The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-17
ARTHUR MEwEN ON BRYAN.

Mr.. Arthur McEwen, well known in
the west as journalist of superior
ability, has addressed a three column
communication to the editor of the
New York Journal on Mr. Bryan He
starts out by saying that as a Bryan
Democrat he has to confess that he
grows weary of Mr. Bryan; the i'm
portance of this lies in the fact that
Mr.. McEwen finds himself so he says,
in constantly increasing company with
other Bryan Democrats.
Mr.. McEwen or any other man has
perfect right to grow weary of Mr.
Bryan or of any one else, even of him
self But why does Mr.. AIcEwen grow
weary of Mr.. Bryan? Simply because
the latter so persistently advocates the
free coinage of silver at the ratio of
16 to 1. "Bimetallism by all means"
says Mr.. McEwen. 1T is the money
of the constitution and therefore Dem
ocratic, but why 16 to 1 or death?
What decree of heaven has given that
ratio a sacredness beyond all other
possible ratios?" No decree of heaven
has given the ratio of 16 to 1 any
sacredness whatever, neither has any
such decree given any sacredness
whatever to gold and silver as money
metals. Money is not of divine origin,
neither is there anything sacred about
it. It is a thing invented by man for
his own convenience to facilitate the
exchange of products; that is all there
is to it. But mans experience through
some thousands of years has proven
that gold and silver are the metals
best adapted for monetary purposes;
and that same experience has shown
that the ratio of 16 to l is the most
equitable, convenient and enduring.
Since 1873 this ratio has been brought
into question. But why? Because, in
that year congress arbitrarily forbade
the minis to coin silver any longer at
that ratio in unlimited quantities. Up
to that time the ratio had varied but
slightly, so slightly as to be unimport-
ant. These are among the reasons
why Mr.. Bryan sticks to the ratio of 16
to /; they are among the reasons why
the Democratic party declared for it
in 1896
If this ratio is abandoned and the
commercial ratio adopted. will it not
be necessary to be continually adjust
ing the ratio? This would be so be-
cause silver being treated as a COM
modify would be subject to CONNER
ciaI influences. The ratio between the
two leading money metals must be
fixed that there may be stability. If
this is not done, silver money would
inevitably become subsidiary coin.
It is said that Bryanism is greater
than Mr.. Bryan. This is undoubtedly
true, just as it is true that Democracy
is greater than any Democrat, Repub-
licanism than any Republican.
The Importance OF Mr.. McEwen's let
ter lies not SO much in what he says as
where he says it. Some take it to mean
that the New York Journal is about
to desert Bryan and with him free sill
yer as the leading issue. The Journal
has given no such intimation editori-
ally, has made no comment whatever
on Mr.. McEwens letter. 1t is understood
that he is an editorial writer on the
Journal But the very feet that he
addresses his letter to the paper and
signs his name shows that he was
speaking in his individual and not his
editorial capacity. 1t appeared on the
editorial page. but other communica-
tions favoring Mr.. Bryan have ap-
peared in the same place.
The letter viii cause widespread
comment. but until the Journal ac-
cepts its views as its own it must be
regarded as the expression of Mr..
McEwens private opinion.