The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1895-04-22
Kentucky's Senator Declares
for Free White Metal.
he CHALLENGES HIS OPPONENTS
Ehey Are Asked to Openly Declare
Themselves Upon the Question
at Issue.

view published in today's Courier-Jour-
nal, Senator Blackburn. in unmistaka-
BILE terme, 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 it may be as
sumed the issue will be promptly ac-
cepted. The senator has written with
his own hand the statement of the posi-
ton on which he expects to stand or fall
in the senatorial race. He declares his
position as follows:
HIf have heretofore shown any indis-
position to be interviewed by the daily
papers of this city, it has not been be-
cause of any purpose to conceal from the
people my views on any public question,
but because was al hious to avoid, if
possible. perversion and distortion to
which my utterances have generally (of
course, unintentionally) been subjected.
I never had, I have not now, and I
never intend to have, any secrets in
politics. I am at a loss to understand
how any one, especially in Kentucky,
can remain in ignorance as to my senti-
ments upon the silver question if they
feel enough interest in the matter to de-
sire such information.
"For the last twenty years, in con-
gress and on the stump, anywhere and
everywhere, I have earnestly and per-
sistently insisted upon the restoration
of the silver metal to that place in the
money system of the country which it
held prior to the passage of that disas-
trons act of demonstration in 1873. It
there is one man in public life in all the
country whose views on the subject were
entitled to be known to all men by rea-
son of his acts and utterances, had
reason to believe was that man. Upon
this subject have never held an opin-
ion or made an utterance that have in
the slightest degree altered or modified
in all these years. Yet, if there is still
any uninformed who desires to know
my views I will reiterate them in the
shortest space possible by saying am
in favor of opening the mints OF this
country to unlimited coinage of the sill
yer metal on an equality with the coin
age of gold. ] am opposed to monomet-
alIsm and just as much opposed to silver
monometalism. Without reservation, /
am bimetallist. want and mean to
continue to insist upon the use of both
metals on even terms as the redemption
money of this country. would be glad
to see this result brought about by the
action of an international conference.
provided it could be done without delay.
I am opposed to this government watt
ing for any such conference to act. Our
experience with such agencies has not
been such as to give rs either confidence
or hope of the attainment of this pur-
pose. Upon the contrary, our partici-
pations in such conferences have, in
their very barrenness. become farcial
and ridiculous.
q. 'sIn 1876, this country, with only
100000 of people, was bold enough tC
prove itself able to discard the monetary
system of Great Britain and establish
one of it's own, which for nearly 1O(
years met every demand and stood ever,
strain that the growth and development
of the country put upon it. I beIiev'
the destruction (entailed upon us b,
this characterization policy of one-haI
of our redemption money has contribut