St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-16
AN INTERESTING CONTEST.


ago, a challenge to Mr.. w. H. Har-
vey, author of Coins Financial
School," to meet him in public de-
bate on the financial question. In
asmuch as such controversies gen.
orally consist of series of set
speeches, in which one man talks
for an hour or so, and another oc-
cupies an hour or so in reply, with
out either necessarily touching the
ground covered by the other, a novel
plan for this meeting was suggested.
According to this scheme, which has
been adopted, the debate will con-
tinue for eight days; three hours
being the limit of time for each ses-
sion, and one chapter of Coins FL
nancial School, forming the basis
of each days discussion. The propo-
sitiOns considered will be taken from
putants will take the affirmative
or negative according to their
views. Neither of the principals can
talk longer than ten minutes at any
one time. After he has stated his po-
sition on the particular point at is
sue, his opponent will then have the
selected several others holding the
same opinions as himself to be pres
ent on the platform and to aid him
with any suggestion or reference of
authorities that may apply. A COM
plete report of each session will be
taken by a stenographer, and the
press reports will furnish a full ac-
count of the debate
While we do not believe that there
is any particular profit in further
agitation of the silver question at
this time, we recognize the fact that
many people are still interested in it,
and that many, Notwithstanding
the oceans of literature that have
been published bearing upon it, are
still DESTROYS Of further facts, and
still in doubt about many of the
main positions on either side If
anything. can make the silver CUES
ton plain to the average under
standing, it ought to be just such
battle OF words as this. 1t will be
cut and thrust all the time. Neither
of the debaters can make a general
statement or quote an authority and
then run away from it. Within ten
minutes he will be called down by
the other side; his fallacy, if such
there be, exposed, and the founda-
ton Of his argument attacked 1t
| seems hardly possible that the loose,
irregular and frequently false state
ments that have been made to do
duty in the silver debate should
| find any place here.
We do not, for a moment, suppose
| that this Horr-Harvey debate will
| be accepted as conclusive by the ar
| dent supporters of either side of the
main contention. They have permit
ted certain vague generalities to be-
come so firmly fixed in their minds
that they can scarcely be said to be
| open to argument. Again, the diff
Guilty of arriving at final conclu-
sion is the old impossibility of prov
! ing a negative. Nobody can ever tell
exactly what would have happened
! in this country between 1873 and
1895 if the silver dollar had not been
dropped from the list of our coins.
We may be ever so sure of the ac-
minds, but we can never know to a
certainty just what would have hap
pened if anything had been different
from what it was. Neither can the
wisest prophet look ahead and de-
scribe exactly what would follow the
adoption of one or another policy for
the future. We may have no doubt
Whatever, yet the rule holds that
the unexpected and unforeseen con-
sequences of any legislative act or
policy are always more important
and far-reaching than those which
could be predicted in advance. There
| will, therefore, remain some uncer-
tainty and fixed difference of opin-
ion between men, no matter which
side should seem to gain the ad-
| vantage.
But such a debate ought to cut
away a lot of underbrush. Mr.. Har-
vey has been convicted time and
again of misrepresentation and mis-
/ quotation. He and all his followers
have persistently run away from the
main issue, which is the effect that
would be produced upon the indus
tries and the prosperity Of the Unit
ed States by the immediate coinage
of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1, with
out limit in this country, acting
Independent Of other nations. They
always cover this over with a
stump speech about the greatness
of the United States, and the igno-
miny Of following the financial poll
cies of England and other nations.
No evasion ought to serve in a con-
troversy at close quarters. While not
all the best ability of either party
will be represented in this Chicago
tournament, there will be enough to
make very fair show of their rela-
tive strength in argument. Mr.. Horn
and Mr.. Harvey are undoubtedly
well qualified to represent the op.
! posing factions. Each man is here
! placed in a position SO conspicuous
that he will leave nothing unsafe
which he or his coadjutors can sug
| gest to make good his position
| Something almost decisive to rea.