New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-25
SOME WISE SILVERITES.

"The Austin Statesman" Democratic, deserves
n word of praise for the able and vigorous fight
1t Is making against free silver. While It's atti-
tude Is that Of the most intelligent Democrats
Of Texas there Is good reasen 10 believe that
II would have been to the interest Of THE States
man" TO have come out for free silver 1t has
been steadily bombarded by silyerites ever since
Il bolted the ticket and 1t has undoubtedly lost
subscribers by IT'S honest and patriotic course.
II has enlisted for the war, however. and shows
no signs of being frightened by the attacks made
upon it.
These attacks come mostly in the form OF
idiotic or abusive letters to the editor which he
is expected to answer THE Statesman de-
clares that this il entirely out Of the question;
and IT prints some Of the bOna-fide letters 1t Is
receiving from ardent Bryan men. in order that
It's readers NAV see why II Is out Of the ques-
ton few passages may be quoted from these
letters, because they show in 4 most striking.
because unconscious, way just what many OF
Mr. Bryan's most noisy followers think free sill
yer means In spite Of their stupidity and vul-
garity therefore they are valuable helps 10 a
proper understanding of the free-silver cam
palgn because they are written by some Of the
people who, according to Mr.. Bryan. know more
about finance than bank presidents or the Shy
locks of Wall Street.
One letter quoted by THE Statesman was
sent by silver committee. and it begins as fol
lows:
oh. you on'ry cuss. jes' wish fellows had
YOU outin the wodes What the damatOn do
you want TO keep us from getting some Of the
free silver Mr.. Bryan Is gon to send out when
he Is president. You er sech fool you don
understand it. Don YOU they is goin' to
count all the gold dollars and send out III silver
dollars for every gold dollar to shook out free
among the boys. You ole fool. aint you got no.
body to grab for YOU. Let up on II.
Then "a friend after the candid manner of
friends. sends the following illustration of what
sixteen to one means:
| You id old fool: don't you no them fellows
what you rite for Will nave TO pay you flO Tor
every 81 they pay you now, under free silver
Haint you got enough to see that, you
blasted old fool?
We have space to quote from only one more
letter; but in its way ii is the best of them all,
for the writer is evidently OF a little higher grade
OF intelligence than most of the other writer's.
How little that really means. however. will be
seen by perising the letter, which is as follows:
Free silver will make money plenty We will
build new minis and coin all the silver of the
world and make England bite the dust With
ship loads of silver VIII travel the ocean
main and get all the trade of the world. We
will coin and coin and coin until silver is as
plenty az leaves on the trees, and then every
fellow will have Just as much as he wants. 1t
will be like 1t was in Confederate times. l had
hundreds of dollars In Confederate money, and.
amt seen a 1O-doar piece since then. Let us
git back to good old Confederate times when
everybody had all the money they wanted that
what | am for. and you ought TO be for II. be-
cause | know you a Confederate soldier.
Amt you got enough Southern patriotism In you
to want to git back to good old Confed days.
I'm for all the money the Government can coin
and print. Let her come 1t wont bother me.
OLD CONFED.
Most people, think will admit that 1.-The
Statesman could not seriously attempt to an
swcr such arguments as these course in
primary school is what the writer's are most in
need Of 1t Is pltiful TO think that thousands of
men who will vote next November on question
of paramount importance to the welfare Of the
country are so utterly ignorant in regard to the
meaning Of that question Mr. Bryan pretends
that he is appealing to the intelligence of the
country; but, in point of fact his appeal Is made
wholly to its ignorance. And his triumph would
mean among other things, the coming into power
of inst such men as those who are confounding
the Editor Of THE Statesman by their argyll
ments