The Saint Paul globe., 1897-08-18
THE LAST DITCH.

THE LAST DITCH.
Doubtless the friends of the free coin
age of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1 re-
gard the commercial and financial re-
ports from the republic of Mexico indi-
eating the distress caused there by the
fall in silver prices and the necessity
of a speedy change to the gold stand
ard, as an invention of the fiendish
money power" We do not know
what they will say about the inter
views recently given to the press by
Senators Stewart and Jones. These two
men represent, above all others, the
Nevada idea, and have always been in
the front rank of the advocates of free
coinage. Senator Jones, who is really
an exceedingly able man, was for years
the brains, as Senator Stewart was the
voluble tongue, of this movement
Whereas, even a few weeks ago, both
of them were insisting upon the per-
manence of the free silver issue in our
politics and the impossibility that our
people could ever again know prosper
ity and happiness until they lived un-
der the silver standard, they have both
of them given to the New York Jour
nal interviews that, at least for the
present, definitely abandon their posi-
tion
The bellicose Stewart, who is ready
to talk for a week, days and
nights running, if necessary in behalf
of silver, while carefully making his
mortgages payable in gold, actually
says now that he would not be sur
prised to see silver go to 25 cents an
ounce, and that it is useless to talk
about the silver question while these
conditions continue. Senator Jones,
who is not frank and bru-
tai demagogue like Stewart, is
more guarded in his language, but it
runs to the same conclusion. He says
that recent and prospective addi-
tions to the worlds stock of money,
in the shape Of gold discoveries will
accomplish all that was hoped for and
the enlargement Of money volume.
From this he expects TO see flow the
beneficent increase of prices, the pros
perity of the people and the ability
to pay old debts; and that, he adds, is
all the silver agitators aimed at The
purpose having been accomplished.
they can afford to remain quiet until
some time in the far distant future;
produce, as he imagines that it will,
reign of universal hardship.
We do not care to split hairs with
these gentlemen over their theories of
the nature of money and the causes
that affect its purchasing power We
would also abstain, in the kindness of
our hearts, from "joshing" these breth.
rem about the reason that they allege
for a change in conditions. How the
gold that is coming out of the Klon-
dixie mines next year has managed to
increase the prices of everything this
year is a puzzle that no one but a
explain. The facts are good enough
to accept without any dispute as to the
premises. 1t is admitted by these men,
who, for one quality or another, stand
high in counsel and influence with the
silver party, that the free coinage cause
must be abandoned FOR the present.
That which they say openly is only
what has been known long time of
all men.
1t is not the Klondike nor the
Dingley bill that has wrought the
change, but the benef1cent operations
Of nature in our behalf, giving us big
crops at time when the worlds short
age brings high prices. More than
80 per cent of the support of the
free silver movement came from
farmers, who were honestly persuaded
that the low prices or their products
were the consequence of the demon
etiZation of silver. Now that high
prices have come again, they do not
care a fig whether silver was demone
tized or not. The cure in their case
is not temporary either, but perma-
nent. OF the people who were most
interested in this issue a year ago. all
except the more radical and firmly
biased in their opinions must be affect
ed now, not merely by the change in
conditions, but by the fact that this
has come about in spite Of the most
solemn assertions of the free silver
people that it never could until their
ideas became the fixed policy Of the
government. This has taken away the
whole foundation from beneath the