The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-04-11

HIS FIRST LOVE-.
IT Was ARDENT AND FERvID
THEN, But. ITS COLD, COLD Dsaa
i NOW. sse @

How Binger did Love Free Silver
An old Newspaper Repro
duces the Sweet things he
| Said About TT am
| in Full Accord"
he Said.
In Corvallis there is an old copy
of the Portland Oregonian that stirs
up ha11owed memories. 1t almost
moves some people to tears. It
brings to mind that happy time
when Binger Hermann, the new
standard bearer of Sound Money"
was hotter on the scent otfree silver
than was ever Tom cat on the
trail of a wounded dove.
This old Oregonian contains an
interview in, Washington with Mr..
Hermann, then in Congress. The
article is dated May 4th. and the
paper May 9, 1890 In the course
of the interview Mr.. Hermann
spoke of his devotion to free silver
with such tears of fervor and love
as to fill the soul of our own Mr..
Bryan with the sweetest and most
adolescent dreams of delight, The
article runs thus:
Washin gton, May 4-(Oregonian
| Office, corner Fourteenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue. )-Repre
sentativessHermapn, being inter
viewed asztol tilee silver Dill, the
basisaof which agreed upon by
the caucus actien1of:t f:therepublicana
of the house, said that much con-
sideration had been given this
matter in previous caacuses, and
that much was yielded up by both
the radical and conservative sides
80 that this might be termed a
compromise with its strongest lean
ings to the radical silver advocates,
Those ofus who represented the
West view insisted chiefly that the
treasury notes issued for silver bull
lion purchased should be redeem
able in lawful money of the United
States. This was a recognition of
the equality of silver with gold,
the gist Of the entire contest, Ad
ded to this is the provision for the
purchase of four and a half millions
of silver bullion, which will com
mend it strongly to the silver pro-
ducing states. These features are
great victories for the Western SEN
timent and long advance Of pres
ent legislation. The people have
complained, and justly too. that so
long as any discretion was left the
treasury department. as to purchase
of silver only the minimum was
purchased and this in violation of
the spirit of the law where coin
may be paid stpon various obliga-
tons of the government, yet that
it so happens that only gold Is con-
sidered coin by the secretary and
silver is reserved for the coin mon
ey of the people. So true is it
that the gold in the treasury all
goes to these partially paid bond
holders that none is seen in cir
culation east of the Mississippi
river and bu t little east of the
Rocky mountains. Indeed, to
some members of congress $40
gold piece would be a curiosity
here in the capital of the ma
tion! We now feel that the law
should be mandatory in these es-
sentia1 particulars and above all
there should be definite under
standing precisely what amount of
bullion should be purchased an
nua11y and hence the words, ito
purchase from time to time silver
bullion to the aggregate amount OF
a, 500, 900 ounces of free silver in
each month";" This is in striking
contrast with the existing law,
which requires the monthly pur-
chase and coinage of silver bullion
into silver dollars Of not less than
So, 900, 900 nor more than 81, 900.
900 worth of silver bullion"
Another benefit to accrue from
the present bill will be the res
toration of the circulating coin of
the country of $3.50 now held
as reserve fund for redemption of
national bank circulation.
I feel myself in accord with the
platform recently adopted by the
republican state convention Of Ore
gon, which declared in favor of
the free and unlimited coinage of
silver, and denounce any attempt TO
discriminate against silver as un-
wise and unjust" Our people of
the West demand the remonetiza-
ton of silver. They think it has
been unjust1y, unnecessarily, in
jurious1y and too long demonetiz-
al r ha1iax,a the h;11 Of r,raco@,f