Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-11-13
CAMPAIGN MEDITATION.

Under the circumstances it is really
surprising that South Dakota republi-
cans were able to make so splendid a
success us they did. Our state had
been flooded for years with free silver
literature sent out from Washington
by Senator Pettigrew and others. while
the other side of the question has been
almost wholly ignored. People natur-
ally-republicans especially-placed
much credence in whatever their Wash.
ington representatives said, and there
fore at once largely took up with the
free silver fallacy, not even stopping to
consider whether Or not the United
States should alone attempt to place
silver back to where it was prior to
1873 when most of the leading CONNER
cial countries of the world helped fix
and keep up the values and parity with
gold. The only feature of the question
that had been considered much vas
the ''free coinage of silver" and many
people of this state had come to the
conclusion that that must be the right
thing for there seemed to be no other
side to the question. Such at least
was the prevailing sentiment in this
portion of the state, and we believe
existed quite generally over South Da-
kota. The STAR had come to be pretty
strong in the belief itself-and was
honestly SO. But when the question
really became a vital issue and it was
necessary forone to determine whether
for the sake of what little knowledge of
the financial question he had gained
he preferred to follow off an aggrega-
ton of incompetency such as the demo-
cratic party has proven itself to be, or
remain with the long tried and always
staunch and faithful friend of the peo-
pie, the republican party, the financial
question was then seriously, studiously
and honestly studied as it never had
been before. The only question to de-
eide was which party offered the safest
and surest method for obtaining real
bimetallism and at the same time not
impair the credit of the country, and
also keep all our money-gold, silver
and %paper-in circulation and of equal
purchasing power. The STAR could ar
rive at but one conclusion, and we be-
lieve we have during the campaign
plainly and fairly given our reasons
for such belief. But the heat of the
campaign was upon the people almost
before they were aware of it. and the
financial issues at first seemed to be so
Numerically opposed to each other
that friends of ~bimetallism who did
not stop to reason upon the question
almost forthwith declared themselves
for Bryan. The democrats lost no time
in trying to impress upon the minds OF
the people that the republican party
was directly opposed to silver coinage,
would do away with it entirely-some
even foolishly believing that republi-
cans favored wipingaway all silver and
using only gold, thereby taking away
half the money of the country; they
were led to believe that the present
gold standard meant enmity to silver,
when the actual facts are that the re-
publican party has always been more
friendly to silver than democracy, and
has proposed the only method whereby
bimetallism can be attained-a bimet-
allism that will not drive away gold
and thereby reduce the money OF our
country instead of increasing it.
But, as we stated at the opening of
this article. people had read so much
i'll favor of "the free coinage of silver"
that they had become hallucinated
with the expression, and, regardless of
ratios or anything else, had come to
think that all that was wanted was the
opening of the Withstand here within
three months the whole question has
been intelligently discussed and the
pre- conceived prejudices of the people
of the west has had to be battled against
and overcome to insure republican VIC
tory. Under these circumstances
South Dakota republicans have done
nobly.
Had democracy declared for the free
and unlimited coinage of silver ut such
Il ratio as would maintain the parity of
gold and silver they might have had
claims upon true bimetallists that
would have Won Il victory for Bryan,
but for this country to attempt to alone
coin silver free and unlimited at l6 to
l and still hope to keep gold and silver
at a parity and both in circulation was
purely and simply ii theory. a fallacy-
the history of no country justifying
the United States in making any such
risky experiments.
Mr.. Bryan has already declared for
the same issues for 1900, and people
should not neglect the study of the
question, though in the meantime we
anticipate that through the republi-
can policy of an international agree