The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-13
Finnncicr IIlnrlchsen.


Ffnnncicr Ilnrichsen.
Mr. Henrichssn, the chairman of the
democratic state committee of Illinois,
who has called state convention Of the
democracy of that state for June s. to
make declaration in respect to the sill
yer question, is one Of that class of poll
ticians who are ever ready to sacrifice
any public interest to gain notoriety or
TO boost themselves into office. The sill
Yer question is distinctly a national ques-
ton. and while it is the usual thing for
state conventions to pass resolutions rel
alive to national questions, IT is quite I'M
usual for a state convention to be called
for the purpose Of passing upon partic-
ular national question. A convention Of
the Illinois democracy cannot settle the
silver question, and the result of Hen
richsen's convention will be probably to
split the democracy of Illinois.
But the most interesting thing in con-
nection with Chairman Henrichsen's per-
Torrance is that he has settled it in his
own mind as to how the silver problem
is to be solved. In fact, he has an idea,
probably, that it is through his efforts
that the question will be settled The
nonsensical views which he expresses in
talking of the question shows how en-
tirey ignorant he Is of any matter per-
tanning to finance. His cheerfulness I'M
der his weight of ignorace would be ex-
asperating if 1t were not so amusing.
He tells a reporter that the movement
he has started will spread to every state
in the union, and that the next congress
and the next President win be committed
TO the free coinage of silver at the ratio
of 16 to l. This condition of affairs, he
says, will cause capitalists to put their
money in silver bullion. Everybody, he
is sure. win be crazy to buy silver, be-
cause they can take II to the minis and
get it coined into silver dollars at the
ration of 16 to l. The big profit there will
be in the transaction will cause gold to
flow to this country from all other coun-
tries to be invested i'm silver. The price
of silver viii rise rapidly until the COM
mercial value of the silver in a silver dol
lar viii be a dollar in gold. Hence. even
before congress passes a free silver coin
age bill the silver question will be set
tied
1t may be that Chairman Henrichsen
believes this. sort of stuff. If there were
not men to believe such nonsense there
would be no free silver coinage craze
If Chairman Henrichsen could find a
capitalist who would put money into sill
yer, under the circumstances he presents,
he might be justified to some extent in
thinking that he had found the way to
settle the silver question. He doesn' I
seem to understand that even if the price
of silver should rise under the conditions
he presents it would quickly fall again,
unless the government had gold to give
in exchange for all the silver that should
be offered for an indefinite length of time.
If he thinks he has the right idea of it
why is it that the worlds capitalists do
not buy up all the silver and take it to
the minis of Mexico and get Mexican dol
lars for 1t? Chairman Henrichsen may be
a good enough financier for the present
purposes of the silverites, but he is a
long way from satisfying those who be-
lieve in sound money. If he were at all
quick of comprehension he would have
found out before this, if he does not know
it. that the ultimate object of the silver
ties is the establishment of a silver stand
ard, which would enable debtors to pay
their debts in a debased currency-a cur
rency having only half the purchasing
power Of the present currency.
The Boston Transcript publishes letters
said to have been received by Mr.. r.
p. Hallowell of Boston, while on visit
to Camden. S. c., threatening him with
personal violence unless he left town
within a specified time. His alleged Of
Tense was a too free Intercourse with
the negroes of the place. The business
men of Camden repudiate the threatening
letter, as, of course, all other good citizens
do. 1t would not be surprising. however,
if it should turn out that Mr. Hallowell
was made the victim of some practical
joker. The people of the south, gener-
ally speaking. have no objection to Mas
sachusetts people hobnobbing with the
blacks, il they Ike it. Thirty or forty
years ago there was a well-grounded OBJ
lection to any such thing but that is all
passed away.