The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-03-08
Looking Backward.

Ex-senator John j. Ingalls, has been a
leading man in the Republican party too
long and oonspicuously not to entitle his
views and utterances on party affairs TO
consideration, and it is evident that he
is not just now impressed with sense Of
safety and confidence as TO the future
He has placed himself on record as saying,
in effect, that i I the St Louis convention
had not been bunied into a declaration
for the single gold standard at least ten
States that gave majorities for MFR. Bryan
would have gone for his opponent. Mr.
Ingalls, thinks with regret that the original
proposition on the monetary question, elab-
GRATED at Canton by Mr.. Mckinley and Mr..
Hanna, but finally rejected by the com
mittee on resolutions at st. Louis, would
have sa we'd a world OF trouble, would have
satisfied the great bimetanic mass of the
Republican army, and would have pre-
served the party leaders from the cold
and clammy scare that overlook them
after the nomination of Mr.. Bryan, and
before the contri button of the sixteen
million reasons for rene wed confidence.
In making this review OF the situation
at the time OF the st. Louis convention.
Mr. Ingalls, draws distinction between
bimetallist Republicans and those who
advocated the free coinage OF silver
Perhaps he is wise enough 10 inform us,
on academic, philOsophic or practical
grounds, how actual bimetaIhsm could
exist as a national monetary system with
out the unrestricted right of coinage 10
both gold aud silver; but we need not
discuss that point with him just now
The interest Of the ex-senator's OBJ
servations lies in the unhappiness and IN
certainty which, in common with most
Intelligent Republicans, he cannot help
declaring, in view Of the situation of the
country and the promises OF the future,
discernible through the fog and darkness
Of that situation. Like many good Repub-
ncans, he may believe that all we have
Go do is to seek first the kingdom of high
tariff and everything else viii be added
unto us; but unfortunately he was a MEM
her and the presiding officer OF the Sen
ate for term OF sufficient length to
convince him of the unce rtainty which
inheres in the white man and much
more in the Senator.
Mr. ingalls, is too shTewd an observer
not to realize that, SO far from being
dead and buried issue, bimetallism, by
which we mean the free and equal coinage
or gold and silver at tie ratio OF sixteen
20 one. is just as strong an Article OF faith
with the people and with the party Of the
people as it ever was; and that the fight TO
restore that American system without
reference to or in spite OF foreign infIu-
Just begun. or course, he sees this, and
40 do thousands OF others like him. They
ala see that, as things look now either the
administration OF President Mckinley
viii be compelled TO turn its back upon the
present dominant Republican influences
or Lombard and Wall streets. take sides
with the people against them, and help DO
revive American prosperity with an Aneri-
can currency, or the new tidal wave that
Is visibly rising win involve President,
administration and party in common
destruction not more than four years
hence.
Upon the national political chessbOard
the pieces have already arranged them
selves in a way that Justifies only such
prediction.