The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1896-09-26
STAND BY YOUR COLORS.

We give space to h following, COM
munication from Judge Shufeldt. 1t
is in the nature of a reply to an editor
ial which appeared in the MADIsONIAN
last week, and in exclamation of his po-
sition. 1t is the harvest of an indiscre-
ton.
In explanation Of his position the
Judge adroitly takes advantage of the
opportunity to write a lengthy and pur-
suasive address in the interest of his
cause. He does it in a mastery man
ner too. but it will take more than fair
words and we'll rounded sentences to
convince the people Of this section that
free coinage of silver is not to their in
terests, or that the condition of the
country would be improved by the con-
tinued maintenance of the gold stand
ard. We publish Mr.. Shufeldt's COM
m%urication without further comment:
To the Editor of the MApIsoNIAN:
You say that Il am for Mckinley be-
cause Mckinley is for gold rather than
because he is a prO%tectiOnist." Excuse
me, but you do not fully state my posi-
ton. | am for Mckinley because he is
the representative of the highest and
best political principles of which this
country to-day has any knowledge. He
is the standard bearer of that great
party which for more than forty years
has maintained those sound political
doctrines under which our country has
grown into wealth, prosperity and
power.
Protection ana sound money alike
are cardinal and essential principles
emphasized in the Republican platform.
No man who does now Or eve did be-
long to the Republican party need be
ashamed of either, or of the grand,
digniied and intelligent statesman into
whose hands the American people pro-
pose to place the executive power of the
nation.
No Nj. Editor, l am for protection
because under its operation the work
ing men Of our country get more work
and a better compensation for it than
under any other system. And | am for
cold because this labor is entitled to be
paid in the best money there is, and
gold is that best money and no living
mar Tan deny it.
The man who works with his hands
at hard labor for ten hours a day, in
the mines or in the mills or on the
land should be paid in that money
which will get him the most in return
and get it anywhere in the world. He
does not want money that only goes at
a discount: that has only a local value
or about the worth of which there is a
doubt. nor does he want money to carry
which involves the purchase of a horse
for every hundred dollars he has to
transport. No sir. by current CONNER
cial law and by the general acceptation
of the civilized world gold is the safest,
surest. most reliable, indestructible,
and convenient money which we have
and all labor is entitled to be paid in it
and | challenge the world to dispute
the proposition: and what on earth the
working man wants with a cheap silver
dollar when he can get q good gold one,
is a mystery which can only be solved
by the distinguished gentleman who is
now upon his triumphal march over
the country, explaining how it is that
silver now at 65 per n will be raised
to 81. % in gold all over the world as
Don as our country adopts free coin
age"
Mr.. Bryan is not alone or the first
mar who has undertaken to solved this
simple problem.
IL 1866 England was troubled in a
way somewhat similar and the difficulty
arose under a proposition to recon
all the money OF the kingdom. Mr..
Loundes. who was chancellor of the eX-
cheQuer, claimed that all they had to do
was tie take a crown piece value of
about 1925 of our money and stamp it
pound, five dollars and hat stamp
would make it d pound. He further
claimed that the crow five shillings)
should be divided into seven shilings,
and that this would increase the value
accordingly. So there is no account
ing for the vagaries Of the human mind
and that is what our wise people are
now proposing to do: AXE silver
which costs 53 cents in gold and stamp
1t a dollar, or 100 cents and make it 90
for a dollar. OF course such a dollar
a be made a legal tender fer it's face
but It's relative value to the gold dollar
will not he. changed n cent. 1t will
only exchange for % cents in gold any
how.
Just M word more: You say that
the proposed organization of a McKin-
ley and Hobart club will be against the
interests of the people OF Montana.
which means, l suppose, that the gold
standard is antagonis,lc to those inter-
ests. Not so, Mr. Editor. Montana
has no interests which conflict with the
we'll being and prosperity OF our whole
country. She is but a corner Or a
county in a great nation and she has no
interest, whether it be silver or any
thing else, the assertion OF which will
impair the interests of our whole land.
Montana is 70 great for that. Thirty
five years ago there We're some local