Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-05-22


gin to equal those of the United States
at present. The inference is that law
regulating this by the United States
now would hold the two metals at about
the same ratio. In 1890 when it was
expected that law for the free coinage
of silver would be passed by the United
States, the value OF an ounce of silver adj
vanced within twelve cents of this ratio,
which is proof positive that were the free
coinage of silver, equally with gold, es-
tablished in the United States, the ratio
between the two metals as commodities
would be very near, if not unite, the old
ratio of 151 to |. If it was not exactly
that, the law would have to be altered
to correspond with the real ratio,
whatever that was, for in the necessities
of the case the ratio between the two
metals Is the difference in their value as
commodities. Where then is the de-
based or deprecated currency? 1t
would be impossible for it to exist,
whether a return to the free coinage of
both metals was made by international
agreement, or by the United States indie
pendently. The only question tor the
voters of Vermont or of the Union to
consider in this matter is whether they
wish to return to bimetalism, or what
Mr.. Mckinley calls the double standard.
If they do, they can do it, and do it
with absolute safety to every interest In
this country, by independent action at
once. 1t is only fools that wait for other
people to do what they want done, and
what they can as well do themselves.
We now come to the third sentence of
this resolution, "Until so established we
believe the present monetary standard
should be honorably maintained"
In reading this we feel but one regret,
that we were not in the convention to
interrogate, or that some one else did
not interrogate the committee. 1.-The
present monetary standard" VIII any
member of the committee explain what
they understand the present monetary
standard to be, and. having done this,
will they explain what they mean by
having it honorably maintained. Do
they mean that the government should
continue to borrow each year $200,00O,-
600 in gold more or less, in order to
redeem obligations in gold that
under the law are redeemable in coin?
If they do mean this, why don't
they come out like men and say so? If
they do not mean this, it is due from them,
even yet, to the voters of Vermont to
say what they do mean; to explain the
platform they have foisted on the party.
We understand perfectly well that res
olutions of this kind generally amount
to very little. Practically the man NOM
mated is the platform, and the Vermont
voters, assembled in this convention,
having endorsed the candidate that they
thought the nearest represented their
views, paid but little attention to the
platform that had been prepared in the
interests of another candidate.
But if the fore part of this resolution
shows want of thought, the last
part shows lack of good sense. The
SlhlCllCnt at llllS lllnV VI lIlc WOTlu
history that the discussion of any ques-
ton is harmful, is too foolish for con-
sideration. There isn't a school house
upon a Vermont hill or in Vermont val
ley that doesn't stand out in protest
against such sentiment. Happily such
an idea can not prevail in this country,
and happily, too, a full discussion of
these economic questions is very sure to
be followed by a just verdict on them
from our people.
The last resolution would be all right
if there were reasonable hope to believe
that the objects aimed at could be
achieved in the manner proposed. There
is not. Mr.. Thomas Plat, the not
ed republican leader of New York, has
pertinently said in regard to this:
1.-The financial question cannot be g-
nOred. 1t might not have been especially
troublesome Just yet if there had been an
uninterrupted period of republican rule,
but even then its embarrassments would
have been only postponed. A protective
tariff is only half our task, and much the
lesser half, because much the less diff
ficult of accomplishment. We are all
agreed about protection, but if our bill
were ready today and if its enactment
could be complete fact simultaneously
with the presidents Inauguration, a re-
turn of the prosperity that we used to
know would be still far distant"
The income of the government would
have been quite sufficient under the dem
ocratic tariff had the supreme court not
been persuaded by the eloquence of Mr..
Edmunds and other able lawyers, or by
their own desire to serve the interests of
wealth, to reverse the decisions of
hundred years and declare an income
tax unconstitutional 1t might be we'll
enough under other circumstances to
L.. .InEnint...I. q