The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-06-27

as this would create is likely to be
welcome both to your protectionlsts
and to your free traders, and if so,
will obviate the necessity in future
for frequent changes in the tariff, a
contamination much to be desired.
For my own part, l have always be-
lieved that Lord Aldenheim-then
MIR. Gibbs-was right when he de-
clared in his evidence before our cur
rency commission in 1886, that any
first class nation, but especially Am.
erica, could 60 safely to free coinage.
Mr.. Gibbs is, as you are aware, one
of our merchant princes, whose whole
life has been spent in trading with
every part of the world, and to whom
exchange complications are as famil-
lar as the points of the. compass to a
mariner. Who is in a position to ri
dicule such an authority as this?
Certainly not the ordinary editors Of
daily papers who yet continue to call
'free silver which Lord Aldenheim
declared practicable, a "craze."
"A word in conclusion. On a GER
tain Monday in June, 1893, the ratio
of silver to gold was 24:1; on Friday
of the same week it was BOIL; your
40 cent dollar" had in four days be-
come a $50 cent dollar"-and why?
Because the minis of a single foreign
country, India, mot a fist rate count
ny in point of trade) had been closed.
Presumably then had the India mint
reopened on that Friday, the ratio
would have reverted from 3O:1 to "a:
l before the following Wednesday.
Now let me ask those who object to
free coinage in the United States,
what would have been the effect if,
on that same Wednesday, you had
opened your minis to free coinage of
silver? If India, singlehanded had
been able to raise the ratio 20 per
cent-that is, from 3O:1 to 24:l-by
free coinage, would not the addition
al support of the United States have
carried the ratio to 16:l-a rise of
33 per cent more? And if the Unit
ed States could not have accomplish
ed this through free coinage, will
somebody explain why?
The great difficulty, | am aware,
as to the silver question, is to divest
mems minds of their furious prejud-
ices. 1t is by playing upon the pre-
JUDGES and passions of honest and
honorable men that the one class
now becoming rich and powerful, by
the misfortunes of the other classes,
has been and still is able to thwart
every measure Of monetary reform.
I am painfully aware of this difficult
ty which confronts us, because, new
er having studied the question, 1
was so fully convinced of the sound
ness Of the gold theory that l could
not ever bring myself Y e to con-
) slider the arguments of my then OPP
ponents-the bimetallists. Believe
5 me, yours, very faithfully,
MOREToN FREwEN.
To the Hon. R. P. Bland, Leban.
on, Mo-.
5 To comment at length upon the
;, facts and arguments contained il
; this remarkable letter would be 1
work of superauity. So far, it is I'm
1 doubtedly the most forcible, mos
: logical, most convincing bolt that ha'
been dischasged in the silver cam
' paign. Every Montanan should fee
J it a duty to familiarize himself will
e it's incontrovertible fact and impeac
liable logic. 1t should be distribut
: ed broadcast in every wavering dis
; trict in the United States, and whe,
: the various bureaus of finance be
S longing to the Trades and Labo
5 councils of Montana get down t.
:, their practical task of distributing
silver literature among the laborin.
men of the eastern states, they can
not make a better beginning thai
by making arrangements for the ex
%tensive circulation of the FreweI
letter to Dick Bland. Widely dis
# tributed, and carefully read, it shoul'
IS rally to the silver standard in Nc
vember thousands of eastern voter
who are now in the mire of ignol
d ance and slough of doubt.-Helen
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