Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-10-08
From the Denver Republican Of Aug. 3, 1896.
THURSTON'S SILVER RECORD.


ed States senator and his initiation to
the gold clique circle, he was an ad-
vocate OF silver and repeatedly put
himself upon record in favor OF the
equal coinage Of that metal with gold.
On visits TO Denver he gave interviews
to reporters which were entirely fav-
orsble to the cause Of silver. Then
he entered politics and in time Topped
over to the other side.
The Chicago Inter Ocean Of Aug
ust 81 contained letter from Lin
coin, Nebraska, which gives Mr..
Thurston's silver record in detail.
That letter says:
NEBRAsKANs TWICE PLEASED.
1T has been quite generally under
stood here in Nebraska that Senator
Thurston has been selected by the re"
publican national committee to follow
Mr.. Bryan through the east and ans
wer the arguments in his speeches.
The announcement is fraught with
the utmost satisfaction for Nsbras-
kans. The republicans are greatly
pleased that the distinction should
fall upon their eloquent Junior sena-
tor, while the democrats are equally
we'll pleased with the selection. The
latter are pleased not because they
have any dwsrfed conception Of Sena-
tor ThurstOn's force and power as an
effective speaker, but because they
think they see a way in which the
force Of any argument he may make
on the question Of metallic standards
may be atrangled.
There are in circulation in this city
hundreds Of little pamphlets entitled;
''Hon. John M. Thurston on silver; an
Able Review of the Money Question
by the Chairman Of the Late Repub-
licAn National Convention" 1t con-
tains two letters written by Senator
Thurston and his speech before the
Nebraska Legislature, following his
election as senator. In a letter to
George Gunton, editor Of the Social
Economist, New York, July z, 1893,
Mr.. Thurston gave at length his
views IN an argument for the free
coinage Of the American silver pro-
duct. He declared that the panic
then existing was almost wholly the
result Of unnecessary alarm, and that
"when the reserve in the United States
treasury dropped to $1OO,OOO,OOO, and
then TO $9O,0O0,OOO, the advocates OF a
purely gold standard thought they
saw their opportunity, and proclaim
ed an impending financial disaster,
laying the blame therefore almost
wholly TO the failure OF the United
States to eliminate silver from our
monetary SYSTEM" and continued:
NOT FOR THE SHERMAN ACT.
In my judgment slmost all the re-
sulting troubles have followed be-
cause of the panic thus created. Idc
not believe that the Sherman act had
anything to do with this panic. 1 am
not believer In the Sherman act.
never would have voted for IT, / dc
not think the government should make
it's treasury pawDshop, and I would
gladly see the act itself repealed, pro-
vided there can be coupled with the
repeal some fair legislation on the sill
YER subject. Such legislation must
necessarily be experimental in Chsrsc.
ter, but every man who believes in
the use Of both gold and silver al
money should oppose the uncondi
tionsl repeal Of the Sherman act. II
chat act is once repealed the golG
men will be strong enough in every
congress to prevent the enactment
of any legislation relnststing sllvel
money.
1t is useless to speculate as Il
whether or not silver could have beer
maintained at parity with gold ON I
basis Of 16 to /, IL its free coinage hat
never been suspended in the United
States. We must deal today with tn,
existing situation. I do not think il
is safe to provide for the free coinage
Of silver on the old basis, nor do 1 be
lieve that the present deprecated
price Of silver should he taken as thu
standard Of reconciliation. / havl
no doubt that the reconciliation o.
silver in the United States would
speedily and certainly appreciate the
prics Of silver, not only in Thu
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