Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1896-03-02

would REILLY benefit no one but the min
ers of the white metal Some of the ex-
treme goldites even have the hardihood
to insist that, with the exception of the
silver miners, all other classes of people
would actually be injured by bimetallism.
And unhappily representations of this
sort have misled a good many people, or
we would not now witness the amazing
spectacle of the alleged popular branch
OF the government daily yielding slavish
obedience to the arbitrary dictum of Wall
street and New England.
We frankly and ioyfully admit that the
miners of the mountain states are keenly
alive to the important fact that the first
law of nature is involved in the final solu-
tion OF the money metal problem. They
distinctly realize theimmense damage that
has already been done to the mining in
dustry of the west by tho unconscionabe
conspiracy to drive silver out of the
monetary systems of the world; that. ow-
owing to the intimate association of the
two precious metals in nature, gold as
we'll as silver mining has greatly suffered
therefrom; that the consummatiou of the
conspiracy would inevitably destroy that
important branch of the mining industry
known as the development of compara-
lively low grade gold and silver mines,
which gives employment to by far the
most men and promises the largest re-
suits in the long run, and would confine
mining operations exclusively to the few
phenomenally rich properties.
Naturally mining men do not view this
kind of prospect with pleasurable emo
tions; nor is it surprising that they have
resoutely banded themselves together to
resist and overthrow the gold conspira-
tors. Why not: Is not mining, which an
nually adds millions upon millions of
fresh wealth to the world with distress to
none and benefit to all, as legitimate an
industry and as much entitled to consId-
Grafton as the occupation of clipping
coupons, collecting rents, extorting inter
est, Ioreclosing mortgages and watering
stocks. We hazard an affirmative answer.
But much larger and more important
class than the miners of the precious
metals have the most substantial (call
them selfish if you please) reasons for
earnestly demanding the restoration of
the bimetallism of the constitution. We
refer in general times to all debtors and
particularly to those faithful toilers who
produce from the soil the raw materials
whence come the food we eat and the
clothes we wear. Many of this class are
in debt. These are all personally con
cerned in frustrating the unhoy efforts
OF the money monarchs to force payment
of all debts and interest in one metal and
that rendered dear by every art known to
skill and cunning. All farmers have sur
plus products to sell and hence all are in
terested in oyerthrowing system of
financial legislation that depreciates ali
values except those of actual dollars and
paper calling for dollars.
We read with nnfeigned astonishment
that there is a division of sentiment
upon this subject among the farmers of
Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Hi
nois and other agricultural states. This
feeling is heightened when we turn to the
census returns and discover that, exclud-
ing membranes on lots in cities and
towns, the farms of the following states
Ire plastered over with mortgages as in-