Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1897-04-15
Nevada Defended.

VIM. e. Smythe in the Forum says:
In he course OF spirited edit
article entitled slow to Deal With
NevadI," the Chicago Tribune re-
marked.
Congress il perfectly able to deal
with the unprecedented condition OF
affairs which exists in Nevada. The
silver mines which unde her all she
was have been exhausted. She has
no other mineral wealth, She has no
agricultural resources. She has 10th
ing to attract people, and as a conse-
quencs. she is Pickering out"
The Tribune urges that the thing
to do ID to deprive Nevada OF her
statehood, or at least to exclude her
senators from congress, as was done
with the seeding Southern states
during the war and reconstruction
periods. There are four simple and
lucid reasons why the Chicago news
papers prescription "How to Deal
With Nevada" should not be
thoughtlessly taken. The first is that
it is not true that "the silver mines
which have made her all she was have
been exhausted" The second Is that
it is not true that "she has no other
mineral wealth." The third Ia that
it is not true that "she has no agri
cultural resources" And the fourth
is that it is not true that "she is flick
ering out" in consequence OF the fact
that @she has nothing to attract PEG.
ple." If L NAV be permitted the
pleasure of introducing the stste OF
Nevada to the American people
through these pages l think it may
be proved that the eminent Chicago
physician entirely misunderstood tile
symptoms of the disease, utterly fail
ed in his diagnosis, and as a matter of
course, erred in his suggestion OF
remedies. As the so-called Sage
brush state" (sagebrush ID unerrmg
evidence of kindly soil and abund-
ant sqnshine) has been the object of
ardent abuse, which serves no other
purpose than TO feed the hatred pas
sion of sectional dlstrust, such an IN
PRODUCTION seems well worth while.
Nevada, then, is potentially one of
the greatest states Of the Union. Her
natural resources are more varied
! more valuable, and more extensive
than those pertaining % most Of the
states east Of the Mississippi, and
even some of the states west Of the
river. The statement that her silver
mines are exhausted" is palpable
absurdiGy. The humor of it ID 30
broad that all readers Of the gold
standard newspapers should instant
ly appreciate it, since they have re-
peatedly been told Unat Nevada asks
for free coin lge in the purely selfish
hope that that policy would reopen
her silver mines and thereby restore
her former extraordinary prosperity
Ii the mines were really exhausted"
an unlimited demand for silver al
81 % cents IN ounce would benefi.
Nevada no more than Vermont. Ne
vadans believe, of course, that the
entire public wonld be benefited BY
tho higher prices and enlarged circu
lation which they confidently ex.
pect would follow free coinage; but
they make no pretense of denying
their future expectations that Ill. il
own state would receive a particula.
benefit lii consequence of the revival
Of her leading local industry. The
hand that would rob Nevada of be-
reputation as silver producer SHOULD
at least make haste to restore hel
reputation for disinterested patrio
tism. She cannot logically be de
deprived of both at the same time