The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-03-07
A PLEA FOR HIS MASTER.

Comptroller Eekels addresses the
public through he March Forum in
vindication of Cleveland's course in
trying to enforce gold standard leg
islation upon congress. 1t might be
more to the point 10 say that Cleye-
land pleads his cause through Eckels.
The article tallieS SO well with his
multitudinOuS messages, both in Ian
guage and sentiment, that there can be
no doubt of the presidents knowledge
and approval before it found its place
in the forms. Every line of the article
is built upon the stereotyped aSsump-
ton that our government credit and
our national honor depend upon the
payment of all obligations in gold.
Even if this was true it comes with
such i'll grace from a president whose
very nomination for the Office was a
menance to our credit, and whose cleo
ton not only precipitated "A panic, but
through his behests and demands our
revenues We're cut of. that it seems
like the very proclamation OF consis-
tency for him or his interiors in office
to lay claims to credit for what he has
done to maintain national honor. He
il was who persistently and Stubbornly
measure which has done more TO de-
stroy confidence than ali other causes
combined. He may write till doom's-
day, and his defenders may talk till
they are hoarSe, but they Will never
wipe out the fact that confidence, both
ut home and abroad, went out with
HarriSon'S administration, and that
distrust and panic set in with the adj
vent OF his era OF gold. Mr.. Eckels
may dwell upon the great service
which President Cleveland has just
done for the country in pointing out
the evils which affiict our financial
body the day of millennium, but it
will be fruitless to repair the losses !
entailed by his policy. !
With almost brazen effrontery it is !
assumed by this writer that the sent |
iment in favor OF single standard is |
growing with the people. The only !
discrepancy in the statement, as every |
body knows. and as he must know, |
is that it is not true. The most con- |
sentative estimate Of public sentiment |
would be that, at least three-fOurthS /
of the voters of the whole country are !
favorable to the use of both gold and !
silver as the money of final redemp-
ton, and that the proportion is growing |
daily. What better evidence could we |
have than the breaking up of party |
lines in congress, and the defeat OF I
every movement in the direction of Il /
single standard. Mr.. Eckels is wont |
however, to brush aside this incident !
by answering the people that it is n |
mistake to suppose that an unfayorable |
vote i'll congress upon Il sound mca- |
sure carries with it public appro- !
VAL Quit, gratuitcus on hi part,
but he will be q long time convincing |
his readers that he is better judge /
of the peoples estimate Of any queS- /
ton than our representatives in con-
gresS. Surely nothing is made by per-
yerting facts.
Jllefe are certain omissions In MS !
article which few Will fail TO notice. |
among which is the slightest allusion |
to the late bond deal. He attacks the |
legal tender issues as most costly |
element of our currency, but omits the |
item of loss of some 100000 to the |
government in order that foreign I
syndicate of the presidents own chOOs- 4
ing might secure these bonds ut Il
price fixed by themselves. He even
thinks that the contraction caused by |
the retirement of our $500, 100000 OF /
legal tenders could not equal the cosy |
of maintaining them"
Such tWaddle form the foot of the |
throne at our national treasury may
serve as a balm for those who are
responsible for what has been done, /
or what has failed of accomplishment,
but it is worse than sounding brass
in the ear of the public. Who would
dare estimate the result of the re-
tirement of our legal tender issues
under present conditions?