The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-12
THERE MUST BE no FALrEKING NOW

THERE MUST BE 40 FALTERING now.
1t Genes cut from Washington through
the general press disT Patches now that
the administration has not lost all hope
OF securing the pass Sc of currency
bill, and that Secretary Carlisle is to try
his hand I'm formulating another hybrid
messur, that will seek to steer com
promise course through the various con
hicts of opinion that the discussion III
Congress has developed. The dispatch
adds that 1t is said in well-informed quar-
tiers that the President is Hing to make
any concession to the opponents OF the
bill that will not amount 10 a complete
surrender to the free silver men.
We have no means OF knowing whether
this Is true or hot. except what is FUR
nished in the fact that IL is one OF the
general press dispatches that go to all the
newspapers III the country. and 1t some
times happens that whenever the admin
istration contemplate ties surprising move
one Of those proceedings that the French
very happily term coup--it resorts TO
public mind for 1t. But however that may
be, we raise our voice here and nov IN
most emphatic protest against the ADMIN
jstration yielding one single point TO the
free silver theory. The free silver idea is an
attack upon our standard of value. Its
purpose is TO coin all the silver In the
woffd mite nominal dollars that are In
fact worth o.I MY cents each, and TO
arm every debtor with power to compel
his creditor TO take these half dollars as
whole dollars. The instant this Govern
mcnt commits itself TO any such policy,
all men having debts due TO them VIII
seek to collect them before the policy can
actually assume the form OF law. Every
bank Will call upon its debtors TO pay
w. and every one must do so at whatever
cost. because men who get accommoda-
lions at bank know they must maintain
their credit absolutely or abandon all
hope of ever getting accommodations
again. The pressure which the creditor
class would at once put upon the debtor
class would produce a more overwhelm-
ing financial panic and crash than jules
Verne could dream out. II would over
throw every established industry in the
land and bankrupt half the people OF the
country.
And the scope of this movement Is by
no means indicated III the cry for free sill
yer. That is misleading. and is misleading
thousands of it's own dupes Back OF the
move for free silver lie the horrid figures
OF Communism and Anarchy. When the
United States has determined for part OF
fits Institutional law that whenever
large body OF it's citizens have become
burdened with debt, they may relieve
themselves from IL by paying fifty cents
In the dollar. II will have broken down
the barriers that protect private property,
IL will have declared that IL is no part OF
human law 10 rest upon the moral law. 1t
will have shattered the citizens reverence
for his laws by reason of the fact that
those laws are founded upon the moral
law. and 1t will thereby have opened WIDE
the door for Communism and Anarchy 10
enter upon the theatre of the nations ar
fairs 10 play from that time forward the
leading parts In the nations tragedy.
For one. we raise our voice in solemn
protest and warning against the surrender
Of one inch of territory TO this hydra
headed monster. We say TO MIR. Cleve-
land that ne has no right 10 yield one iota
10 IL. lie has been elected President OF
the United States for second term. be-
cause the people of this country believe
aim to be the sworn and unterrifed oppo-
nent and enemy Of all the misrule in
volved in the catch-word, free silver.
We tell him then that he will betray his
trust II he departs In the smallest
particular from that position in this mat
ter. which he was known TO occupy when
ne was elected 10 his second term. 1t is not
TO be thought of. nor could any practical
good come from such surrender. The
Issue has been made between those who
would unsettle the fixed order OF things
and throw everything into confusion and
chaos. and those who value order and the
preservation OF property rights just as
they are. That issue must be fought out
as II has been made. If the majority IN
this country has really come TO consist
OF those who believe that justice and good
policy are subseryed by the law compeii-
ing every person who has a debt OF
$1,000 due him 10 take in full payment OF
Il $500. then the nations life is lost, and
no good can come from bolstering II up
through Fastening decline. We do not
believe. however. that the majority OF our
people have become so lost to respect and
attachment to those sound principles OF
life which the civilized world has been
% many eyes In forging out and adopting
- ~ rule Of conduct. We believe the