The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-15
THEIR IDOL FALLEN.


THEIR IDOL FALLEN.
The uncompromising advocates of the
free coinage of silver at the ratio of
16 to l, who have been unfuring their
| banners on the outer wall in defense of
President Andrews, must be taken a
little aback by the letter which he sent
| recently to the corporation of Brown
university It will be remembered that
a gentle intimation was conveyed to
President Andrews some months ago
that he had displayed too mu1n per-
nicious activity in behalf OF free silver.
and that lis resignation would not be
unweleome to the trustees 1t YVES
forthcoming Immediately, and there
upon the battle ragged. Every leading
free silvefite in the country and every
newspaper organ of that color denounc-
ed the university corporation as tyrants
and held up President Andrews as a
martyr before an admiring people.
Then came the sensible and manly let
ter of the trustees, explaining to Presi-
dent Andrews that they did not wish
to fetter opinion or individual liberty
of action, suggesting merely that good
| taste and consideration for his work
might involve abstention from active
| political warfare, and asking him to
| withdraw his resignation. In the let
ter of reply which President Andrews
wrote to this resolution occurs the fol-
| lowing languages:
| Gentlemen of the corporation, I not a
! repudiat;onist. No member OF your honor
able body. not a citizen of the republic in
| sists more strongly than l have always in
| sisted that the principal and interest of our
| public debt shall be paid in gold dollars OF
! present legal weight and fneness, or in values
| equivalent thereto.
Moreover, in all that I have ever said
| doctrine Of the st. Louis platform-a doctrine
| which | admit l have to a certain extent
publicly advocated-I have always held that
| gold well as silver should be basal money
| in this country. Any proposal which in my
| Judgment bade fair to place the country's
i finances on monetary basis of silver alone
! | should discountenance; and in any movement
| by our country to restore silver to its ancient
| monetary character l still desiderate the CO.
| operation of other nations, no less than
| did previously to 1896 as earnestly any
man who voted for the St. Louis platform
It strikes us that this is rather cold
comfort for the free silver people, who
have put President Andrews up on a
| pedestal and fallen down to worship
him. II ought to throw cold water
upon the prospects of the great coslno-
politan university, Which Mr.. John
/ Brisben Walker has founded, with
President Andrews at it's head, to
| preach the gospel OF free silver to ell
| people, if after all that has been said
| and done, President Andrews turns out
| to be a rank goldbug. There is no
! other Interpretation of the terms OF the
ldetter which we have quoted above lie
| affirms that the principal and interest
| of our public debt Shall be paid in gold
! dollars of present legal weight and fine
ness or in values equivalent thereto"
| No sound money man could be more
| explicit or disgustingly honest than
| that He asserts that international BIZ
| metallism is the thing, but he adds that
| he approves the ST Louis platform,
| that he would strongly oppose silver
| monometallism and that he believes in
! the necessity of interna tional cooper
| alton as preliminary to bimetallism of
| any sort.
| How are the mighty fallen? Presi-
| dent Andrews, about whose head has
hung the silver halo the Moses who
was to lead the thirsty youth of this
country into the promised land Of Is to
| l, the martyr whom the free coinage
| people had already canonized, now as
| serts himself to be a st. Louis plat
form Republican, a rank goldbug and
! disbeliever in the beautiful and high
! sounding phrase without waiting for
| the aid or consent Of any other nation
! upon EARTH Bring out bell, book and
candle and excommunicate President
Andrews forthwith from the congrega-
| ton of the faithful