The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-05-03
PROVO CITY. =
STEPH. ELKINS' IDEA.

a brief dispatch from Mr.. Elkins at
LeadYille on the lst, states explicitly
that gentleman's opinion that if the
republicans do not compromise with
the gold men the republican party will
be beaten in '96. When here Mr..
Elkins posed as free coinage man.
What compromise with the gold men
could be made other than that which
would weaken silver2 We need and
will accept no compromise short of full
restoration of silver to its old place as
a money metal, the full equal of gold
as it existed up to 1873. Nothing else
would be fair, honest or Just. We bat
tie alone for that and not to save any
party from defeat or to insure the tri-
umph of any, nor would the silver party,
the true democracy, recede from this
position or accept any other settlement
of the money difficulty. The democ-
Tacy has compromised and the repub-
licans have straddled so long and SO
often that now it is supposed that
settlement can be forced upon some
other line or subdivision Of the ques-
tion, which would recognize something
less than the full restoration. We are
astonished at Mr.. Elkins or rather at
his claim preferred in Salt Lake that he
OF the full restoration of silver. Any
compromise now must be at the ex-
pense of silver and upon the direct ad-
vantage Of gold. We cannot afford
that. As we said few days since the
restoration of silver must be on a ra-
ito OF l6 to 1, to start with, and II
either metal auctuates sufficiently in
price or supply with an appearance of
permanent changed conditions, we
could then alter our ratio to suit such
changed conditions. This we would do
in Difference to the interests of all the
people, but not as compromise to
save repuDlicRnism from defeat or even
for democratic advantage. II is purely
and simply question of restoration,
and restoration on any other ratio
than l6 TO would not be restoration
at all, but compromise of weak and
cowardly nature.
We have the fight well-nigh won
now, and certainly it is no time for
armiEtice or surrender when the enemy
is on the run. We have been for many
years a great admirer Of Senator Elkins
and mainly because he has been all
through warm friend of the west and
of silver, but if this is the best he can
do for silver now, reluctantly we should
be forced to reverss and reconstruct
our regard. No, sir. The blow which was
struck at the west in the demonetiZa-
tion of silver was the lightning's stroke
from a clear sky and it was for blood
and keeps, too. AT one stroke silver
went from the position of full equal
of gold to the position of mere COM
modity-G base metal, and any sugGes-
tion Of compromise can only come from
the enemy. The result must be full
restoration or else silver has gained
nothing.
Mind, we do not seek or want silver
monometsllism any more than gold.
We would fight the one as eagerly as
the other, because either metal alone
would not give us a sufficient sum of
the money of ultimate redemption.
Both are necessary and We must have
both in order to be able to procure
money enough to restore the trade
and the business to what it was when
Mr.. Elkins' republican party 50 COM
pletely destroyed it in 1873.