The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-12-27
Rsco||ections and Reflections
of Thomas Fitch.
Copyright 1898 Thomas Fitch
PIONEER INCIDENTS
Copyright 1913 by Thomas Fitch

Observation-Disclosures
The free silver coinage movement
which swept like flood over the west
and south in 1896, which in many in
stances obliterated party lines, which
made Democrats of Republicans and
Republicans of Democrats was logical
in its day because it was based upon
conditions which seemed to demand
its success as the only method OF ex-
trication from existing evils. Natural
causes and not agitation RENTED the
great question of 1896 to the limbo
of lost political issues.
South Africa, West Australia, Grip
ple Creek and Alaska solved the prob
lem that for time yexed the poll
ticians. The gold finders of the world
have usually been members of the
Anglo Saxon race and they have sell
dom failed in an emergency. Iney
went to the mountains and veldts OF
South Africa and the torrid gulches OF
West Australia and cried: give forth.
To the stubborn ores of Colorado
they said, I'VE have come to cyanide
you-give FORTH On the Yukon and
at Nome they swung the pick ana
hammer by the light of the Aurora
Borealis and the midnight sun and
shouted: give forthi'' And the rocks
obeyed, even as Horeb yielded when
Moses smote it and the new streams OF
gold supplied all demands of commerce
for more metallic money, and free
coinage of silver was no longer nee
essary. or even desirable, except to
silver mine owners, and there were not
many of these.
AAA
Yet, as M.acauley says in substance,
parties often survive long after the
issues which called them into exist
ence have been settled so the cry for
free coinage did not cease. In the
canvass of 1900 it was still an issue
in the far west and those Republicans
who had left their party to support
Bryan in 1896 on account of it did not
escape criticism if they returned to
their allegiance.
There was a great political meeting
in far western community and the
free coinage advocate who had re-
turned to the Republican fold. He
explained the reason for his action,
and claimed that for the United States
alone to attempt free coinage would
be to Mexicanize our currency. There
upon a loud voiced opponent. in the
audience interrupted him with the
question, (which is the best for us,
to become a Mexican colony or to re-
main as now, slaves Of England? 2"
The speaker paused; ST cannot answer
that question: said he. "Ah bah, I
thought you couldn't" cried the inter-
rupter. "And I will explain" con-
tinued the speaker, why cannot an
swer it, by telling a little story. Once
upon a time company of Federal
troops were in pursuit of a band of
hostile Apaches. Their chase led them
along a mountain trail where no
wheeled vehicle could pass. So they
strapped a small brass field piece upon
the back of a burro and went ahead
They discovered a party of Indians
at the bottom of deep ravine. Their
gun was loaded and ready. They
backed the burro to the edge of the
precipice, turned the gun on the In
| dams and the order was given to fire.
!, Before the order could be obeyed the
burro suddenly wheeled, but the SOL
der to whom the order was given in
! his confusion pulled the lanyard of the
! gun. It's contents were discharged
! into the ground and the recoil kicked
| burro and gun over the precipice and
| both fell into the middle of the Indian
! n A Hoo 4
| shortly afterward the Indians ap-
peared. Ugh said their Chief to the
| lieutenant commanding the soldiers
| 'Injin no fight you. We fight miner
| fight soldier, fight with gun, fight with
pistol, fight with bow and arrow. But
you shoot jackass at Injin-then Injin
quit
eff free coinage is denied u.s." said
an Oregon farmer to an advocate OF
| the single gold standard, silver will
go down and the price of grain will
| follow that of silver, and what shall
we do with our wheat?" MAKE pork
of it, replied the speaker airily
But" answered the farmer, 'the gold
bugs don't eat pork"
A 4
| One of the most ardent free silver
| advocates in the country was George
| Spencer, at one time United States
Senator from Alabama. 1.-THE curious
| feature Of my first election to the
| Senate said he to me, was that un-
| til a few weeks before the election ]
! had never been in the State of Ala
! bama. It happened in this way.
| raised company in Iowa, where
! lived before the war, and in the sec
| ond year of the war I was on the staff
| of the General commanding at Chat
tanooga 1t was proposed to raise g
! regiment from the Union men living
in the mountains in North Alabama
| This duty was entrusted to me and
| was appointed Colonel. I selected all
of the staff and most Of the Company
officers. and the regiment did good SER
vice although it happened we were
never called upon for service in Ala
bama. When the war was, over we
were mustered out and went to Cal
ifornia and opened an office in San
Francisco as a mining stock broker.
corresponded occasionally with my old