Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-29
THE CAMPAIGN IN OHIO
DECO
Secretary Sherman Gives His Views in q
Ldttdr
He Regrets That Usage Precludes His
Participation-Pr0te Tariff and
Opposition to- Free silver.

Opposition to- Free silver.
II
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 addressed
to the editor of the Cincinnati volksblat:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON. October %, 1897.
L. Markbreit, Esq. Cincinnati, Ohio:
My Dear Sir: Your note of the 23d in
slant, in which you request my view of
the coming election in Ohio and in Ham
iltcn county, is received. 1 have care
fully observed the progress Of the canvass
with increasing interest as it advanced,
and can hardly express in language my APP
p1 eciation of its Importance. My chief
regret is that.I could not personally par
tfcipate in it, as by usage carefully OBJ
served from the days Of Jefferson to this
time the Secretary of State is precluded
from actively sharing in political discus
sion other than on foreign affairs.
1 look upon the pending canvass in Ohio
as retriaF of the issues involved in the
election Of 1896. State issues If any, do
not seem to be the subject of debate Nat
urally the first issue now is whether the
administration of William Mckinley thus
far is approved by the people of Ohio.
any difference of opinion. His prompt
calling together the Congress of the United
States to provide requisite revenue for the
support of the government and his recon-
mendation of the prompt repeal of the
feeble and indcfensible tariff law known az
the Wilson, German law have met with gen.
eral approval.
The revival of all industries and the COM
mencement Of prosperity in all parts of the
United States was the natural and neces-
sary result Of the action of the President
and a republican Congress. The tariff
laws have been the subject of discussion
from the days of Washington to the days
of Mckinley. From the time 1 entered
Congress in 1855 to this hour 1 have at
every election heard both in and out of
Congress Of the respective merits of a rev.
enue tariff and a protective tariff, and
upon these questions the two great parties
nave taken opposite sides.
The Taxes of War Times.
The Morrill, tariff, passed in March, 1861,
is the text Of the policy of protection to
our American industries, and though great
ly changed from time to time to meet new
conditions, 1t still forms the groundwork
Of the policy of the republican party in
respect to the tariff. This act was passed
at period Of development with light taxes
| and increasing population. The average
yearly expenses of the national govern
ment from 1910 10 1850, including the ex-
penses of the Mexican war were about
fifty million dollars. The civil war changed
all this. Its cost has been stated as over
six thousand million dollars. To meet this
enormous demand 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 corporations. The ascer-
tanned national debt at the close of the war
was 2740 millions, but his was greatly en-
| larged by claims afterward presented and
by the most liberal pensions ever provided
l,yl tIA 81, ~ phlt 4
expenditures the interest of the debt and
every year from 1866 to 1893 a portion Of
the principal of the public debt was paid,
thus reducing it to $961,431, 76G on the LIST
of July. 1893. So
In 1890 Congress passed what is known
| as the Mckinley tariff act, which was a
careful revision of all existing revenue
laws. 1t largely reduced Internal taxes and
carefully revised the tariff laws then in
| force. II it had remained on the statute
| book to this time the policy of protection
| and debt paying would have largely reduced
the public debt and. prevented the severe
stringency that followed its repeal.
it Is the declared purpose of the repub-
Iican party to restore and maintain the
policy embodied in the Mckinley tariff act,
and the recent tariff act known as the
Dingley tariff. It 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-G orman act; but I confidently be-
law the revenue of the government will
be ample to pay not only current expendi-
lures, 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.
Free Coinage of Silver.
Another question of public policy of equal
Importance to the tariff is what is known
as the free coinage of silver without re-
gard 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 standard coins
of our country, but the relative market val
ue OF each has changed from time to time
The coinage ratio of the dollar is one ounce
of gold as the equivalent of sixteen ounces
Of silver. In the coinage of parts of dol
lars the ratio of silver to gold is about
fourteen ounces of silver to one of gold, but
the legal tender of such minor coins Is linn
tied to ten dollars. 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.
Notwithstanding this wide diversity Of
the market value of the two money metals,
the United States and all the leading COM
n,ercial nations of the world have main
tanned 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.
1t is now proposed as the cardinal prin-
cipal of scattered parties that the holder
of any silver bullion, without regard to its
market value, may present 1t to the mint
and have it coined into dollars and made
a legal tender for all debts. public and pri-
vate. At present the silver in dollar is
worth about Al cents. 1t would seem that
this bold and transparent proposition and
reputation of more than one-half of all
debts, public and private, in the United
States would shock the public sentiment OF
honest people and secure its prompt re-
lection. But, strange as 1t may seem, it is
defended by SO many that we are bound to
consider their reasons before we danounce
it as a fraud.
No Ground for Silver Mems Claims.
1t is said that free coinage would bring
up the price Of silver bullion to the ratio
of Is to 1. There is not the slightest
ground for this opinion. Silver has gone
down In price precisely as iron, tin, copper
or, indeed. the price OF all the metals ex-
cept gold. The development in the process
of mineralogy has 1kept pace with the
Af rI&S3 ,Jy 49,