The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-15
Growth of Silver Sentiment.

Growth of Silver Sentiment.
Few Republicans in public life are
better informed or more conservative
than Representative Hepburn. of Iowa.
Mr.. Hepburn has just completed tour
of the western states, and he declares
that there is a general and growing
public opinion throughout the west in
favor of the free coinage of silver.
1.-THE educational process in behalf of
free silver is" he declares, "having
marked influence upon the people. l
believe that this year in every Demo-
cratic state convention held west of the
Allegheny mountainsa position in favor
of the immediate, unlimited coinage Of
free silver will be taken, unless the in
ternational conference is called and
people are induced to believe that there
is reasonable prospect of an early in
ternational agreement as to ratio and
coinage. The Republicans of the west
have always been in favor of the free
unlimited coinage of silver as Il result
of international agreement l thought
I noticed u stronger feeling among
them on my last trip i'm favor of such
use of silver independently of such
agreement, but if the invitation is
made by Germany and accepted by the
commercial nations of the world have
no doubt that Republicans will be con-
tent to stand on the declarations of the
platform and wait for such joint ac-
tion. l believe, however, that should
the Republicans of the west become
satisfied that there IS to be no such con-
ference and that gold monometallism
is to be the policy of European ma
tions and of our own men of wealth,
they will prefer silver monometallisnI
to gold.
"As for myself I favor the Republi-
can position on the unlimited coinage
of silver, but l feel perfectly certain
that an international agreement as to
ratio and the opening of all mints TO
silver will soon be reached. 1t may be
to the interest of a few very rich men
to limit the money of ultimate redemp-
ton to gold, but it is the interest of tine
great mass of people to have the great
est possible amount of money oc ulti-
mate redemption. The latter are rapid
" finding out that this is their inter-
ests, and, as they are thousand to one
of the others, VIen they do learn this
they will prevail in any contest. This
interest is the same on the part of the
Englishman, the German and the
Frenchman as the American, so that
it is only necessary that the same meas
ures of education should be had in
other countries as here to bring about
the same results. With an interna-
tional agreement there can be no ques-
ton about good results of the free coin
age of silver. With an agreement the
market is unlimited and the value is
fixed without the possibility of fluctu-
alton so long as the ratio is main
tanned by law. The unlimited coinage
by the United States Independently of
agreement is but an experiment. No
man knows that it will succeed His
belief is but a speculation, so that l
think it is better not to be precipitate,
but to wait for certainty that with
proper education must come"
This is an eminently conservative
view. 1t probably puts too much re-
lance upon the likelihood of an
early monetary agreement among
the nations. But it indicates at
least that those persons who think
the silver question will have lit
tie bearing upon the politics of the near
future are unfamiliar with the real
condition of public sentiment west of
New York city.