The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-04-11
ALTERED CONDITIONS. ALTERED
OPINIONS

The few Republicans who voted against
E~reenbacks when their issue seemed nee
essary for the preservation Of the ma
tional government were looked upon fol
a time with suspicion. Their loyalty &c
the nation was not indeed seriously
questioned, but their judgment was
deemed out Of harmoy with apparent
necessities Of the government and hostile
10 the quickest financial expedient.
The Republicans who voted for green
backs were hailed by the party press and
party platform as patriots, statesmen
aud hnanciers
The greenhack. nevertheless, a I'M
sound money. In fact it was not money
at all 1t was opposed originally by Sec
rotary Chase on account Of the mmeas-
urable evils Of dishonored public faith
and national bankruptcy BY resort to
unsound money devices the expenditure
Of four years exceeded by &O,o@,eo
What It would lave been had the ma
sional finances been kept on a sound
basis The author Of the ~greenback legal
tender act spoke Of the e~xpedient as "a
forced loan There is nothing in sub
sequent legislation affecting currency in
this country more open to structure than
the legal tender paper. Yet men are CEN
znred for voting unwisely on silver and
praised for voting unsoundly on paper.
II conditions remained forever the same
there would be no need to alter opinions.
when conditions have clearly and con-
vtncingiy changed it is high time for
wise men and honest men to change
their opinions.
Tha Republican party, as a party, was
responsible for the ~greenbacks. The Re
publican party. as a party, has voted
several times on silver coinage in a air
the metals. Eminent Republicans have
shifted their position On the currency
question as new aspects OF the question
presented themselves. Democrats, emf
nent Democrats, the Democratic secre-
tary of the treasury included. nave shift
ed their positions.
The arms the volunteers lore 10 the
front during the civil war were very diff
fereHt from the arms with which the
reEubsfs are equipped today. Is the
arlny officer TO be charged with stiffness,
aishonor or incompetency who approved
The former when they were apparently
Ire best TO be had and who rejects them
now when science and progress have
supplied apparently a far superior arm7
The vital question is not what arms
Mcclellan recommended thirty-five years
ago. 1t is what is the best arm in the
world today7
So with currency. The question is not
whether or not Salmon P. Chase changed
lis rnind several times as secretary and
as chief justice about American finances.
The question is not 10 John G. Carlisle
voted in former times about silver coin
age, or how John Sherman shifted his
posture, nor how Allison voted, nor how
Mckinley voted in the past when the
fnaeial problem of the United States
was pressing on for a solution through
various steps, gradual hut unerring in
their trend 10 truth and hnality.
The only currency question is the cur
rsncy question OF today. That question
most be answered in connection with
the conditions tb4; exist today, not With
those that appeared to exist ~thirty-hve
years ago or twenty-five years or zen
zsars or fiye Jaars g The country
n answered the financial question for
itseif, and every man who undertakes to
be a .eadcr in either OF the great ma
tional parties must accept that answer
and adopt It as his own.
The answer is that there is but one
money standard and that standard is
gold. AS for silver, it is to be used for
facilitation OF commerce in a subsidiary
relation to the standard.
Let the dead past bury its dead"