Show THE MEWS AND THE FINANCIAL ISSUE the attitude of neutrality in politics which the NEWS maintains relieves it from the necessity of assailing or defend ing the position po assumed by any party or candidate with reference to any merely political issue but it to is not relieved of ef the duty of taking part in the discussion of any question which seriously involves any feature or principle or 01 the american constitution on the contrary the he mission of the NEWS as a champion of human liberty and equal rights makes imperative the obligation to utter a solemn protest against every attempt that may be made to infringe upon or violate the charter of our country count rys freedom this is said by way of preface to a general reply the NEWS has to make to a number of inquiries recently propounded as to its attitude on the great financial controversy now convulsing the nation persons who have been regular readers of the NEWS for any considerable period do not require to be told what its position upon ulon that question is because its editorial columns column have often contained state ments menie defining its views ai as explicitly as circumstances required once and for aalthe NEWS 1 is in favor of the money contemplated by the constitution it is to in favor of money to consist of gold silver and paper to be coined and issued in the manner provided by that instrument it is unalterably opposed to the lish ment of the single gold standard until such time as the american people tiring af pf their organic law in its present form shall in a due lawful and orderly manner by the free vote of the people and by thee majority amend it so BOAS to pro pip vide tide for gold the news regards the attempt to establish a pingle mingle gold standard asab assault upon a vital avital part of the american amerl constitution aud a movement me subversive of the rights rod and liberties of the masses of she be people and it has no word of comfort for the individuals or combinations engaged therein its sympathies are w with ith the men who seek to maintain the letter latter and the spirit of our national charter section eight of article one of the constitution con confers fers upon congress power to coin money regulate the value thereof and of foreign coin and fix the standards of weights and measures section ton ten of article one readi no state shall enter into any treaty alliance or confederation grant letters of marque and reprisal coin money emit bills of credit make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment ot of debts pass any bill of attainder ex post facto lawor law impairing the obligation of contracts or grant any title of nobility the above quotations embrace the only words contained in the constitution which relate to the coinage ques and while t ey do not in express terms make it obligatory upon congress to maintain bimetallism they do recognize and endorse silver as money as 88 much as they do gold silver was wag money when congress was authorized by the constitution to coin money rod and silver was legal tender equally withhold with gold when the constitution constitute 0 n for bade th the states estates to make anything n g but gold and silver ooin coin a tender in payment of debts it must be remembered that silver hail bad been recognized as money equally with gold in all ages and civilized na DR diode that the constitution was drawn in the light of and in confirmation of that recognition and that it had bad not entered into the heart of civilized man to demonetize either metal every rule of construction known to jur jurists late drawn drawe from the language to be construed or from history or from ex let Ing conditions at the time thelah the lav under consideration became such leads leade irresistibly to the conclusion that the framers of the constitution intended that silver as well as gold should be used as a money and that congress should never demonetize either the MEWS la its aware bat the bright est cot minds of the age have discussed the constitutional dional rowell as weil as the other phases of this great question but it ig holds that no amount ot of intellectual orill brilliancy iancy on the part of the debater can obscure the real intent of the cow ution in the premises or make it appear that it was aa ever intended by the framers of that instrument that gold should become the sole standard of baue in one of the above quotations from the constitution occurs a provision against the impairment of contracts irbe NEWS insists that this provision must also be held snared elored contracts aoto for or the payment of money must be kept according to their terra terms unless at the time they were made they were ot or some rule or principle of law jaw there must be no ne repudiation that is moral weakness aj a well wall as a legal crime of the most dan geromo and contemptible description Voul contracts tracts by bj their heir terms payable in buhi should be paid in gold and obligations which when incurred were payable in silver must continue so until cancelled th the a legislative power cannot under the cou Constitution change the terms of a 8 contract to the disadvantage of either party to it but this question of contracts wilt will in the opinion of the NEWS be solved when the monetary system of the constitution shall be fully restored prom from the standpoint from which the NEWS views the he succession of av events biats there appears to be an element of prophecy and its connected necked with this subject lu inspired men of our day have lo jo retold assaults as upon the amerlean american constitution of the most dangerous and determined determine cl character and have predicted that they would succeed so far as to alape in imminent peril the charter of our lib arties such predictions have included the further forecast that the men of utah would reach forth saving hands bands to rescue and maintain the nations nation ss organic law by the adoption of its financial plank the st sr louis leula convention ae above aboe made clear assailed violently and dangerously the constitution and among the gallant few who made their opposition to such action felts felt by defending constitutional money at the sacrifice of party and who thereby sprung prong into BRU national lame fame and won the admiration of millions for their courage were three utah men one of these senator frank J cannons cannon was scarcely less prominent than the recognized leader leader of the silver republicans senator henry M teller of colorado he was the youngest member of the united states senate and rep resell resented ted the he youngest state in ane union of W aich state he was a native born and bred associated with him there seems seema to be a suggestion of poetic and prophetic destiny not every time some upstart poll tholan or impertinent contemporary challenges the NEWS to state its position upon the silver queSt question IOD will the gauntlet thrower be dignified by a reply further it to Is probable that no a great re st amount of space apace will be given in the NEWS MEWS in the immediate future to the discussion of this question as other lines of thought and labor tax its columns but this paper may always be depended upon to defend the american constitution and as often as a inclination may prompt or occasion require it will wil I 1 speak in opposition to any invasion of the peoples rights including any attempt to folst foist u upon pon them a single gold standard while our national charter retains its present form |