The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-02

-. srsrg-He 20 gee rs cwn co-n1scE sense
ar SO rsss
IN. raErsa5s % The COUNTRY H~eessarsiy
A.. eessnasnt sov their szrpo-t upoa the
eo~s-ssnlt.es Trey traverse When those
communities are prosperous Ire rsilTvsds
are prosperous. wEsz nanutzctu-eTs are
ssssv. me rzsfrozss have abundance q
freight . transport: whez the people are
vsll-to-ao ans making money. Passenger
section s heavy crop ard Big price rrzeaEs
mercy % TIE railroad as weEl as 20 the
farmer. 4ns = crop failure I, as rztnos1s
% TIE ore IS TIE other. A general corn-
rns-zial depression, such as the country
has witnessed during TIE pass fen years.
means ruia 70 IRE transportation couapa-
nles. a fact abaadantly evidenced By the
long record OF Bankruptcies and receiver
shins >o- the railroads within ire past
two years.
Precisely me Same is t--1e OF tas manu-
factarer. tire merchant and the great sgri-
cultural csasses. All are inte-tepsndent
An injury 70 the business OF one react.
upon me other. and prosperity 20 one. IN
return. brings prosperity 10 the others
Particularly Is this true OF the bankers.
ire class so uruch sbsIsed by tire Povuiist
orators o. ali classes IL the community,
there Is none 70 which general prosperity
Is more vitality necessary and commercial
depression more INN e1isteiy injurious.
II s only during periods OF prosperity that
their deposit accounts are large. Then,
also the demand for money Is great. In
tercs; il high and the security OF It's re-
payment Is good. with the first blight Of
adversely comes a time of peril for bank
ers. deposlfors will withdraw their &C
counts: outstandisg loans remain unpaid
when overdue. ana every nerve becomes
strained IN the effort to keep prepared ~
meet demands. while profits necessarily
cease.
Every class iu TIRE community. and in.
every community. being thus vitality inter
ested IN a return OF prosperity TO the
country. II must he conceded that every
class win favor such legislation as VIII
tend 20 restore such prosperity. and VIII
strenuously oppose legislation which viii
tend to aggravats existing evils. according
20 their best Judgment. In such matters.
Further, we think It is fair to presume
that the men who have shown sufficient
business aptitude, sufficient knowledge 81
the Laws OF trade and OF finance TO az
cumrlate fortunes In the conduct Of airy
class Of business. are better Judges Of what
legislation viii favorably or in5uriously az
feet their business or the business inter
ests OF the country than any superficial
theortst whose own business ability has
The issue presented TO the American peo-
pie In this campaign is primarily busi-
ness one. Two radically different plat
forms are presented on the currency ques-
ton. The supporters OF free silver say the
adoption OF their proposed policy viii
bring prosperity to the country. Their
opponents say that the experiment would
be- a dangerous one. which. far from bring
ing a return Of prosperity. would involve
the country In incaleulable evils. and that
the instant effect OF the election OF a pre,si-
dent committed to that policy would be
the most stupsndous panic the country has
ever seen.
Taking the country at large the leading
advocates OF free silver. aside from the
millionaire silver mine owners, the iuteg 90 =
eapoliticisns and the demagogueswho seek
10 ride into ofiee or notoriety on the crest
OF every popular wave. are almost uni
versally men who have never displayed
any business ability in the conduct OF
their own affairs. theorists. dreamers and
cranks; men whose advice their own neigh
bors would never dream OF following in
matters connected with purely private az
fairs. but who yet consider themselves
competent 10 reorgsnize and reform the
entire business OF the nation.
In opposition 20 the free coinage Of silver,
on the other hand with isolated excep-
tons are 70 be found every leader in the
business and financial world. from one end
OF the continent 10 the other.
On a purely business question. vital 10
every man IN the United States. and one
on which all are alike interested. that thu
outcome should be return OF prosperity
- tbs nation. which OF those two classes
Of leaders f. re safest 20 follow