Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1896-06-27

two metals we must take the entire sill
yer surplus ourselves, maintain its parity
with gold, or else we shall go to a silver
basis.
1T is felt, aside from the absence of
any democratic principle to sustain it.
that you can not have such a disturbance
of value would come from changing
from n gold to a silver basis without such
a shock to confidence, the boarding OF
gold and contraction of our available cir.
culating medium as would bring in the
opinion of our people, the greatest panie
and distress we have ever seen in this
country. The creditor classes are pre-
pared for it. The obligations and mort
cages of railroads and otherwise are quite
generally payable in gold. Debts would
still have to be paid in gold, but wages in
silver. The sufferers as usual, would be
the poorer classes
This movement, purporting to be in
the interest of the joint standard comes
at a most inopportune time in my opin-
ion. There has never been a time when
the prospects of international action ia
vorable to a joint standard were at all as
promising at the present moment But
an ill-advised, unsuccessful attempt would
discredit the cause the world over.
THE recent article of DR. Ahrendt in
the North American Review shows very
clearly the view taken. by our friends
abroad upon this subject. He has done
much, and probably more than any living
man, to advocate and bring to it's domi-
nation in Germany this cause He is en-
titled to be called one of the leaders OF
public opinion in the Prussian chamber Of
IDENTITIES "a mi bat
free coinage, undertaken by the Uni. ed
States alone, would simply end in silver
recommendation.
1T can not be denied that the feeling
| among our people is that this free coin
age Of silver by the United States clone
will not give us gold and silver money
| a parity with each other, which is tho
sumption upon which it Is taken, but will
| bring us to a silver monometallism and
a change of our standard of value, and
that change, it is believed means imme-
diate ruin to our industries and no perma-
nent good to any one.
whether these differences can be rec
oncied it is impossible to anticipate. The
democratic party stands for principles
desirable to be maintained for the good
| of the country Most any sacrifice might
| be asked of the democrats for the sake
of the party, and they would cheerfulIy
make it. But if the delegates from this
! locality should go to that convention and
! represent that the rank and file of the
| party would follow the lead OF our south
ern brethren and vote for the free coin-
age of silver by the United States aIoas,
they would be misrepresenting the state
| OK public opinion here.
And the same feeling of indispositio@
to compromise with the matter for votes
or anything else is active and domi-
| nant here in our party as it was found
in the republican party when it bore
down and overpoWered the Mckinley ma
chine.
personally, it is my opinion that il
the democratic party goes on that plat
form at this time they will meet the
most disastrous defeat that any party has
ever had in this country. | understand
1t is honestly believed in and people think
it will bring relief from their present
troubles, but between now and election
day, it will be pretty thoroughly sifted,
and the people of the country will not
face the disturbance of values. the los
ing confidence the general distress and
ruin which would come to their business
interests with such a change in their
standard of value as would arise from
such a change. 1t will overwhelm the
persons who undertake it.
II find myself spoken of here and there
as a possible candidate; not very seri-
ously or prominently, but sufficiently to
attract attention, If / should fail to no.
tice 1t. 1t sometimes affects ones inf1u-
ence in cases like the present. / have
no personal motive in entering this fight,
l have said that / would not be a candi-
date / add, copying the emphatic lam
guage once used by the late General
Sherman Ct think I remember it correct