Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1896-10-30
Voters Duty.

We clip the following pithy article
from the Bellingham Bay Reveille,
ana what is true of the state of Wash
lngton is also true of the state of
North Dakota:
''ln view of the actual situation pre-
sented to the American voter, what is
the duty of the hour. It is practically
admitted to all intelligent men. that
there is no more possibility of Bryan
being elected than there is of some
man not on the ticket. It is equally
certain tha: the American people will
never sanction free coinage. That
evanescent bubble is already we'll on
It's way to the lumber room of ex-
ploded fallacies. The advocates Of
free coinage would as we'll accustom
themselves to the fact that in this
country their fad is an impossibility.
Ii Bryan could he elected. which is
equally impossible, there would be no
free coinage, for the reason that it
will not bear the scrutinizing investi-
CATION which it is certain to receive
| by the voter before he will consent to
embark on q sea known to contain
certain political destruction. Ii the
election of Bryan were possible, and
it Is not. as president he could no
more accomplish free coinage than he
can today. Before even ~ single step
in that direction can be taken it is alb
solutely essential, that both houses OF
congress contain u majority of free
silver men. Elections during the last
two years do not point to any such
possibility as that.
This matter is not one about which
there should be any bitterness 1t is
only how can we most certainly and
quickly drive away the clouds from
our business horizon? That is what
all desire. The difference between
parties relates wholly and solely to
the adoption of the best method of
solving difficulty admitted to exist.
Some insist free coinage will remove
it; others insist free coinage will only
aggrevate it. and besides result in
other difficulties worse than we now
have. The plain, simple question is,
who is mistaken? The average free
silver man does not wish to endorse
repudiation or dishonesty; nor does
the average gold standard man wish
to ''enslave" anybody nor to assist
'Wall street, One is no more hon
est than the other, and neither means
to be dishonest. There may be indi-
vidual exceptions on both sides. And
in all discussions of the issue, it
should be remembered by both sides
that the question of free coinage is
purely and merely one of policy. It
is only the same question of public
policy which has arisen in the history
of every nation of any commercial
business Importance. 1t is question
of dollars and cents, of profit or loss
to every one of our people. 1t is en-
tirely analogous to the one which
arose four years ago, the erroneous
decision OF which has cost every one
| of us money. and some of us great
loss. That single mistake, one which
it's authors, who are now mainly in
the free coinage ranks. and among
whom is Bryan, today refuse even to
discuss. costs this nation more in dol
lars than the last war. No one denies
| the mistake; no one disputes the loss.
Yet that too. was u mere question Of
policy.
Then what is it for the best interest
of the voter in the state of Washing
ton to do? Her ELECTORAL vote can by
no possibility cut any figure this year
| in the general result because BRYAN is
already defeated. But it is possible
by giving a majority for Organism to
continue indefinitely the depression
we have labored under for four years.
We all know this is {: new state main
ly undeveloped All wish to see her
developed. All know that it cannot
be done without capital, and all know
that her home capital is inadequate
to do SO for many years. Most men
will not deny that it is good business
to enlist outside capital for the pur-
pose, and see her development our
selves rather than to wait for our
children to see it. No one denies that
foreign capital shuns states where
populism is in control. Everyone
knows that immigration does not seek
but avoids. states dominated by the
populists. None will deny that this
year. so far as outside estimates 20.
Organism and populism are equiya-
lent terms. Once let it 90 forth that
Washington has gone for the fusion
ticket. and such an arrant nobody as
Rogers is her governor. and prosper
ity and progress in her borders has
received a backset from which they
will not recover in ten long, weary
uaopS Wa npo