The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-24
THE FREE COINAGE QUESTION.
GOV. Mcconnell, or Idaho, Writes .
strong Letter to a spokane PAPER.

Mcconnell. OF Idaho. II IS full OF sound
sense and ought 10 be circulated as
campaign document. The letter IL as fol-
icws.
Gentlemen: I notice In your issue Of
august 10 three questions proposed By
M c. " Simmons. OF kellogg, this
state. which you have undertaken TO an
sgec.
As You have invited correspondence IN
your columns on the political situation
II you VIII kindly grant me that privilege.
would Ike TO correct you in your ans
wer.
TO the frst question. Does not the
United states government accept silver
in payment OF all customs. taxes and
pubic duesf You answer that the United
states accepts silver certificates In pay
mens or customs, taxes and all public
dues IL does not so accept silver dollars
If this was true. IL would be surpris-
ing condition Of affairs. A silver GER
tifcate is merely promise TO pay upon
presentation q certain number of silver
dollars Under your Interpretation. the
promise to pay would be accepted by the
customs officers, but the payment itself
would be rejected
As I presume you intend to be fair,
and give correct answers 10 the questions
prcpounded 10 you. IL you viii refer to
the act OF February Is. ISIS. you viii and
its title TO be An act TO authorize the
coinage OF the standard silver dollar
and TO restore its legal tender character
After stating It's weight and fneness, the
language is as follows:
They shall be legal tender at their
nominal value for all debts and dues. pub
lie and private. except when otherwise
expressly stipulated In the contract
1T is wen enough. perhaps, to say that
without the latter clause the act would
not be constitutional. because congress
has no right TO deprive any citizen OF his
constitutional right to enter into q pri-
vate agreement or contract, which is not
IN violation of law.
you wind up your answer as follows:
Why juggle further with this point?
The facts could not be palmer. The gold
reserve is held In the treasury exclusively
for the redemption of United States and
treasury notes. 1t is never paid out IN
exchange for silver dollars or silver GER
tihcates. Silver certificates are redeema-
bic exclusively In silver dollars. and sil-
yer dollars are redeemed in nothing. These
facts have been thoroughly established IN
letters and kilograms from the highest
officials Of the treasury department. Any
inquire of the treasurer himself
This is not the first time such state
ment has appeared in your paper. The
intent of the answer appears TO be 10
lead the public to believe that the present
silver dollar Is not good dollar because
1t 10 redeemabie In nothing
"Of course, a silver dollar Is not re-
deemable in gold. Why should 1t be? It
is a money OF final redemption, the same
as 80 gold piece. Would you pretend to
say that $50 gold piece Is redeemable in
any other money? Certainly not Would
you pretend 10 say, II We restored the free
and unlimited coinage OF silver. that the
silver dollars would be redeemable In gold?
Please answer these questions through
the medium of some OF your financial edi-
tors
IT think the time has arrived when every
citizen has right to express himself on
this subject, and I think the public has
right to expect fair and unequivocal
statements from the newspapers so long
as they undertake to answer questions.
"In my judgment when the boilers from
the Republican party and the Populists and
Democrats claim TO be the only silver men
in the country, they arrogate good deal
TO themselves Personally, / have always
been an advocate OF the free and un-
limited coinage OF silver, and am TO-DAY.
believe that this nation alone might re-
store the white metal to It's former posi-
ton. provided In doing so we enacted pro-
tective and reciprocity laws But am
a bI-metaliist, not a mono-metallist, and
I believe that mono-metallism IN silver
would be even worse than mono-metaliism
in gold. I believe that under the Demo-
cratic party no other increased use OF sill
yer can be obtained than that or mono
metalliSm.
II do not agree with your so-called sill
yer men, that the free coinage OF silver Is
the paramount issue. / believe that the
paramount Issue in this nation Ia, and al
ways has been, the maintenance or our
national government, the enforcement or
its laws and wise administration or It's
business affairs. / think when the repre-
sentative OF a great political party, IKE
that which convened In Chicago and NOM
mated Mr.. Bryan. condemn the president
of the United States. he being member
of their own party. for suppressing the
Chicago riots. IN Chicago, when they con-
denim the highest judicial tribunal for
rendering decisions not in conformity with
their peculiar ideas OF political economy,
IL Is time for all thoughtful, loyal men
to sever their relations with that party.
.An insult to the stars and stripes would
not be tolerated today by the humblest
plowboy that guides his plow through
American soil. and an insul. TO that flag
may be as directly offered by impeaching
the integrity OF the president and supreme
court as by firing upon Ii In some foreign
port.
.when the governor of state. like the
state OF Illinois, falls or refuses 10 up
hold the laws, Il Is the undouoted duty
OF the president TO interpose and protect
the lives and property OF the citizens OF
that state and see to Il that the mails
are not Interrupted When the officers
whose duty IL is 10 enforce the laws OF
county or state fall In the performance or
that duty should not the governor then
exercise HIS right7 And what better right
has ne in a county OF his state than the
president IN one OF the states or the ma
tion7
ssThen. who shall presume to saw 70 me.
because I will not unite with such an ag-
gregatIon OF individuals In UNFOLDING
their vararfes by supporting Mr.. Bryan,
that I am not in favor OF free coinagef
I refuse to be weighed In the balance with
such people.
.sI'he so-called crime demonstration
Of silver. was enacted by Republican
congress in 1878. what was the condition
then az your tellitory-now state-of
Washington You and know that II was
a vast expanSe Of prairie, mountain and
forest. and sparsely settled. In all OF its
vast domain there was not one town
worthy 10 be called a city; there was not
a mile OF railroad except a tramway at
the Cascades and perhaps the narrow
gauge OF DR.. Baker between Wslluia and
wans waua-and I am not certin that
ever, that was constructed al that time.
Look again al your beautiful state az
81 was four years ago when we were enc
terfng upon the presidential campaign
which resulted in the election OF Grover
Cleveland What a change had taken
rfare, INQUIRE what rlagicssn's wand had
touched and animated your beautiful
country. and ask yourself. II you VIII. how
n was possible that so much could have
been ACCOMPLISHED during time when