Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-10-29
THE OHIO CAMPAIGN.
SECRETARY SHERMAN EXPRESSES
HIS VIEWS FOR FIRST TIME.
SAME OLD ISSUES INVOLVED.
TARIFF AND COINAGE THE CHIEF
HOMES OF CONTENTION.
State Issues Seem Scarcely to Enter
Into the COntest-W. j. Bryan
and Senator Hanna Adj
dress Large buckeye
Audiences.
SAME OLD ISSUES INVOLVED.

Washington. Oct 2s.-For the first time
since the beginning of the present cam
paign in Ohio, Secretary Sherman has pub
lshed his views in the form of a letter. ad-
dI essed to J.. Markbreit. editor of the Cir-
c'rnati Volksblatt of which the following
is part:
my Dear Sir:-Your note of the 23d inst,
in which you request my view of the COM
ing election in Ohio and in Hamilton coun-
ty. is received. 1 have carefully observed
the progress of the canvass with increasing
interest as it advanced, and can hardly eN-
PRESS in language my appreciation of its
Importance My chief regret is that could
not personally participate in 1t, as. by
usage carefully observed from the days of
Jefferson to this time, the secretary OF
state is excluded from actively sharing i'll
political discussion other than on foreign
affairs.
II look upon the pending canvass in Ohio
as IL re-trial of the issues involved in the
election of 1896. State issues. if any, do not
seem to be the subject of debate. Natural
ly the first issue now is whether the ad-
ministration of William Mckinley thus far
Is approved by the people of Ohio Upon
this question there ought not TO be any diff
ference of opinion. His prompt calling to
gether of the congress of the United States
to provide requisite revenue for the sup
port of the government. and his recon-
nendation Of the prompt repeal of the fee
bic and indefensible tariff law known as
the Wilson-G German law, have met with
general approval. The revival Of all indus
tries and the commencement of prosperity
in all parts Of the United States were the
natural and necessary result of the action
of the president and a Republican congress-
1T is the declared purposes of the Re-
publican party to restore and maintain the
policy embodied in the Mckinley tariff act,
and the recent tariff act, known as the
Dingley tariff. 1t is unfortunate that the
beneficial provisions of the latter act can
not be in full operation for year or more,
owing to excessive importations under the
Wilson-Gorman act. but 1 confidently be-
lieve that within year under the present
law the revenue of the government Will be
ample to pay not only current expendi-
tures but a large sum yearly in reduction
of the public debt. To secure this desirable
result the Republican party must be sus-
tanned not only in Ohio. but in the United
States.
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 nations of the
world. Silver and gold have, since the
framing of the constitution. been the stand
ard coins of our country. 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 equiva-
lent of sixteen ounces of silver. In the
coinage of parts of dollars the ratio of sill
yer to gold is about fourteen ounces of
silver to one of gold, but the legal tender
OF such minor coins is limited to $40. With
in 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. Notwithstanding this wide d.
versity of the market value Of the two
metals. the United States and all the lead
ing 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
metal and by coming only on government
account.
"It is now proposed. as the cardinal prln-
ciple of scattered parties, that the holder
OF any silver bullion, without regard to it's
market value, may present 1t to the mint
and have it coined into dollars and made a
legal tender for all debts, public or private.
At present, the silver in dollar is worth
about Al cents. 1t would seem that this
bold and transparent proposition of repudi-
alton of more than one-half of all debts,
public and private in the United States
would shock the public sentiment of hon.
est people and secure its prompt rejection.
But, strange as it may seem, 1t is defended
by so many that we are bound to consider
their reasons before we denounce it as a
fraud.
1T is said that free coinage would bring
up the price of silver bullion to the ratio
of 16 to l. There is not the slightest
ground for this opinion. Silver has gone
down in price precisely as iron, tin, cop
per, or. indeed, the price of all the metals
except gold. The development in the pro-
cess Of mineralogy has kept pace with the
cheapening of nearly all the productions of
skill known as manufactures. Even gold
may decline In relative value as the result
of the recent development of mines in sew
eral parts of the earth. but from its su-
perior value in the smallest space, and be-
ing less affected by corrosion than any
other money metal, it is now and will con-
tinue to be the standard of value in the
chief nations of the world. Silver will he
largely used in all countries for minor
coins-and If limited in amount and re-
deemed at Its coinage value or made
legal tender for limited sums, it will be
largely absorbed for minor transactions.
but its free coinage for all who demand II
| would at once make it the sole coin in cir
culation, prevent the coinage of gold and
place our great and powerful country in
| financial operations among the minor and
poorer nations of the world. This is the
issue that will largely control the vote of
Ohio next week.
aside from this important measure tho
people of Ohio should bear in mind thai
| one of the most eminent citizens of the
state Is now president of the United Sta foe
| He Is especially entitled to your kind and
| considerate favor and deserves praise for
| the careful selection and appointment or
| officers Of the United States. There has
been no abrupt haste in making changes
and while. from the nature of things. he
| could not appoint all who applied for Office
yet the changes he did make met with and
| deserved the approval of the Republican
| party. 1t is impossible for any executive
officer charged with the duty Of APPOINT.
| Many must be disappointed, but they will
| all concede that they have had a fair hear
| ing, for no president could have given an
pllcants more kindly and patient attention
keenly his inability, to comply with the
wishes of his friends. 'Ae
''As to the issues of the future, can saw
! with absolute confidence that, in the future
as in the past, the mode of levying duties
| silver will be the dividing lines of the two
great parties. 1t may be that the ha,eff,e
of protection will be so apparent, that the
South. now already becoming a mani
| featuring community, ana the West. filled
| may be converted to the policy of protect
| ing their naScent industries by tariff laws
| And 1t may be that the manufacturing in.
dustries of the East may become so strong
reversing their positions. This would be q
change of position in the sections hut the
issue would remain. 'He
"As for the ticket that is presented by