Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1895-12-11
Is NOT a SECTIONAL ISSUE.
Ben 8. Dean Of New York Talks on the Silver
Question.

duu al ClStcID silver MdUs WdHJ 10
talk to the silver men of the West, and
to entreat them not to attempt to make
the silver question sectional issue.
The issue is broad enough for the ma
ton, since it involves the financial
question, not alone for the United
States, but for the entire commercial
world, and it is a mistake to suppose
that all of the people of the State of
New York, and many of the Eastern
States are in favor of the English sys-
tenn of finance sought to be forced up,
on us by Grover Cleveland and the
moneyed interests of New York City.
1t is true. of course, that the masses,
who have been taught that the money
question was out of their sphere, and
that it could only be mastered by the
great financiers, have hardly dared to
assert themselves as yet, but there is a
deep undercurrent of silver sentiment
even in the State of New York. In
the first assembly district of Chautau-
qua county, from which 1 write, we
haYe just elected by the largest major
this district member of the State As
sembly, who is an open and avowed
advocate of the free coinage of silver
at the old ratio, and who made the
fact one of his principal claims to the
consideration of the people in his can
vass, both for the nomination and cleo
ton. So strong is the sentiment that
his opponent for the nomination, at the
close of the canvass, also publicly pro-
claimed his conviction that we should
| return to the free coinage of silver, but
| his conversion coming late in the day
was not sufficient to overcome Mr.. Bah
cock, who had at the election over A.
600 majority.
We have in this state a Republican
Editorial Association, which meets
annually the day before the assembling
| of the state convention. At the last
meeting resolution was brought in
declaring in favor OF the single gold
standard. Surprising myself in hope
less minority, but unwilling to have
the policy of my paper dictated by any
association, offered a motion to strike
out the resolution in so far as 1t pro.
claimed gold to be an honest money.
making a brief speech in support of
my motion. To my surprise was sus-
tanned by some of the leading journal
lists of the state. and on the motion be-
ing put it was carried, practically with
out opposition, the gold standard peo-
pie not daring to call for division of
the house on the question. L state
these facts simply to show that the sill
yer sentiment is cot local; that we of
the East are considering the question,
and that, If wisdom shapes the policy
OF our friends in the West. and they re-
fuse to believe and to assume that they
have the burden with themselves alone,
there Is reason to look forward to a
movement all along the line which will
prove irresistible.
| In this connection let me say that
we cannot afford to waste much time
on the conspiracy of 1873" Admit.
ting that the legislation of that time
was fraudulently procured, the ques-
tion of to-day is whether we want to
return to the financial system of that
time. The American people are not
all of them so full of the spirit of re-
tallation as the Irishman who assault
ed the Jew, alleging as defense that
it was Jew who had killed Christ, and.
on being informed that this occurred
1900 years ago, and that the particular
individual had nothing to do with the
event, insisted that the act was iusti-
fed because this was the first he had
heard of the outrage. What the peo-
pie want to know is not whether the
act OF 1873 was corruptly secured, but
whether we can honestly return to the
conditions abandoned at that time.
and 1t Is our duty to demonstrate to
them that we can. Once show to the
people that the ultimate and logical
result of the attitude of the So called
great financiers is to drive silver out of
this country, and out of the commerce
of the world, as has already been done
to very large extent, and that this
policy results in compelling us to pay
our debts in a larger purchasing value
than existed prior to 1873; once con-
vince them that the American silver
dollar will purchase as much tea in
China, as much wheat in India. as
much coffee in Mexico as 1t eyer would
and that an ounce of silver will pur.
chase as much, with a few possible ex.
captions, in the markets of the world
as it would in 1878, showing that the
depreciation of silver is due to the ap-
probation of the purchasing power of
gold, and there will not be gold mono.
metallists enough IN theNat to carry
ward caucus. 1t is only by Disgusting
the real purposes of the present SO. call
ed financial magnates under the seduc-
tive appellatlon of bimetallism that If
is possible to secure even respectable
following for what has been dishonest
ly termed "honest money" aud as soon
as the people can be convinced that
bimetalliSm on any other basis than
that in which our contracts are based
is in effect a recognition of the gold
standard, and can have no other effect
than continual contraction of the
currency, making us more and more
the servants of Great Britain, there
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