The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-29
SECRETARY OF STATE COMES TO
THE AID OF SENATOR
HANNA.
DiNGLEY BILL DEFENDED.
IN LINE WITH THE TARIFF POL
ICY OF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
FREE SILVER ISSUE DISCUSSED.
Faithful In Ohio Urged to Come to
the Aid of the Mckinley
Administration.

WASHINGTON, Oct 28-For the
first time since the beginning of the
present campaign in Ohio, Secretary
Sherman has published his views in
the shape of the following letter ad-
dressed to the editor of the Cincinnati
Volksblatt:
Department of State, Washington,
Oct. &c, 1S97-To L. Markbrait, Esq,
Cincinnati, O.-My Dear Sir: Your
note of the 23rd instant in which you
request my view Of the coming cleo
ton in Ohio and in Hamilton county
is received. l have carefully observed
the progress of the canvass with in
creasing interest as it advanced and
can hardly express, in language, my
appreciation Of it's Importance. My
chief regret is that l could not per-
sonalIy participate in it, as, by usage
observed from the days of Jefferson to
this time, the secretary of state is pre-
Guided from actively sharing in politi-
cal discussion other than on foreign
affairs.
I look upon the pending canvass in
Ohio as a retrial of the issues involved
in the election of 1896. State 1sSsles, II
any, do not seem to be the subject OF
debate Naturally the first issue now
is whether the administration of Will
lam Mckinley thus far, is approved
by the people of Ohio. Upon this ques-
ton there ought not to be any differ
ence of opinion. His prompt calling
together the congress of the United
States to provide requisite revenue for
the support of the government and his
recommendation of the prompt repeal
of the feeble and indefensible tariff
T. q 7
law. has met with general approval.
The revival Of all industries and the
commencement of prosperity in all
parts of the United States was the
natural and necessary result of the
action of the president and a Repub
lican congress.
TARIFF LEGISLATION.
Tariff laws have been the subject of
discussion from the days of Washing
ton to the days of Mckinley. From
the time L entered congress in 1855, to
this hour, | have at every election
heard both in and out of congress, of
the respective merits of a revenue tar
if and a protective tariff, and upon
these questions the two great parties
have taken opposite sides. The Morrill,
tariff passed in March, 1861, is the text
of the policy of protection to our
American industries, and though
greatly changed from time to time to
meet new conditions it still forms the
ground work of the policy of the Re
LAA!ican party in respect to the tariff.
This act was passed at a period of
development with light taxes and in
creasing population. The average year.
" expenses of the national govern
ment from 1910 to. 1860, including the
expenses of the Mexican war, were
about $5O,0OO,O0O. The civil war
changed all this. Its cost has been
stated as over six thousand million
dollars. To meet this enormous de-
mand the duties on imported goods
were greatly increased and Internal
taxes in almost every form were
levied on domestic products and upon
the income of individuals and corpo-
rations The ascertained national debt
at the close Of the war was $2I4O,OoO,-
600, but this was greatly enlarged by
claims afterwards presented ana by
the most liberal pensions ever ~proVld-
ed by law. In the face of these obliga-
lions and expenditures, the interest of
the debt every year from 1866 to 1893,
and a portion of the principal of the
public debt, was paid, thus reducing it
to 1851 ,431, 766 on the 1st of July, 1898
In 1890 congress passed what Is
known as the Mckinley tariff act,
which was a careful revision of all eX-
duced internal taxes and carefully re-
vised the tariff laws then in force. Ii
if had remained on the statute book to
this time the policy of protection and
debt paying would have largely re
duced the public debt and prevented
the severe stringency that followed
its repeal 1t is the declared purpose
of the Republican party to restore and
maintain the policy embodied in the
Mckinley tariff, and this end was kept
in mind in framing the recent tariff
act known as the Dingley tariff. 1t is
unfortunate that the beneficial proV1s-
ions of the latter act cannot be IN full
operation for year or more, owing TO
excessive importations under the VII
son-Gorman act, but l confidently be-
lieve that, within year, under the
present law. the revenue of the gov
eminent will be ample to pay not only
current expenditures, but large sum
yearly in reduction of the public debt.
To secure this desirable result, the Re
publican party must be sustained. not
only in Ohio, but in the United States.
SILVER PROBLEM
Another question of public policy of
equal importance to the tariff is what
is known as the free coinage of silver,
without regard to its market value or
the action of the great commercial ma
tions of the world. Silver and gold
have, since the framing of the consti-
tuition, been the standard coins of our
cGuntry-but the relative market value
of each has changed from time to time.
The coinage ratio of the dollar is the
ounce of gold as the equivalent of six
teen ounces of silver. In the coinage
of parts of dollars the ratio of silver
to gold is about fourteen ounces of sill
yer to one of gold, but the legal ten
der of such minor coins is limited to
$40 Within the past twenty years the
market price of silver bullion has been
reduced more than one-half, so that
one ounce Of gold is now equal in value
to thirty nine ounces Of silver. Not
withstanding this wide diversity of
the market value of the two money
metals, the United States and all the
leading commercial nations Of the
world have maintained their silver
coins without change. This was done
and could only be done by limiting the
use of the cheaper metals and by coin
ing only on government account.
It is now proposed as the cardinal
principle of scattered parties that the
holder of any silver bullion, without re-
gard to it's market value, may present
it to the mint and have it coined into
dollars and made a legal tender for
all debts, public or private. At pres
ent the silver in a dollar is worth
about Al cents. 1t would seem that
this bold and transparent proposition
of Reputation Of more than one-half
of debts, public and private, in the
United States would shock the public
it's prompt rejection. But, strange as
it may seem, it is defended by so many