The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-25
r~v ro~sTANCY OF THE DISRATCh.

Tho risnatch refuses TO give up the
shin IL we may be pardoned' LOT want
., some better way Of stating the case
for liLening Senator David IL. mn 70
shin. II labored yesterday with great
muscle to prove from his speeches. that
IN ia no. IN favor of independent free
coinage by the United States. or OF free
coinage at 10 TO /, and there Is certainly
oo,bine OF either in the extracts which the
Dispatch quotes. But this method OF
proving the case is like that by which
A. Texas jury acquitted an accused man
OF murder. One man swore that he saw
the prisoner kill the deceased, but twenty
men swore that they did not see him DO
It, and so the jury acquitted the prisoner.
Now we will put the Dispatch on a much
better plan for finding out what Senator
Hills views upon the questions are. and
Il is of the sort that we once heard sug-
gested by one gentleman to another. Sew
eral gentlemen had prepared themselves
for a bath. when one remarked upon
certain spots on his chest that he said he
had never been able TO remove. though he
had tried a number Of expedients. An
other asked him IL ne had ever tried
soap and water?
Now If the Dispatch, instead of quoting
those parts of Senator Hits utteran+es
that have nothing TO do with the ques-
lions. will only give its attention briefly
hat Bga On
ly, it will find out just what Senator Hill
thinks of the subject. And, lest II may not
have them conveniently at hand we will
furnish them to it. In his letter to Mr..
Howell. published week ago simulta-
neousIy i'm all the daily papers of the
United States, and. therefore, published
by a preconcerted design, and, as the
publication states, by Senator HilPs pres
ent consent, he says: 1--WE shall be for
free coinage under an international agree
ment, if it is possible TO procure one, and
for which every possible exertion
should be made, and If not pos
sible. then for Independent bimet-
allism," This being now published,
with Senator Hills present consent is a
statement by him that ne is now in favor
Of free coinage of silver by This country
alone, If the other countries will not join
it. Very well. At what ratio shall we coin
independently? He shall answer, from
his speech delivered in the Senate on the
18th of August 1888 Gong. Record, p. 64O.
thus:
IL do not propose TO discuss 10 any eX-
tent the matter of ratios, because do not
regard that the time has arrived FOR us
serious considera tiOn. When the pohcy
of bimeta1ism shall have been definitely
settled then the opportunity will be ripe
for the opening up OF that subject. There
have always been conflicting views In re-
gard TO the proper ratio which ought TO
prevail between the two great money
metals, and, in my opinion, 1t is untlmeiy
TO invite sHch differences at a period
when Il is not the precise ratio when
Is at stake, but when the whole theory OF
bimetallism is assailed, and is struggling
for existence. / beg to differ with those
good friends VINO seem to regard the
question of ratio as one of the highest
Importance. | esteem ii OF the least con-
sequence of any of the questions which
are incident to the monetary problem.
If the existing ratio is to be changed at
all, the feasibility of which at the present
time is of great doubt, it should not be
enlarged; but diminished, and put at 10 IL
so as TO correspond with the ratio under
which the silver pieces Of the countries
composing the Latin Union were coined"
Now these are Senator HIS views re-
spectng silver as he himself declares them
when he speaks upon that subject, and If
the Dispatch will examine them, instead
Of what he said when discussing some
thing else, it will learn exactly what his
opinions are upon this all-mportant point.