The San Francisco call., 1898-02-13
THE FINANCIAL ISSUE.
: HE persistent recurrence ever since 1875 of
 financial issue in American politics points to

financial issue in American politics points to 1t
 as the selected especially by all the ue-ot- thumb politicians the easiest talk about and the most capable of exciting the people. It does not merely relate to the kind and quantity of money in the country and the sf its supply but it furnishes
 subject which in its discussion enables attacks upon ownership and an assault upon the laws that uphold the rights of property.
 The greenback movement was the earliest shape as- sumed by this movement. It rapidly ripened into a demand for fiat paper, issued by the Government, a full legal tender and irredeemable This idea IS still in existence in the demand that the Government sub stitute interest bearing bonds as a means of raising money in place of taxation But all of these ideas merge readily in the demand for free coinage of silver at I6 to I. That policy is represented as satisfactory to the atists, because the difference be- tween the bullion and nominal value of the dollar will be fiat. All those who believe that more money is needed easily led to hope for pecuniary flood in the form of silver. Another class who believe that gold is the rich mans money and silver the poor mans, join the ranks in the hope of despoiling the rich and enriching the poor. Then there is class who insist that must have kind of money that the bankers cannot handle and they are enthusiastic in the belief that the "whte metal" will be too hot for banker to hold.
 As recruits to the ranks made up of the foregoing there the classes who adopt in one form an- other, the ideas of the socialists, communists, an- archists and of the nihsts. Free silver is the captain in command of all this force in politics The advocates of that policy in Congress propose to prevent any permanent adjustment of the financial s sue because that will remove the cohesive principle which holds these elements in fusion. Remove that and their differences put them at angles which make common action impossible. There is at present a constant temptation to politicians to seek personal ad vantage and get office by joining this combination. The good of the country the permanent foundations of general prosperity, the constitutional limitations, are not considered by these people at all Facts make but little difference to them. Even knowing that if they get power they cannot perform all they promise, they count with confidence upon their abil- ty to shift the blame from their shoulders and stand acquitted by their disappointed dupes
 In this situation is plainly that the friends of sound finance, the men who desire to the world financial center come where 1t belongs-to this con- tnent richer in all resources than any other part of the planet-must get together upon common policy and oppose it to the plans of the atiss It is not so much party public question: The President adopts it as administration policy because it is a vast, reaching public necessity. If they wise the Republicans will make standing that is for all men who agree that sound money policy must be pleaded in the campaign issues We see si- yer Republicans, who believe protection to be pub lie necessity, in alliance with silver Democrats who will their power, they get it. to tear down pro- lection, and with Populists who will their success to tear down everything. In the emergency presented by this alliance the sound money of all shades of belief on other public questions must feel that there is room for them to meet in defense of principle that underlies all conditions and every requisite of na- tonal prosperity.