New-York tribune., 1896-04-01
AGAINST FREE COINAGE.

The Republicans OF the country owe gratitude
70 the Manufacturers Club of Philadelphia for
It's prompt exposure and effective condemnation
Of the conspiracy against Protection between
4 handful OF manufacturers and the silver bot
ers In the senate II WAS a humIl!atlng ex
posure, for ont Of ,he fully five hundred mem
bcrs Of this important club who were present
there were loss than dozen who voted against
the resolutions passed. or for either OF the mod-
fcatioas proposed In the silver interest. II WAS
a condemnation which will be widely effective.
because the resolutions "empha ucay dcnounce
"as false the statement that our Philadelphia
manufacturers are willing to barter with the
SILVER Senators FOR the free coinage of silver
'in exchange for additional Protection" and de
clare "unallcrable opposition to the free coinage
"of silver by the United States alone, firmly be
"licving that such policy will result in disas-
"ter at home and dishonor abroad. and would
"only oprrate/to place this country upon the
"basls Of silver monometallism.'
Nobody can mistake this declaration. The op-
position Consisted Of Wharton Barker. owner
OF free-silver paper; Robert McWade an editor
Of II; Charles iIeber Clarke editor or another
frcesilver paper; James Dobson. n carpet manu-
facturcr. and Richard Campion, n manufacturer
Of yarns, and possibly six others apparently
manufacturers of carpets, with one Of electrical
appliances, and one owner Of street railroads.
OF the twentysx who were so widely announced
as attending the conference at Washington nine
dsavowed It's action the reyt day Now II
seems that Of the remaining seventeen only the
three silver editors and possibly seven manu-
facturcrs remained in opposition TO the ON
phatic declaration Of the club This exposure
Of the thoroughly dishonest manner In which the
conference was magnined and misreprcsen'~l
will not only destroy It's influence "a an express
sion OF the opinion OF manufacturers. but will
point attention directly 10 the small knot Of
carpet manufacturers who have long been All
tatng for free wool. and 70 the free silver
editors whose devotion 10 Senator Cameron
| aspirations has already attracted attention. II
! Is quite proper for any Knot Of persons, how
ever small or whatever their motive. 10 express
their opinion II is anything but proper for sncl
a petty cabal to profess to represent the manu-
facturers Of Philadelphia.
The practical result Is no! merely TO destroy
the influence Of this clbal, but greatly 10 re-
duce in public estimation the support of In,
silver boltcrs. SO long as 1t could be represent
ed that a respectable proportion of mnnuiac
urers anywhere was In league with these bolt
erS, whether ont or regard IU S'nllor 'aih
eron's ambition or otherwise, there was at lcas
a possibility that the movement might have some
slight strength In an Eastern State. The free
silver papers, THE North American" and "Th'
Manufacturer were sufficiently noisy and per
sistent and also, 1t must he admitted, sufficiently
unscrupulous In representations regarding th'
opinions Of manufacturers. to create mstaker
impression elsewhere. But the cmcrgence O
this ridiculous mouse" from this mountain OF
assertion casts ridiculc on the whole frcc-silve
conspiracy. 1t is, indeed, a poor and shabb,
cause which can call for such misrepresentation
to aid IT,
II may be added that some active Protection
lists, who have seemed impressed with the idc;
that something ought to he done to pacate o
conciliate this manufacturing sentiment" vii
probably find little cause to be ashamed %
themselves The whole business turns upon th'
action of FIVE Senators who were elected rs Re
publcans and who are now cOnsplring TO ere
ate free-sver party, in the notion that It ma!
somehow get n balance Of power and thus b'
enabled to dictate terms. But out Of States