The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-07-30

be over 1t all.
EPITHETS WILL NOT WIN.
An intense patriotism lies be-
hind the free silver movement.
A wicked and most dangerous
selhshness may be feeding and
tanning the flames, but the vast
majority of the free silver be-
levers are actuated by honest
purposes and loyal zeal. They
are not seeking to destroy the ma
TONS credit nor the peoples pros
perity. Without the visitation of
plague, OF drouth, or war, or any
sensible decrease of our material
wealth, in the midst of plenty,
poverty is seizing the people.
Direful conditions are pressing
upon lis, and a large portion of
American citizens, knowing that
nature is not to blame, have with
some good reasons, fixed upon our
financial policy as the disturbing
influence.
Free coinage of silver has been
urged, long and persistently, as
the panacea for our ills. Pleas
ing and plausible to anxious
minds, have been the arguments
offered for free silver. Statesmen
and great parties have yielded to
the spell. Carlisle and McKin-
ley have earnestly urged the
adoption of free silver measures.
The Bland bill and the Sherman
bill recognized truth in the
free silver cause, and these tenn
porizing and compromising meas
ures, instead of allaying and dis
pelling the free silver idea, gave
it standing and strength. Dem
ocratic and republican platforms
have, tacitly or explicitly, favor
ed it. Is it any wonder that the
movement is SO mighty?
Assuming that the free coinage
of silver at the ratio of 1o to I,
would strike a serious blow at our
national credit, dangerously dis
turb all our business affairs and
bring lasting poverty to the
American people, the question
comes, GLOW can the fallacy best
be combatted?" A great deal
that has been done so far, seems
to have been worse than useless.
The American people are to be
driven, and calling free silver
believer an i1nbecile or anarchist
does not convince him of error
nor secure his vote for sound
money.
It is useless to waste time with
those whose devotion to the sill
yer cause is tinged with dishon-
esty; who realize that the silver
dollar will depreciate in value,
but welcome a semi-repudiation
of public and private debts
through this means. Those ac-
tuated by selfish personal mo-
tives cannot be persuaded. These
people might as well be let severe.
ly alone. The men who have
supported free silver from princi-
pie and who believe it means ma
tional commercial freedom and
national prosperity; who desire
the best financial legislation that
will favor our country; who will
listen to reason, and who do not
need to be persuaded when con-
vinced--these men can be reached,
but only by dignified and sensi-
BILE means.
They know they are neither
lmbeciles nor anarchists, and to
call them such, suggests to them
a desperate lack of sound argu
ments and confirms them in their
chosen faith. They know they
are patriotic and loyal, and they
doubt the Americanism of him
who asperses their patriotism.
Error can present itself in more
pleasing form than truth can COM
lnand, but truth clearly and fair
ly presented will finally win
over all honest minds, and it is
the duty of all advocates of the
gold standard to urge the truth
steadily and at all times, recog-
nizing and appealing to the pa
triotism of the people, not deny
ing it and antagonizing them.