The Portland daily press., 1895-04-18

ing the church. Some distinction is
set up in the Papal encyclicai on the
ubjeot between Canada and the Uuited
States, but the real distinction we i'm
agine, is that the fight over the schools
is on in Canada AID is not on in the
United States. 1t will entirely dis
appear, we have no doubt, whenever there
is fight on in this country IN which
there is fair chance for the hierarchy
to win; and the attitude of Rome will
be just the same toward the schools of
TINS country as to those of Manitoba.
Inc theory of the Catholic church is
Snat education belongs to the parent and
not to the state But as the church as
sumes the right to control the parents
It's contention is practically that it and
not the state has the right to control the
education of the young.
There are unmistakable signs that the
Presidents letter to the Chicago business
men has precipitated contest between
the trends and opponents of free coinage
in the Democratic party, and that hence
forth the battle will be waged vigorously.
The reception which the letter has met
from the silver men is cne of mingled
scorn and defiance. They accuse him of
ignorance on the subject and of ssubser-
viency to what theyrrcallsthe capitalistic
classes. Gov. Altgeld, of Illinois, says
that had the Presidents name not been
signed to the letter nobody would have
given ii any attention, it would have
been ridiculed all over the country for
it's weakness almost excites pity"
Altgeld accuses the President of being
the tool of the Standard Oil people and
Wall Street and of trying to coerce, Con-
gress into doing the bidding of the east.
Senator Stewart, who by the way is not
exactly Democrat but a Populist, has
addressed a letter to the President in
which he says:
Whatever may happen, YOU are en-
ti5ed to the gratitude of the American
people for your bold and open advocacy
of the uom bination of gold. monometall-
lists aagnst the doctrine of your Secre-
tary of the Treaury OF the coinage of
both gold and silver upon terms of exact
equality Yon are doing what no other
President has had the courage to do
since the crime of 1878. None of your
predecessors since that deplorable event
has dared to advise combination of
gold monometallists against the cousti
tutional right of the American people to
have coined at the mints both gold and
silver, and thereby enjoy sufficient sup
ply OF money OF ultimate payment to do
the business of the country, sustain en-
terprlse. and furnish employment for
labor. Your confidence in orr ~iS(l IN
and ability is sublime when uHtlHr ures-
ent conditions you are willing IL chal-
lenge comparisons between your poAcy
and that of the founders of the 4Jemo-
cratic party which placed you in power.
1t you could point to any benefit you
have been to the country our task would
be much easier; but in view of universal
distress your courage far exceeds your
discretion, unless you present your reas-
ons for gold monometallism without de-
lay. There must be something in those
reasons besides the catch phrases sound
money purity snterconverti bility,'
national credit patriotic DEVOTION
party, and the like. Such talk is
stale and can no longer restrain the peo-
pie from just indignation against the
com bination which has deprived the
young and enterprising of all oppor-
tunitY to acquire wealth and indepen-
dence and plunged the country into
misery and want"
Though the letter be Of small conse-
quence intrinsically. as the silver men
say, it has created great commotion
among them and stirred them up to re-
doubled effort. Whether the other side
has been as much stimulated by it re-
mains to be seen.