People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1894 — THE SILVER FIGHT. [ARTICLE]

THE SILVER FIGHT.

The White Metal Was Stabbed in the House of Its Alleged Friends. The silver fight has reached the stage where it is proper to discuss the means employed. It matters not how high the official whose methods are questionable charges are proper as well to refute as to explain. When an ancient money metal is tampered with by lawin such a manner that it declines in market price it is proper to explain why the law causing the decline is not repealed. When various means are pursued to restore the lost value, but without the pretended desired results, why not restore those conditions under which decline never came? With the extraordinary methods taken to follow the English course, which has proven false dozens of times, why does an American functionary renew the attempt knowing the blasting effect upon all American industries as proven by experience. Men by the thousand believe in the new departure yet pursue the old track wherein they have stumbled and floundered for years. The covered form has appeared time and again and each succeeding time more hideous than before. The persuasive voice has now lured to death a senate but little changed from the last which passed a free coinage bill but which has lately voted to repeal the last vestige of friendly silver legislation and a compromise in a similar fight. The goldbugs occupy the crown. In this great fight we recognize executive patronage as the most deadly force in our present system. Silver bullion never fluctuated seven

| per cent from gold in twenty years preceding its stab. Since the thrust : its every tendency has been downward, having declined 54 cents per ounce; sil.▼er is pre-eminently an American money metal and should receive American protection, but it was stabbed in , the back by the protective party and now receives its home thrust from the same source. The power of political zeal here appears. This new accom- ; plishment dwarfs art accomplishment born of our fathers' fearful struggle; it tends to destroy a corner stone of popular government; it hedges about aris- ’ tocratic institutions and builds from their foundation. The act of 1873 now reaches its full purpose. Our whole money system is to-day an usurpation reached through forgery in the case of bond refunding and was sanctioned by high officials. In the light of the changed sentiment we have the right to believe that all has not yet appeared; crimes go unquestioned. We believe that officials who pursue the old course are dangerous because of the tendency. —Cor. National View.