Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1895-05-02
4 DIFFERENCES OF OPINION

gives silver the recognition II deserves
will sweep TIE country next year, but
that II new party cannot be built up on
that one issue alone. He prefers TO stay
in the republican party and help edu
cate it to Il full endorsement of bimet-
allism. There is wisdom in such Il
course FREE PRESS.
Now there is another term which is
almost meaningless, If we accept the
definition used by the gentlemen who
profess to be bimetallisls. Bimctalism
is construed by one clement 10 mean the
free and unlimited coinage of silver up
on II ratio of lG To with gold, accord
ing to each metal precisely the same
privileges. Senator Stewart and Sena-
tor Jonc, and the other leaders in the
free silver movement thus contend
They want the two metals TO 90 side by
side, remaining Il; parity. This they
call true bimctallism. Senator John
Sherman and some of the Others who
oppose the unrestricted coinage of sll-
yer contend with equal vigor that the
free silver idea, if carried out, means
silver recommendation, not blmctallism.
Sherman and his following profess to be
the only true bimetal!ists, believing i'll
the use OF both gold and silver, giving
to the cheaper metal all the privileges
possible and consistent with honest gov
eminent and what is for the best inter
cSts of the whole people. They contend
that bimetallism cannot he maintained
with the Unrestricted coinage of silver.
of course we understand what the FREE
Press means and what Senator Mitchell
racals, because we know their views;
but when we are discussing these ques
tions il would be infinitely better ii we
should drop these misleading terms and
say exactly what we want, if we know,
which possibly some of MS don't. The
term "bimctalliSm' may be c!;,s>cd with
that of 'Sound money! Watcrtown
Public Opinion.
he classification of bimctalism as
Senator Stewart and his colleagues I'M
derstand it, is real; us Senator Sherman
defines it, is hypothetical.
Thctrst definition of bmctallism given
by the Public Opinion is the only true
and correct one. Ii agrees with the
ideas not alone of Senators Stewart and
Jones but with the definition given by
President Andrews, of Browns univer-
sity, an eminent scholar, and Wcbs,cr'S
dictionary The latter thus defines the
term: 1.-The legaliZcd use of two metals
in the currency of Il country at Il fixed
relative value" There is plenty of 9TH
cr equally good authority.
Senator Sherman, Grover Cleveland
and others of that class say one thing
and mean another They profess TO be
bimcta,ists while their every act rcla
tive TO such matters proves that they
are in favor of dcbasing the white metal,
restricting It's use and every othcrmcans
to enhance the value of gold. In view
of this their claim that they are bimct-
allists is rank hypocrisy. Ii is rs plain
as the nose OH II mans face that they
are not, but far from it, They argue
that the equal use of both metals, At Il
fixed relative value would soon bring
about silver monometalllsm, but they
cannot point to q single instance i'll his.
tory where this has been the result, and
their assertions along this line are utter
ly without foundation-mercly Il buga-
boo. The present status of the two
metals suits their protested ideas of BIZ
mctallism exactly, and they would lend
to the white metal no further privileges
than ii now has. Common horse sense
teaches that such position has no YES
tigc of true bmctallism. 1t is simply q
makcshift to stavc Off the bringing about
of bimctalism in its true form, until
some other more powerful means can be
brought to bear to defeat the move.
From the appearance of things now
such an attempt will prove futile. The
FREE Press notices great deal of cvi.
dencc to bear out the assertion. Among
others the following Washington dis
patch appearing in the Minneapolis
journal, n gold bug organ, which indi-
Gates that the people generally arc
strongly backing their congressman III
the position indicated, and that the sen
timcnt is honest and widespread:
Free coinage, or at least coinage al
the rate OF III 10 l, was never SO StrOng
among members of both both houses rs
it is today. A careful estimate based
upon sentiments expressed by members
elect show that 81 clear majority is il
favor of the restoration of silver. The
senate is SO deeply imprcgnatcd with
the silver idea that with the two rev
senators from Utah, who will take theil
seats next winter, q veto from the pres
ident would be surely oyerridden. Ur
at the treasury department this fact is
admitted and it is no longer doubted
that silver has more friends in congress
than the white metal has had ut any
time since 1878.
Senator Morgan, of Alabama, though
q hot headed southcrner and possessing