The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1896-06-20
IT NEST BE SETTLED.

s' ThOS0 VINO are laDOrlpS uuocr sno
: belief that the question of finance can
be relegated to the rear, or can be
made the issue of second Importance
in the coming campaign are illadvised.
:, 1t must be the main and only issue in
the selection of the next president and
house Of representatives. The money
question must be settled before busi-
:. ness will return to its normal condi-
.-tion: This is recognized by themasses
throughout the. nation, and they will
accept of no quibbling nor will they
support any party that does not come
.oas-fn unmistakeab1e terms on the
question of finance. This fall must
determine whether the United States
shall retain the single gold standard
or whether it shall adopt silver as the
measure of values. The twaddle and
rot about bimetalism and international
agreement is meaningless, and while
it has suffced to catch votes in the
past, it will serve that purpose no
longer. People demand of the
parties that they declare openly either
for gold or silver standard; in short
they demand that the question be
settled now, once and forever. The
record of the recent session of con-
gress indicates that'no revenue legisla-
tion can be had until the money ques.
tion is disposed of; that the treasury
will be left without revenue to pay the
necessary expenses of government
until silver is either recognized as a
standard of value or is made second
ary money.
That the democratic party In national
convention will wed itself to the free
and unlimited coinage of silver is now
conceded beyond a doubt. The decla-
alton of the Chicago convention will
be out spoken on this question
and will be in such unmistakable
terms that it will not admit OF double
construction. 1t will without reser-
yation announce itself the party Of free
silver; and that the question come be-
fore the American people for final de-
termination, the populist and other
free silver contingencies ought to make
presidential nominations. Then if the
republicans at ST. Louis declare for a
gold standard, as it is generally be-
lieved they will, the issue can come
before the people between the two
kinds of money, gold and silver. For
the republican party to do otherwise
would be cowardice, and would merit
contempt and insure defeat. The
Qregonian takes the proper view of
this subject when it says:
"Cowardice now would be the un-
doing of the republican party. But
the convention will meet the emer-
gency with the declaration that the
gold standard is to be maintained. 1t |
of --ennblican
party to. relieve the country of The |
apprehension that the stsndard of its |
money Il TO be changed, or is il danger
OF change. to an inferior basis. The
crisis; though of another kind, is as
momentous as that OF 1880, or that of
1884. It devolves on the republican
party to meet it, and it will meet it."
however, after the repub-
licans have declared for gold, it shall |
be successful before the people is in
deed questionable. The preponder-
ance of evidence Is that majority of |
the masses favor the free coinage of |
silver. Certain 1t is that in the South
and West the advocates of silver are
in the majority. and if the people vote
their sentiments on this issue, there
is scarcely state south of Pennsyl-
vania or west of Ohio that will give a
majority for the gold standard candi-
date if there are but two In the field.
Yet whatever the result. it is to be-
hoped that the issue will be 30 plainly
made that the question will be
ultimately settled at the November
and that business may be
allowed to adjust itself to whatever
Is adopted.