The Indianapolis journal., 1896-02-19
THE FREE-sILvER CONSPIRACY.

Senator Teller. of Colorado, is the head
of the conspiracy which has its base Of
operations in the United States Senate
to rule or ruin the country on the silver
question. Its purpose is to force free
silver coinage on the country at all
hazards. and, strange as it may seem,
in view of its recent overwhelming de-
feat in the House, they seem to think
this can he done. Senator Teller said a
fews days ago:
| am confident we shall very soon hear
from the great industrial interests of Chris
tendom now threatened as never before by
the competition Of the Siiver-uSing countries.
especially the Asiatic countries, or what
has been properly called "the Asiatic peril -
This competition cannot DC met by tariffs,
and can only be overturned by change
in the monetary system that is now giving
to- Asiatic manufacturers a bonus OF sucn
magnitude as to render competition with
them on our part impossible.
Senator Teller's hope of hearing from
the great industrial interests is based
on a circular letter recently addressed
by the conspirators to manufacturers
throughout the country. The circular
contained the following declaration of
principles:
Whereas, The cost of production in the
old world AMI particularly in China and
Japan, is less than products can be pro-
duced or manufactured in this country by
American labor, without reducing our farm
ers, miners, mechanics, manufacturers and
industrial workers to the level OF Chinese
coolies; therefore. be IL
Resolved That we are in favor of rescu-
ing the people of the United States from
such impending danger by removing the
difference OF exchange between gold stand
ari countries and silver standard countries
by the only method possible, which is the
free and unlimited coinage OF silver at the
ratio OF Is to I. by the Independent action
of the United States. and we are in favor
of tariff which shall be sufficient to equal
ize the cost of production in the United
States. AMI in European and AS.atic coun-
tries and that the protection incident to
such tariff shall be equally distributed in
every section of the United States, and be-
tween the various products and industries
of each State.
This was signed by sixteen Republican
Senator's, headed by Senator Teller. The
letter accompanying the declaration in
formed the persons and firms to whom it
was sent that you must indorse such a
platform and force its adoption by the
Republican party. For you to ignore this
platform, for you to refuse to unite BIZ
metallism with protection means the dis
ruption of the Republican party
AS oil dttCIlPt W iiinUCltCt puUliC Opiii-
ion by an appeal to selfish and mer-
cenary motives this probably has no
parallel 1t Is an appeal to manufacture
ers to join in an effort to debauch the
currency of the country and place it's
wage earners on a level with those of
Oriental countries under the specious
pretcnse that, under such conditions,
the american manufacturers would be
able TO compete with those OF China,
Japan and India. Aside from the insult
conveyed by the suggestion it is plainly
fallacious. since. even with free silver
the equality of American workmen with
those OF Eastern countries would not
be complete until the former had learned
to live as cheaply and in the same de-
graded style as the latter. Senator
Tellers hope OF soon hearing from the
great industrial interests In favor OF
free silver will not be realized. Self-re-
specting American manufacturers will
reject with scorn the proposition to bene.