Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-11-30
DECLARES TARIFF WAS THE ISSUE
Silver Question Not Dead and Mckinley
Pledged to Binetallism.

Silver Question Not Dead and Mckinney
Pledged to Bimetallism.
IT had supposed that it was general
ly agreed by thoughtful and rational
bimetallists everywhere that it would
not help. but rather hinder. the cause of
b;metallism for the United States to
leap at once to free silver coinage.
How, then, can the late decision of the
United States against immediate free
coinage injure the contest for bimetall-
ism? Here the question might be left,
but fuller survey of all the causes of
the defeat of Mr.. Bryan and the elec-
ton of Mr.. Mckinley may be useful.
Conservative people-and America has
more conservatives than Europeans
think-were alarmed at the character
of the followers of Mr.. Bryan and at
their doctrines additional to the one ia
voring free silver coinage.
'All the socialists, anarchists and wild
men of society whom Europe has sent Us
shrieked for Bryan, although the great
bulk of our adopted citizens voted for
Mckinley. The platform seemed to
countenance rioting as means of re-
dress of grievances, and it made one of
its planks a reconstruction of the su-
preme court in order to change a legal
decision. A majority of the American
people wish a more energetic foreign
| policy than they believe will come from
any administration named Democrat
| ic. They are deeply affected by the
! lamentable condition of the Christian
subjects of the Turkish empire. They
mean to annex Hawaii. they desire to
| see Venezuela allowed to retain her
| rightful sole domination over the
mouths of the Orinoco. They are in
| tensely anxious to see arrested the
| atrocities in Cuba, and to aid in max
| ing the island free and independent.
But none of the foregoing reasons
1 not even the one concerning the ma
tional honor in connection with the cur
| rency-infiuenced so many votes
| against Mr.. Bryan as did the determin-
| alton of the American people to plain
ly vindicate and firmly establish the
principle of protection TO American in
dustries by adequate tariff duties on
foreign products. That the United
States is opposed to the single gold
| standard. and in favor of retracing In
due course and with careful regard tc
the national honor the steps taken ir
the decentralization of silver. until botf
| gold and silver shall be admitted tC
free coinage at the ratio of ISL to l and
made the standard money of the world
and the measure of the values of tn,
world. is proposition which would re
ceive the SURFACES of four-fifths of oul
voters. if this proposition alone coult
be fairly presented to them, even with
| out further debate.
ITO such convictions. entertained b,
a vast majority of American voter:
| committed to bimetallism. the friend
| Of such a monetary system may con
fidently appealed. The question is no
one of four years. nor yet of a decade
1t may take as long to remonetize sill
| yer as il has taken to realize tn
paralyzing influence of demonetizatio1 I
But the fact that s.o0o.uc0 out of Is.
e0o. coo of American voters have givei
their ballots for the wild project o
immediate free silver coinage by tn
| United States alone shows that tn
question is one which must be com
promised ard adjusted in some way
| The advocates of gold dmonometallisma ar
!-...-.g out that the silver question !