Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-10-22
THE SILVER TRUST.
MONSTER COMBINE OF THE MEN
WHO OWN MINES.

. and monopolies, as In some vague ane
unexplained way illustrating the evil
Of the gold standard. But they are
careful to say nothing about that g.
gantic trust In whose service they are
enrolled--many Of them as Its hired
tools and agents. They say nothing
about that monster combine Of silver
mine owners which is behind the silver
; standard movement. Between thirty
and forty men control the great bulk
of the silver output of America. But
their aggregate realized wealth from
their mines Is computed at not less
than $500, 900, while they are the
possessors Of many times more po-
tential wealth in the hidden stores Of
their silver mines.
For twenty years, or since the first
sharp decline In silver aroused them to
the importance Of uniting to procure
legislation which would raise the price
of their product, this colossal trust Of
multi milllOnalres has been engaged In
an unceaslng conspiracy to make the
government Of the United States their
instrument In forcing their product
upon the American people. To this end
they have filled the Hobbies Of congress
with their paid agents They have sub
sidized all men of oratorical ability
who were approachable to their seduc-
TONS They have organized literary
and lecture bureaus supported by their
contributions, and have kept them at
work deluging the country with free
silver speeches, books. and pamphlets
While the business classes were asleep
on the subject, utterly unaware OF
what was going on this monster COM
bIne Of millionaire mine owners
| has been buslly at work, with an or
ganlzed silver propaganda In their pay,
disseminating their arguments and APP
peals for opening the minis to the free
coinage Of silver Their missionaries
have controlled the Popullst party.
They have enlisted many Of the lead
ers Of labor organizations Their hired
agents have been necessarily employed
for many years among the labor un-
ions, among the farmers, among the
rank and file Of both political parties,
In the effort to make them believe that
the free coinage Of silver was the sure
panacea for all the real or imaginary
evils or misfortunes they were suffer-
ing. With untiring perseverance they
have been working through all these
agencies to obtain control Of congress
and the government, In order to force
the opening Of the minis to the unlim-
tied coinage Of silver.
Twice they came near accomplishing
their conspiracy, and the country was
only saved from this calamity by the
two successive compromise measures
known as the Bland and Sherman bills.
both of which were dictated by the sill
yer combine. In both cases their con-
fldence that this wider artificial market
FOR their silver would raise Its price
was disappointed. under the latter ACT
silver declined more rapidly than ever
The enormous purchases or silver FOR
three years had brought the govern
ment to the brink or Insolvency and or
a forced descent to the silver standard
Then came the panic OF 1873 and the re-
peal of the purchase act In response to
the universal demand OF the country
Then the work OF the silver propa-
ganda was renewed on far larger
scale and with greater energy and ac-
tivity than ever before, with a view
this time to capture not only congress,
but the presidency and the supreme
court TO accomplish this purpose they
allied themselves with all the forces OF
Populism, OF anarchy and discomfort.
They organized the timetable league.
They Hooded the country with specious
and plausible silver literature OF every
sort. They multiplied their legions of
hired orators and missionaries and re-
doubled their efforts to obtain control
or the organization or the Democratic
party, as they had already obtained
control or the Populists, and OF num-
Der or leading men In the labor organ
cations.
AS the final result or their twenty
years crusade this colossal silver COM
Dine has succeeded In debating the