Omaha daily bee., 1895-01-18
MR.. rHuRsroNs PROPAGANDA.

concern anu outlined Ine pOlcy WHICH
in his judgment congress and the ma
tional executive should pursue in deal
ing with the grave problems with which
the country is confronted.
Inasmuch as Mr. Thurston Is now
about to step into the national arena,
his declarations before the legislature
can not fail to attract attention and are
properly subject TO comment and criti-
cism. Some of these declarations are
in accord with those expressed in the
platforms of the republican party, while
others are at variance with the party
pledges and with public senti
ment within the party. Mr.
Thurston's declaration that no peo-
pie are free until every indi-
vidual has the fullest and fairest
opportunity to exercise his privilege of
citizenship and to cast his ballot as his
conscience dictates strikes the keynote
of true republcanism and must COM
mend itself to every patriotic citizen
who desires to preserve our free insti-
tutions under republican form of gov
crnment. Unfortunately Mr.. Thurston
qualities his declaration by pledging to
dedicate himself so long as God gives
him life and voice to the support of the
constitutional amendments which guar
antee the rights and privileges of Amer
lean citizenship. Those amendments
relate to the enfranchiscd negro and his
right of American citizenship. How
about the white man in political bond
age? How was it when the president
of one of the great railroads declined to
grant permission to delegates to a re-
publican convention to cast their votes
as their consccnces dictated and as
their constituents had n right to expect
them to vote? This happened in the
year 1893 in the state of Nebraska, and
not in Mississippi, Alabama or South
Carolina What is the use of free
ballot for the sovereign voter if his
representatives in convention and in
legislature are trammeled in the dis
charge of their sacred obligation to vote
in accordance with their pledges to the
people who elect them?
Mr.. Thurston's conclusions about the
chief cause of industrial depression will
be concurred in by the great majority
of republicans but many are not as
hopeful as he is with regard to the
marked increase of industrial activity
and resumption of prosperity just as
soon as the present congress adjourns
without further tariff legislation. There
are serious obstacles to q resumption of
prosperity, entirely outside of tariff
| laws that will have to be overcome
before we can hope for permanent
revival of good times.
On the financial issues Mr.. Thurston's
views and program are confusing. The
proposition that all outstanding notes be
made redeemable at the option of the
treasurer in gold or silver whenever it
becomes apparent that redemption is
being demanded for speculative purposes
can never be carried into effect without
seriously impairing the national credit.
1t would moreover be dangerous to con-
fer such extraordinary powers of dis
elimination and favortism upon the
treasury. The discretion to redeem in
gold or silver would not repress specu-
lation, but on the contrary open the
way for collusion with spectators in
case gold went to premium.
Mr.. Thurston's idea that we have paid
the national debt off too fast is well
founded, but the proposed funding of
that debt for the sole purpose of secur-
ing national bank circulation is open to
discussion. His assertion that there
can not be too much money in the
country, If every dollar is backed up by
ability of redemption, would counteract
the national funding scheme. If the
800, 100000 of government bonds We're
converted into basis for national bank
notes the dollars could not all find re-
deemer in case of panic, because the
government bonds could not be con-
verted into specie money on demand.
There can not be too much money in
the country If the word money repre-
sents wealth. If money represents
debt, and every paper dollar is merely
a promise to pay-in other words debt
then there can be too much money
for the good of the country.
Mr.. Thurston's position on the silver
question would puzzle and confound n
Philadelphia lawyer. He declares that
he does not admit that our present
evils are the result of so-called silver
demonetization, and then asserts: 81
am satisfied, however, that the demone-
tization of one-half of the worlds sup
ply of the ultimate money of redemp-
tion was not for the best interests of the
people of the world" Now, If the first
proposition be true the last proposition
certainly is baseless. And if the prem
ises of the last proposition are correct
then the first assertion is baseless. Mr..
Thurston .caps the climax of financial
heresy by the following declaration:
my position upon the American sill
yer question has been thoroughly under
stood by the people of this state and
/ accept my election by the united vote
of the great republican majority in this
legislatur as an endorsement of my
ante-election declaration In favor of the
coinage of the American product of