The record-union., 1896-10-25
FREE SILVER AS A TARIFF RE-
DTJCER

FREE SILVER AS A TARIFF RE-
DUCER.
Seattle acknowledgement: Mr.. Bryan
and the remainder of the free trade ad-
vocates who are now posing as also
favoring free silver, can afford to leave
the tariff issue alone. They are prob
ably quite shrewd enough to perceive
that the free coinage of silver will in
itself operate as a horizontal reduction
of the entire tariff by so per cent.
This would knock every vestige of pro-
lection out of the existing tariff laws,
and would be the most radical step yet
proposed toward free trade.
If this country goes to a basis Of sill
yer monometallism and the value of our
legal tender silver coinage thus, within
very brief period, sinks. as it un-
doubtedly will, to the present bullion
value of silver, it will take but one
dollar in gold to pay the amount of
duty which it now takes two dollars to
pay. This will affect all articles on
which a specific duty is levied The
duty on hops, for example, was re-
duced from 10 cents under the McKin-
ley Act to cents under the Wilson
law. Under the proposed free coinage
reduction of the dollar standard, the
duty will be cut to 4 cents, gold stand
ard.
ONE EXPERIMENT ENOUGH.
MarySville Appeal: The American
People like to try experiments, to in
vestigate new things. This character
istic is an important factor in our ma
t;Onal progress. We should never have
gotten beyond where our fathers were
if we hadn't tried new things But we
don't always confine our taste for eX-
pertinent to new things. We like some
times to try some of the old things our
fathers have tried and cast away.
Experience is the best teacher" and
Americans always like the best Of
everything. This longing for expert
ment is the only thing which will ex-
plain the madness of the people in vot-
ing for free trade four years ago. We
were prosperous beyond anything the
world had ever known, but we thought
we would like to see what would hap
pen under free trade. Well, we have
had a touch of it, and the sight is
enough to last this generation, at least,
and to put an end to all desire for fur
ther experiment along free trade lines.
NEVER DENOUNCED 1T.
Grass Valley Tidings: 1t is a remark
able fact, says w. 3. Thorpe that it has
taken the Democratic party twenty
three years to discover that the Coinage
Act of 1873, temporarily discontinuing
the coinage of standard silver dollars,
was crime" for the political student
will look in vain for any sort fdenun-
| citation of that Act in any Democratic
A GOOD REPLY.
San Bernardino Times-IndeX: When
! Major Kyle was speaking at Redondo
| recently he was interrupted with the
question: IF the Government should
| place its stamp on both sides of a piece
of leather, would that make it a dol
| lar?' The Major answered by asking
another. He said to his questioner:
If the Government should stamp you
| Daniel Webster on both sides, do you
think that would make a statesman
| out of you?" The audience saw the
point, if the discomforted questioner
| did not.
WHO SHOULD VOTE FOR BRYAN.
Stockton Record: If there is any
wage Garner in Stockton who does not
| hope that either himself or his chill
| dren may come to something more
| than wage Garner, may sometime do
| business on his or their own capital or
| brains, then there may be in the ex-
| istence of such an individual SO much
| of an excuse for the kind of a cam
| paign that the fusion forces are urg-
| ing. If the wage earnerS of the coun-
| try have resolved to remain wage
earners all their lives and permit their
| children to inherit the determine ton
| never to rise out of such condition,
| then there is reason for the cam
paign of prejudice. If there is any
considerable number of men who do
not expect to gain a competency or de-
sire to acquire wealth, then We sup
pose there must be room in their hearts
and brains for the communism that is
| being taught by the fusionists.
| But what proportion Of the popula-
ton is not striving to better it's con-
dition with respect to the possession
of property? Is there any part or frac-
tion that completely ignores the allure
| ments of wealth, the comforts of pros
perity. IF so, we really admit that
they belong to the Bryan crowd and
should follow his lead against the ma
| terl3l development ana progress OF the
| country. If there is a man in Stockton
SO devoid of ambition and hope that
he expects no betterment in life, no
! improvement in these things, we can
say cheerfully he should vote for Bry-
an. If there is a voter in Stockton who
is so unpatriotic as not to desire bet
| ter government, higher credit, greater
progress, broader prosperity, more ex-
tensive improvements and industries
| more universal comforts and more
wealth with which to back all these
in the next generation than in the last
then we say he should vote for Bryan
| and reaction.
| For the 'Record-Union"
AT SUTIsO NIGHTS.
| a garden of the gods upon the Western