The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1902-01-02
Some Pointed
Queries.

Judge c. G. Hillyer, former promi-
nent resident of Nevada, asked Senators
Jones and Stewart the following pointed
questions through the Washington Post:
Editor Post For the seventeen years
before becoming resident OF Washing
ton | was a citizen of the State OF Ne
vada. | there passed the most active
portion of my life, and still claim to be
identified with its citizens, than whom
though relatively few in NUMBER have
met none elsewhere more entitled to re-
spect for Intelligence, enterprise and
morality. ], therefore, feel authorized 10
iuterrogate respectfully concerning po-
litical questions the conduct of those
who now represent that State in the
Senate Of the United States.
| understand -because it is SO pub
lished and not denied-that both these
Senators have reaiiiliated with the Re
publican party, and in doing SO have
both declared as their reason or excuse
that they considered bimetalIism or the
restoration Of silver no longer living
ISSUE
| wish from these Senators answers to
a few questions, and that their answers
shall be made from their places in the
Senate chamber. | wish that the rea.
sons for their recantation shall be given
the same publicity with which their
previous professions were made.
First-Do you consider hat the argu-
ments for bimetallism which you have
been making for many years were un-
sound?
Second-If II not, wha sufficient reason
has occurred since that period to justify
a change of your convictions?
Third--lf you say that within the past
few years the large returns from gold
mining have SO far increased the volume
OF standard money as To make silver res
.oration unnecessary. ask you to look
over your own speeches and see how
often and how emphatically you have
stated, and how clearly you have dem
onstrated, that all mining for precious
metals, and especially for gold is pre-
carious, and not f,w years, but long
periods, must be taken into account in
estimating the average or probable me-
tallic supply, aud that the nearest ap-
proach to stability in any metallic stand
ard must be found in bimetallism.
Fourth Have you not often stated,
and is it not clear that the principal sig
nifcanco of money standard consists
in the existence Of an immense indebted
ness, which must be discharged in
standard money, or that which must be
maintained as its equivalent.
Fifth-Assuming that you still recog
nize this truth is it not fact that in
this country and almost universally else
where, Indebtedness national, munici.
pal. corporate aud individual is greater
to. day than at any time since the ques-
ton AS TO a money standard has been
agitated in the United States? And is it
not also true that most OF this indebted.
ness was created and that found ltion OF
all Of it Land under a bimetallie standard,
at the ratio of 10 IL to II
Sixth Is it not true tha. this immerse
Indebtedness, amounting 10 the United
States alone to more tnan SI7,0o0,0O0,.
600 OF long time interest bearing obliga-
tions, must bs discharged by property
aud labor. viii be nearly twice as heavy
under single gold standard as under a
bimetallic standard OF silver and gold at
the present ratio?
Seventh-Does the fact that under q
, nominal gold standard in the United
States the coinage OF silver has been con-
tinued and the volume OF representative
: paper money Increased, and thereby
! prices stimulated, offer any guarantee
/. against such currency contraction, as
the law now places in the power OF the
holder OF money obligations, aud by
which property value and labor prices
may be so reduced as TO create the cal.
amitious conditions which you have so
often depicted as the result of a gold
standard?
Eighth Is il not the int rests Of your
constituents in this question practically
the same as it has been for the past
!. twenty years, and as it was when you
: we're chosen Senators upon free silver
! platform?
| think il proper to say, OF reference
TO these interrogations that my personal
relations with both of these Senators are
friendly, and | hope will continue to be
so, but politically, they have placed my
self, and, am sure many OF their pres
ent constituents In an embarrassing stu
alton. We must either part company
with our Senator's or we must repudlate
everything which for twenty years they
have tau ht us to believe and which
most OF us, at least, still believe.
c. G. HILLYER.
The Anaconda, st. Lawrence and
| No.. Syaat minaz in Butte have been