The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-10-28

have seen, on account Of the exciting
times through which we have recently
passed, many exciting and inspiring
scenes, but have seen none more In.
spring than that which occurred in the
house of representatives on the 31st day
Of January, 1898, when. the so-called Tel
Ter resolution was considered and defeat
ed by the full strength OF the Republican
resolution, which when enacted and ap.
proved would have the force OF law; II
was simply a concurrent resolution,
which does not require the approval OF
the president, and which, If adopted, Is
only the expression Of the opinion
and inferentially, of the people they
represent, and its Importance
therefore, was In the fact that If the
house should adopt 1t and thereby concur
with the senate, 1t would have been IN
evitably regarded here and throughout
the world as an expression Of the deliber-
ate Judgment of the majority of the Am
erican people as to their standard OF hon.
or and good faith in the discharge or
public and private obligations. 1t was
artfully drawn, with Its numerous pre-
ambles and whereases, so as to seem to
be a mere expression by congress OF the
power and technical legal right of the
government as to the
Payment of Its Obligations
and as to what may be declared
legal tender. Upon these questions
there could be no difference of opinion.
No one would deny that this or any
other sovereign nation could pay its OBJ
legations in full, or in part only, or not
at all: that 1t could pay them In gold or
else that it might make legal tender,
according to it's own pleasure Any SOW
ereign nation can do that. Everybody
knew that payment could not be enforced
against it and that its obligations were
measured by it's own sense OF honor ana
good faith. But covered up under these
preambles and whereases there was a
declaration which was not an assertion
of power or even of technical legal
right, but declaration of the standard
of honor and good faith which the Amer
lean people were prepared, under exlsrlng
conditions, to proclaim to the word
This declaration was as follows: inat
to restore to its coinage such silver COLTS
as legal tender in the payment OF sucn
bonds (meaning all the bonds Is OF the ne
United States now outstanding) "is not IN
violation of the public faith nor in dero-
cation of the rights Of the public creolt,
or in other words, that we were TO go into
the unlimited coinage Of silver dollars at
to be made legal tender, and whether
they remained at a parity with gold or
sank actually or approximately TO the
commercial value of the silver IN them,
they were to be used in the payment OF
our bonds and other obligations, whether
the creditor was willing to receive them
or not, and that such payment would not
be in violation of the public faith, or IN
derogation Of the rights of public cred1,
tors And all this in the face OF repeated
Embodied in positive law, that we would
maintain the parity In value OF the CONS
of the two metals and the equal power
of every dollar at all times In the mar
kets, and in the payment OF DEBTS: III
the face of the fact declared by Gen.
Grant that at the time of the issuance
of the first of these bonds it was under
stood by everybody that they were to be
paid in gold or its equivalent; In the face
of the fact that at the last general cleo
ton the people had declared Tor exactly
the reverse, in the presence Of conditions
of calamity and depression such as the
country had seldom before witnessed;
and in the face of the further fact that
the country had shaken off those cond1-
lions of blight and gloom, had struggled
turned to the rising glories of the coming
day.
That resolution came to the house on
the 31st day of January, 1898: 1t was re-
ceived with cheers by the Popocrats-l
call them so because there were Demo-
Gratis even in that house who refused to
receive it with honor. In five hours-in
one session Of that body-it was stripped
by the Republicans of all the subterfuges
which had been resorted to to conceal
its real character, and literally
Kicked With scorn
back to those from whom it came.
The responsible majority Of that
came. The responsible majority Of that
house did not hesitate. In one short ses-
sion they gave notice to the country
and to the world that they would not
trif1a with nrnnoSi-
ton, that the opening flower of national
prosperity should not be blighted in the
bud, that the good name of the nation
was safe in their hands, and that they
their standard of values and would keep
without equivocation their pledges of
honor.
Many statements have been attributed
to me of late that have never made
many positions that I have never as
those who have so stated. I have never
said, do not say, that the financial ques-
ton is not one to be considered by the
voters in this campaign. It is question
ers should have constantly in their minds,
especially in this district, but one which
I firmly believe is already decided before
hand in the minds of the people, one
which they are determined shall remain
settled as it was settled in the last cleo
tion I believe they are determined now
to countenance no more Of this agitation
and to turn to other and greater Dues
tions. It is only necessary that they
shall know for what man stands. That
is sufficient. Argument is unnecessary.
Two years ago all over this country,
all over this state, in every village and
school house in this district, that ques-
tion was discussed in all its phases, sub
jected to every light, exposed to every
view, in the presence of conditions more
favorable to the cause of silver as then
and now presented than ever before
known in the history of our country, and
let us hope more favorable than such
conditions will ever be again, and the
people by an overwhelming majortty-in
those states which were not controlled by
polluted ballot boxes or by some special
local interest or fancied grievance-the
most overwhelming ever shown by the
returns of any Northumberland In ia
vor Of the maintenance of the present
gold standard, the standard of all the
great and enlightened nations OF the
earth. Those who cast that vote then
can have no reason to change it now.
While thousands who honestly and sim
cerely voted the other way have since
been convinced of their error by the I'M
answerable logic Of accomplished facts,
and ever moving events, and will as
frankly and sincerely and honestly
Turn the other Way.