Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-08-17
A COLORADO CONFESSION.
An Editor Throws OFF His Free Silver
Mask and Tells the Truth.

An Editor Throws on HIS Free silver
Mask and Tells the Truth.
The seeds Of sound currency and like
wise Of sound sense are taking root even
when sown in stony places. The Duran
go Democrat Of Colorado, which has
been "whooping it up for free silver
and the mine owners, took turn which
must have surprised its readers and have
dumfounded the gold contract silver
mine owners. It's leading editorial was
headed "A Confession Wrung From Con-
science. In this editorial the writer
throws off the silver cloak disguise and
asserts his manhood. The following Is
a part of this interesting editorial:
Kentucky has spoken Her honest
stroke in support of the gold standard
sounds the knell of the silver humbug
within her borders and sets a good ex-
ample for other states
at Is time, for the sane Of Colorado's
reputation for honesty, if not for COM
mon sense, that some one in authority
should disabuse the minds Of eastern
and foreign investors Of the notion that
this whole state has run silver mad. It
is true that The Democrat has Joined
with other newspapers in Colorado, for
reasons which need not be specified here,
in booming silver, while everybody
knew that it was steadily and irresist-
IDLY on its way down hill. But the
limit has been reached Conscience re-
volts, as decency long ago revolted.
against carrying ON this fraud any
longer, The political ends to be gained
by it sink into insignifcance when con-
trasted with the damage which is bound
to result from 1t in the long run
The rest Of the article Is clear COM
mon sense exposition Of the certain
operation of free coinage as "debt
scaling" scheme, and Of the effect upon
Colorado Of continuing to advocate that
scheme, 1t shows how hopelessly any
business man would be discredited who
should adopt any such principle and de-
clares that communities, whether states
or nations, must suffer in the same way,
and it adds:
"But since for once The. Democrat is
permitting itself the luxury of telling
the truth on the silver question let us
AlttAC obl44 d L III tuGI lululSSlOu. N6Cdu-
not, by any hocus pocus Or tomfoolery,
by any false estimates Of our own
strength, by any brag Or buster or
empty sWagger, prevent the old world
from collecting every dollar, every
dime, every cents worth of debt due
from us, with full interest to date of
payment.
The result must be that, if free silver
were successful, only Americans would
be cheated. The process by which Colo
RADIO has been kept in ''the front rank
in the past as silver state" is described
mot in bitterness, but in sorrow," for
''The Democrat is ashamed of itself for
having lent its influence SO long to the
perpetuation Of the humbug." But the
end is coming. The article closes as fol
lows; But there is not an intelligent and
educated reader within reach of these
lines who does not know that every
word we have penned is downright,
solid, unassailable truth Bankers, mer-
chants, mechanics, farmers-we do not
rule out any Of these classes. In their
innermost hearts they know that we are
upholding national honor against dis
honor, national credit against contempt,
national prosperity against failure"