The Monticellonian., 1895-06-21


 from that used by him in 1878, and we must not ansW CT him with sheer or contemptuous foot, or POnsnappian ejaculation that will not do. He has the right to change his opinion; yea, more, if honestly he believed he was wrong then, it is his duty to change them now and give the reason for the faith that is in him. It is said fools and dead men alone never change their opinions. We were all, 1 believe, for one l know 1 was glad when he was called to the high trust now in bis hands, and 20 hreath of suspicion as to hls honesty of purpose; 1 am sure, will be famed or encouraged in any way by any of those who know hIm-not by a single one; but meet his arguments now with his arguments then. To my mind, after reading both. then and now, his reasons and arguments then are far superior in logic, in force and in direct explanation to those he now sets forth. He was then about forty-three years old, having served Kentucky in many high places, in close communion with his constituents constantly-the elect rieity between him and them was then kept fresh and warm all the tlme-his intellect keen and at it's best, and bis environments all told him to know we'll and study close ly the wants of his people, and so completely did he do this he came to the senate, and great mantle fell upon him, which to wear was honor and fame enongh for any one. Confront then with his views and his reasons therefor in 1878, and trust to their weight and sup eriority. This is just and fair de- bate-let reason and logic, not an- ger or prejudice prevail in all this discussion. Mere personal ques- tions will not enlighten the peo- pie one iota on this all-absorbing topic; they rarely if ever they do on any subject Your side has the argument-it is already made Send it out to the remotest cor ners of the land, from center to circumference, and from Dan to Bershe eba-over the country.
 Silver came here to this country with our forefathers and toremoth- CTS hand in hand under the law with gold-"it peregrinated it rus ticated it domicilated with them" and became thus one of the insti- tutions of our colonies, and walk ed thus with gold and took it's place in the constitution and our first and gretest secretary of the treasury, as we have seen, takes it up with full recognition and fixes its place in the financial transac. tions of the country; and it thus continued an under all circumstan. ces as such till the dismal period of 1873 already referred to. Yes, for forty,elght years after the adoption of the constitution of the United States, the right of the people to have free coinage of sil. yer, as well as gold, was not only distinctly recognized, but careful : ly protected by congress.
 l cannot believe silver is worth less and valueless as the single standard advocates claim it to be : and tn at it deserves the treatment they insist it shall receive. Ii was "current money with the merchant when Abraham bought the field of Machpelah in which to bury Sarah and it has been so al mos. ever since, and I cannot be lieve any sound reasons can be given why it should not now be so.
 1 cannot help believing that ou1 country is big enough in territory in soil and climate, in all the ap. pliances of the arts and sciences in all it's different interests of its people, in energy and honesty and in name and character, to fix its own standard of value, without waiting for or dancing attendance upon foregn powers. Let us fix them and these foreign powers can follow, if they will, but let us fix .l