest space possible by say
ing that / am in favor of opening the
minis of the country to the unlimited
coinage of silver metal on an equality
for the coinage of gold. l am opposed
to gold monometallism and just as much
opposed to silver monometallism With
out reservation, I am bimetallist I
want and mean TO continue TO insist
upon the use of both metals on even
terms as the redemption money of this
country. I am opposed to this govern
ment waiting for any international con-
ference to act Our experience with
such agencies has not been such as to
give us either confidence or hope of
attainment of this purpose.
Daniel Webster declared the CON
stitution of the United States made
gold and silver the redemption money of
the country and that neither congress
nor any state had any rightful power
to substitute any other, nor to destroy
either the one or the other of these
metals. If congress had the power TO
demonetize silver it had the same pow
er to demonetlze gold. If they could
E strike down half. they could strike
down all.
II am in favor OF the restoration OF
silver metal al the ratio of 16 to 1
believing. in the light of experience that
covers a century, that such a ratio will
: establish and maintain permanently
the parity between the two metals"
, CARLISLE is SILENT.
l Senator Blackburns interview ha!
called forth an editorial from the Even
l ing Post, calling upon Secretary Car
Isle to come out and answer the sena
4 tor. The Post says:
Senator Blackburn's challenge to tn,
administration and to the friends of TIN
administration is a challenge which Mr.
a McCreary can not meet and which mus
be met by the gentleman from Ken
y lucky, who is by invitation of Cleve
g land secretary of the treasury.
'It should have been met before. I'm
c der the defiance of Blackburn and Proc
= tor Knott, the silence of the secretar
c of the treasury savors too much o
timidity. The fight foi sound principles
/ for reason, for democracy, must b
q made and made before the meeting o
the state convention in June. Har
4 money democrats have waited for Car
: isle to speak. He is the natural leade
in this contest and he can not open tn
campaign too soon, nor put into it to
much of the fighting qualities.
1.-THE crisis Is upon the democrati
:, party in Kentucky and 1t can not b
=. averted."