New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-07
THE ATTITUDE OF SILVER MEN.

Since the silver resolution has been passed
by the Senate and beaten in the House, 1t
seems in order to ask its advocates what they
have gained They have not disturbed the money
markets nor alarmed public feeling in regard to
the condition of the Treasury. They have made
no progress toward bankrupting the Govern
Inent or forcing ii to a silver basis. They have
not shown greater strength in the Senate than
was expected. and in the House they have fallen
much behind their expectations The solid re-
sistance of the Republican majority In that body
shows a much frmer adhesion 10 the principles
of the Republican platform than any of the
silver men anticipated. What has been gained
in this latest campaign against the gold stand
ard? Nothing in votes, and much less than
nothing in argument, for the debate in the Sen
ate left the silver mel in less defensible posi-
ton than they have ever before occupied.
There is no indication of increase in the pop
uar demand for silver coinage. On the con-
trary, the prevailing temper in all business CEN
tres even at the West and South, has been
steadily turning against the advocates of that
policy. The monetary conference at lndianapo-
lis showed a much stronger support from Iowa
and some other Western States than appeared
year ago and even from the South there came
ADLER and more fully representative delegations
from commercial cities. The truth is that the
silver men are concentrating the opinions of the
whole commercial world against them, and they
do not appear TO be gaining outside of CONNER
cial centres Neither the farmers, who want
something better than 40-cent dollars for their
wheat. nor the wage-earners, who prefer honest
dollars for their wages, are leaning toward the
free-silver policy. In the Western mining
camps il retains its hold, but everywhere else
it appears TO be losing.
This is natural because the silver interest has
broken away from its bimetallic associations.
The fight Of the silver men has in large meas
ure ceased TO be an effort for bmetasm, and
has become more openly an effort for silver
monometallism. 1t is no longer denied even In
debate in the Senate, that the purpose Is 10
bring about payment Of debts in silver, without
regard to It's depreciation in value. Not long
ago II was always claimed by silver men that
they desired no debasement of the monetary
standard and believed that free-silver coinage
would lift silver to par with gold in the world S
markets That pretence has been almost wholly
abandoned and instead there appears the claim
that the accent dollar may be properly paid TO
creditors because coin, and not gold coin, was
nominated in the bond.
Efforts for international bmetalism are great
" embarrassed by this new attitude of the sill
yer forces. It can no longer be claimed that
they are seeking a union of commercial nations
on a bimetallic basis. Instead they are visibly
leaning toward abandonment of every such eff
fort and toward preference for a silver none
tary standard alone. 1t IS already plain, too,
that this change in the attitude of silver men has
IT'S Influence upon the tone of public opinion.
Many thousand men who were earnestly in
favor Of bimetalism have found themselves al
together hostile to the more recent attitude Of
the silver men. because they are compelled 70
realize that the effort of the silver party is no
longer for bimetalism, but for silver mono
metallism.