Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-10-04
PuIftzer's "siIver Trust"
New York Journal.)


Mr.. Pulitzer Is having a trying time OF
II with his Silver Trust. The moment he
publishes anything that looks like definite
information about it the information
turns out to be bogus. On Monday he
had a hundred conspirators in the trust,
who were set down as owning IN the
aggregate s616 ,ooo.0 goo. all pledged to the
election of Bryan and the inauguration
of free coinage. Immediately II was
developed that the principal members OF
Mr.. Pulitzer's Silver Trust so listed are
gold-standard men. supporting Mckinley,
and that others are gold. not silver,
miners
1t would be wrong to say that the only
possible explanation OF Mr.. Pulitzer's
grandiose disregard for truth is desire
TO make a political point in the interest
of the manufacturing trusts and money
syndicates, which are. Ike the World.
backing Hanna, Mckinley, and the gold
standard. Mr.. E1ilitzer, in palliation or
hts otherwise indefenstble mendacity,
states that silver mining is nearly every
where in this country carried on under
the rose. like Illicit distilling. The watts
of molten silver are piped to the sur
face by night. No mine goes to press
after sunrise Secrecy" says Mr.. Pu-
liter secrecy. secrecy, is the watch
word OF all but a few of the great silver
producing mine-owners." Mr.. Pulitzer
certainly has a right TO complain of this.
IL there Is anybody in the world who
ought to be in the complete confidence
of the Silver Trust IT is he. for Mr. Pulit-
ger is it's inventor. The Silver Trust Is
his by right of discovery, and that Its
equally shadowy and unerateful members
should leave him in ignorance OF even
the commonest facts of mlning-facts so
well known In the West that the New
York World raises a gale OF laughter
wherever II goes out Extraordinarily in
flames Mr. Pulitzer's wrath. True. the
novel intelligence has been conveyed 10
him that silver may be by-product of
copper, and that IL Is also sometimes
found in conjunction with lead but, sem
sational as this news is. Mr.. Pulitzer is
not to be blamed for feeling that its
exclusive publication as scoop in the
enterprising World is rather poor COM
pensation for being deprived Of the mag
nificent s6ls. 100000 Silver-Trust fund.
Much is to be overlooked I'm the be-
havior of one who has suddenly met with
a loss like that, but Mr.. Pulitzer reck-
Iessly trlfes with his intellect IN allowing
the shock TO sever all communication be-
which supervises the news side Of the
World tells us that:
1.-The commercial value of the silver pro-
duct of the United States last year was
s36. as, 900, but under free coinage this
product would have made private profit
to the silver plotters of exactly So, SOC, 900.
that being the difference between the
market value and the coinage value"
And the other lobe yesterday caused the
editorial page to think Of "53-cent dollars"
and put this question to Mr.. Bryan:
Can you imagine why any working
ma n In the possession Of his senses should
vote 10 destroy by the same stroke one
half his savings and one half the pur-
chasing power OF his wages?'
Before Mr.. Pulitzer adds to the litera-
ture OF silver-trust fiction, 1t is to be
desired he will bring HE lobes to a
focus. and answer this query
How can free coinage give the work
jngman 53-cent dollars. and at the same
time enrich the silver miner by is'rsing
the commercial value Of the silver In one
dollar up TO 100 centsT
ssWhen Mr. Pulitzer has cleared up
that dark mystery. the public. which en-
joys humor, conscious or unconscious.
will be glad to see him resume his
vengeful task OF getting even with the
Silver Trust for throwing him down amid
the wreck OF bis facts every time he
comes near H. That Mr.. Pulitzers lobes
should be on end. emitting angry sparks,
q not surprising.