| Show WISE AND UNWISE THINGS the chicago silver convention opened out splendidly so far the men of lems and the chronic ers era have neither elther wisely determined to stay out or have not received sufficient recognition to enable them to give vent to their peculiar preferences this Is ie all as it should be as we hoped it would be the men of character and moderation are the ones who can successfully pilot the silver craft back from the turbid financial torrent to the placid harbor from which it was unmoored in 1878 if it can be done at ali and all ail that the other elements can accomplish by actual participation is to neutralize their betters better good work and throw obstacles in the way all along the speeches of the chairman of the bimetallic league and the president of the convention were were quite superb from the standpoint of political oratory appropriateness and terseness terae neBB they were pointed and incisive too and if we were called upon tu to point out where there was a flaw since no work of in m n is fig without one WO we would indicate that part of mr thurman thurmand Thur mana s speech in which be claimed a return to old monetary conditions with an established ratio of 16 to 1 or 16 to 1 the latter preferred undoubtedly that would be a great thing in the sense that it would bethe be the restoration complete and without impairment of a condition in which the white metal and the yellow made the commercial pace together with the former slightly in the lead and no complaints made but it cannot be done it to is the part of wise men not to underestimate the strength of the opposition iong no matter whether its cause be a just or an unjust one and even to talk of such a ratio as that thai named is in not only to underestimate but utterly ignore the other side when we consider that it is at least constructively and way may be ACtU actually in control of the situation that it represents the aggregated wealth of the world or nearly so that it has at east half of congress and he administration with it the to state it moderately of such expressions must be apparent to even an indifferent observer no the ibe must be met halfway and in a spirit of conciliation not of singer anger or arrogance otherwise it is as an well assured as any future thing can be that we shall accomplish noth I 1 ine u unless riess it be like hamlet ou our r I 1 own shame slid and the odd hits bits but that to Is not all that is to be con in this connection while for motives of good policy it nothing else we should oot not utterly antagonize the single standard people we should reread re read the lessons lemons of the past and refresh our minds minda with the logic that they adduce revolutions do not go backward and the one that eventuated the dislong ment of silver cannot we who favor the latter metal may and doubtless ido perfectly agree as to the extent and manner of wrong that was done by that act but we are utterly power lees to undo it and must therefore accomplish whatever we may looking to silvers retention and improved condition as a measure of values we cannot get 15 to 1 this thid for a certainty the same as to 16 to 1 it is not at all likely that we could got get 18 to 1 but we might succeed by ap an preaching lug congress with an offer of 20 to 1 or thereabout there about with that ratio fixed and unchangeable and the silver dollar given every function that the gold dollar pose possesses esses so far as american transactions are concerned we could do quite well again in this part of the country and we believe the president would consent to such a measure but whether or not it Is a certainty that he be would agree to nothing less and enough of congress is with him to defeat us altogether or hold bold the cause we are contending for in abeyance indefinitely which to is the better the more sensible plan to bid for a silver dollar with an ounce of the metal in it and a chance of getting it or hold out for something we cannot get and thus continue the present unsettled order of things indefinitely |
