The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1896-04-16
SILVER AND PROTECTION
The Western Senators Will Give No Pro-
lection Without Bi -Mctallism.
HAVE THE BALANCE OF POWER
If Bi- Mctallism Is Discarded by the Re-
publicans in the East 1t Means
No Tariff Legislation.
HAVE THE BALANCE OF POWER
From the Denrer Repubiicdn.

From the Denrer Republican.
Even If it were certain, rs eastern
republicans seem to think, that u re-
publican president could be elected this
year on gold standard platform, it
would mean no progress in the direc-
tion Of restoration Of protection, for
the good and sufficient reason that the
silver republicans will hold the balance
of power in the senate for many years
to come, and they will never consent
to the passage of Il protective tariff bill
through that body until legislation has
been first secured to reopen our mints
to the unrestricted coinage of both sill
yer and gold at the ratio of Is to /.
We are well aware that this program
will be denounced by the organs and
orators Of the republican party in the
east, and that the silver senators who
follow it Will be abused and maligned
without stint by the same agencies, but
that will make no difference to the
republicans Of the far west.
No b1-metalllS1n, no protection, is
the gospel of the republicans Of this
section, and it will be strictly adhered
to, 10 matter how the presidential clec-
ton may go.
Should the republican party elect the
next president and the next congress.
the money question will still have tC
be settled in IL way satisfactory to our
representatives III the senate before
any protective tariff bill can be put
through that body, and the only solu-
ton of the coinage problem which will
prove acceptable to the silver states
will be the reOpenlng Of our mints to
the free and equal coinage of both met
ais at the old ratio without the con-
sent or cooperation Of any other IA
ton.
That being the case, would it not be
wiser and safer for the eastern republi
can leaders to accept the inevitable
now, and to insure the success of theil
party at the polls in November by
openly and honestly accepting the
doctrine of bi-metallism, rather thar
to take the chances of defeat at the
polls, through the loss OF the electora
votes of the far west, with the absO
t.
wins or loses in November, they can
not hope to obtain any legislation fla
vOrable TO protection until they fully
satisfy the demands Of the silver sena
tors regarding bi-motallism
We can give our eastern brethren in
formation, but we cannot give them
comprehension, and therefore we urg,
them to do good deal Of hard think
ing on this proposition before the St
Louis convention meets.
If they force a gold standard ticke
and platform on the party in the natl
Onal cOnventiO they cannot count up
on securing the electoral votes of any
of the silver states, and they may lose
such agricultural states as Kansas, Ne
braska and California besides Ger
tainly if the republican national con
vention should obey the behests of the
money power, and the democrats shoult
nominate free coinage presidential
candidate, who could be trusted to liv,
up to his pledges, on IA free coinag'
platform, we have no doubt at all tha
Colorado ana every other silver -produc
ing state, with several agriculture
states adjoining, would give their elec
tOral votes to the democratic ticket
and in that way protection would b,
postponed for four years more, beyonC
doubt
If the st. Louis convention gives II
a bi-metallic ticket and platform, Will
a fixed determination to secure the i'm
mediate restoration of the bi-metalli,
laws which prevailed in this countr,
till 1913, all these western states vii
go republican by overwhelming major
ities, and there will no more enthusi
astic supporters Of protection in tn,
next congress than our senators an(
representatives, provided, of course
that free coinage law shall first b'
passed and signed.
We do not say this for the purpose 0
threatening our eastern brethren, bu
simply to convince them that the re
publicans of the far west have defin
ltely determined to pursue the pro
gramme here outlined and to place
the responsibility for the party defeat
II 1T should come, where it most prop
elry belongs, on the heads of those falls,
party leaders in the east, who may re
fuse the right hand of good fellowship
extended by their western brethren il
behalf Of the twin republican doctrie
of metallism and protection.
Certainly if -metallism is discardet
as party doctrine by the east, eithe
before or after the presidential election
protection will be put away on the tol
shelf by the silver senators from thu
west, and no power can change the sit