Cañon City record., 1900-04-19
TnH SILVER ISSUE.

The great mass of the silver
voters are honest in their convictions
yet great many of them are SO
welded fast to their delusion" that
they do not premit themselves to be
informed as to the sentiment of the
country on that question, nor even Of
the views entertained by the leaders
of their own faith. A great many
silver" voters in Colorado are still
urging the name ofHon. J los. C. Sibley
of Pennsylvania for second place on
the Bryan ticket; and this despite
the fact that for months past he
has repeatedly declared it as his con-
viction that SILVER at the ratio of 16
to l is not, and cannot again be An
issue of over-shadowing Importance.
We herewith quote his own words
from recent speech delivered in
Congress:
The future status of silver ~ mon
ey, in my opinion, will not be deter
mined by the result Of some great
political campaign, but ratt er by the
concurrent consent Of the worlds in
dustrial and commercial enterprises.
While l believe that violent fluctua-
tions in value are less liable with two
metals than with one, nevertheless |
constrained to the opinion that silver
at ratio of l6 to l is not and can not
again be an issue Of overshadowing
Importance. Events which have fol-
lowed, due to the wisdom of NO poll
tical party, have so changed coHdi-
tions that cause that was sacred in
1896 may be ridiculous in some later
year.
In regard to the motives which
have prompted his notifications Of
views on this subject, we also quote
his own language:
If there be those who deem my
position today Inconsistent with views
which l have heretofore expressed
upon the floor of this House, glory
in that Inconsistency which permits
me to set aside the useful implement
of yesterday because the development
of genius of the present affords me
a better implement ready for my use
to-day.
And so long as l may be honored
with seat in this body and during
the term for which | am elected to
serve in public life. and in my retire.
ment, so long as life is spared, shall
believe with the poet that
Sev occasions teach new dutiss.
Time nAkss a.ci snt gool uHcsuth;
They must onward still. and upward.
Who will keep sbrsast the Truth.
The above are not garbled extracts
for the purpose of disingenuously
deceiving our readers. They prove
their own sincerity, and it. must be
admitted that the views expressed
therein are but reflex Of the senti-
ment now prevailing throughout the
entire country. Even in Colorado
there has been'a radical revulsion Of
conviction on this question. This
does not mean that the sentiment
prevailing today is inconsistent with
past professions Of faith, nor that
the people have changed their views
on the question Of bimstallism. They
have simply given up the false hope
of securing it by"frss and unlimited"
coinage cause. in the language Of
Mr.. Siblsy, "sacred in 1896 but
ridiculous now"
Another extreme prejudice enter
tanned by class of Colorado voters
is to classify every eastern bimstal-
list as an enemy not only to silver,
but to every western interest. Ssna-
tor Hoar's name is perhaps looked
upon with as much suspicion as any
we could mention, and is cited with
unctious zeal by western Demscrats
to prove that the Republican party is
welded to monomstallism. Here il
an extract from Senator Hoars
speech upon the financial bill recently
passed by congress:
But in doing that, when we say
that the American people has not
changed its mind, but that we still
believe the double standard the best,
we are only saying that we reaffirm
the universal opinion Of the American
people for hundred years. Wheth-
er il gain votes or lose votes, wheth-
er it satisfy discontented communi-
ties or do not satisfy them, it remains
the simple truth, which every man in
the Senate old enough to remember
the time before the war, whether he
was special student of finance or
only an ordinary intelligent American
citizen, believes, to wit, that you
must have the two metals If you can
get the concert Of other nations in
doing it; that if you can not, if you