New-York tribune., 1896-05-25
4 SILVER DRF4N.
fortunes.

As the present Government of the United
States is one in which he Is not able 10 get any
part. even in his former place rs Representative
in Congress. Mr. Bedford. of Colorado. is In favor
OF secession. and talks largely about a FREE sill
yer Republic with the Mississippi as iis eastern
boundary. lie will have to get the assent Of the
farmers Of Missouri. Kansas Minnesota. Ne
braska and the DakotaS, who are quite able and
abundantly willing 10 prevent any such rcvDlu
ton without calling on other States for a man
or dollar But even these circumstances do
not disclose fairly the peculiar foolshncss of The
man Think of him going back 10 carts for
transportation across the prairie. and shipping
the products Of Colorado 10 market by wagon
train.
The railroads OF the West are not owned In
Colorado The fact II that they are not owned
By silver miners anywhere. 1t Is not only con
celyable but practically certain that they would
not be run any longer without the protecting
power Of the United States, To which they are
mortgagcd for a sum greater than any OF them
would bring in open market. If the silver States
should ever indulge the notion OF setting up in
business for themselves. they would either have
no railroads at all To connect them with the rest
Of the world or would have railroads run at such
rates as Eastern men and foreigners might
choose 10 demand Colorado would not send
much freight eastward at such rates, if there
were no interstate law, and would pay fine
price for all manufactured products. If Colo
RADIO wants a 5O-ccnt dollar, and prefers to pay
81 in silver for the transportation which now
costs 81. besides big difference for the running
of a road in region governed by Popusts, it
has singular and interesting taste.
Thor 10 irrr nd N ~ in rro
ress at National expense in various Western
States. 1t would be tOlcrably heavy burden
for the scanty population OF tho silver States,
which is less than the population of Missouri
alone, to bear all this expense. There are also
mails wanted In Colorado, and they are now
transported in large measure at the expense of
Eastern States. How many Of the postoiiiccs of
the mountain region would have to he discarded
If the whole service had to be paid for by the
people of those States somebody else must guess.
One thing Is clear there would be fewer post
Offices, and fewer people employed in transport
ing and distributing the mails, than there now
are. and the good citizens of the silver States
would not receive as many letters.
These doubtless seem trifes TO ex-Congress.
man Bclford. Apparently he is one Of those who
do not understand that the mountain and min
ing States have been simply created by the cap
| ital Of the East. invested in railroads, mines
lands and building, and that the inhabitants of
those States would eat each other up very soon
II they had nothing else TO do except to sell their
bullion, their wool and their cattle at such prices
as Eastern railroads might ix. buying their
sugar and salt, clothing and manufactured goods
OF all sorts, at such prices as Eastern dealers and
railroads might take. Kansas tried for a while
the experiment Of antagonizng the capital of
all the world, as did Colorado 1t WAS not com
Portable in its results for either Of those States
and the good people of Kansas will not join a
silver secession for some time to come Neither
/ will the good people of Colorado it is safe 10
say, for they have sense enough 10 see that their
only chance Of golden future lies In close and
harmonious connection with the capital and the