Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-10-22
ABILENE WEEKLY REFLECTOR ABILENE KANSAS OCTOBER a. PAGES
The Gravity Of the Crisis.

Archbishop Ireland, one Of the
most distinguished prelates OF the
Roman Catholic churnh, has been
moved by his sense Of duty as a citi-
zen Of a self-governing country to ad'
dress a few words to bis fellow citi-
zens on the present crisis in political
affairs. He considers the existence OF
a free government threatened by the
Bryan movement. He concludes his
address with these words:
II may OF course be mistaken. But have
come to look upon the present agitation as
the great test Of universal suffrage and pop
ular sovereignty. Can the people defend
public honor and the institutions OF the
country at the polls,'as they have done on
the battle heldi Can they be SO calm and
delicate In their judgment, SO careful to
weigh all things In the scale Of reason, and
to avoid all rash experiments, that they can
be trusted with the settlement OF grave
social and political problemsl That Is the
question that Is before US at the present
moment"
Archbishop Ireland has here uttered
the thoughts Of very large majority
Of the educated classes Of the United
States. Why is the present crisis SO
graveP 1t is not merely because
panic and vaat deal OF business
trouble would ensue from change in
the standard Of value. 1t is not be-
cause many people would lose money
and social disorder would ensue from
the disturbance OF wages and con-
tracts. A remedy can be found for
all these things in time. We have
had business disturbances before, and
yet we pulled through to a brighter
day because we all had confidence in
our institutions. But the case now is
vastly different from any other crisis
in our history. 1t involves the ma
TONS good faith, without which the
motive power that impels the whole
machinery is gone. A republic can
not perform its work after it has for
feited the respect Of its citizens. The
sense Of honor is absolutely necessary
to its life, because it has no other
reliance in times Of danger than the
devotion Of its citizens. Strip 1T OF
this and it falls at the first shock.
Now the issue which presents it
self to the mind ofArchbishop Ireland
and Of nearly all persons Of intelli-
gence is this whether country re-
pudiates its debts IN whole or in part
can ever again command the devotion
of honest men. This is the most SER
ious Question that has ever been put
before the people, not excepting that
which involved us in war 80 years
ago. At that time the republic could
and did command the unreserved de-
yotion of its citizens. They were will
ING to pour out blood and treasure to
any extent in the service OF their
country, because they loved it; be-
cause it represented everything that
makes citizenship precious and life
worth living But a country that re-
pudiates its debts-what claim can it
have on the affection Of any self
respecting soulP
Some people say: "Why not give
silver a trialp II it does not work
well we can 60 back to gold" If the
matter could be so easily disposed OF
If it were mere question Of ex-
pediency and Of losing dollars more
or less-we could look forward
lightly to the election of Bryan. We
have faced other campaigns in which
feelings were powerfully enlisted, and
in which it seemed to some OF us as
If an adverse result could not easily
be borne, but we have never seen one
where a false step was so void OF rem
edv and recall. The election OF Mr..
Bryan is step that can never be re-
called, because it is lapse from
virtue. Undoubtedly we could 90
back after much tribulation to the
gold standard il silver did not work
well, but in the meantime we should
have repudiated both public and priv
ate debts to an extent beyond the
possibility Of restitution. We should
have produced a new state OF affairs,
political and financial, the most de-
plorable feature of which would be
the encouragement OF rogues and the
despair Of honest men. 10 talk
about retracing such a step is like
attempting to put new life into
corpse.
Instead of going back to the gold
standard II silver should not "work
WE'LL" the course of things would be
altogether in the opposite direction.