the cleveland era-第20节

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millions　of　gold　in　the　public　Treasury　are　paid　out　for　two　millions　or　more　of　silver　dollars　to　be　added　to　the　idle　mass　already　accumulated。〃　The　process　was　draining　the　stock　of　gold　in　the　Treasury　and　forcing　the　country　to　a　silver　basis　without　really　increasing　the　amount　of　money　in　actual　circulation　or　removing　any　of　the　difficulties　in　the　way　of　obtaining　supplies　of　currency　for　business　transactions。　President　Cleveland　recommended　the　repeal　of　the　Silver　Coinage　Act；　but　he　had　no　plan　to　offer　by　which　the　genuine　complaints　of　the　people　against　the　existing　monetary　system　could　be　removed。　Free　silver　thus　was　allowed　to　stand　before　the　people　as　the　only　practical　proposal　for　their　relief；　and　upon　this　issue　a　conflict　soon　began　between　Congress　and　the　Administration。

At　a　convention　of　the　American　Bankers'　Association　in　September；　1885；　a　New　York　bank　president　described　the　methods　by　which　the　Treasury　Department　was　restricting　the　operation　of　the　Silver　Coinage　Act　so　as　to　avoid　a　displacement　of　the　gold　standard。　On　February　3；　1886；　Chairman　Bland　of　the　House　committee　on　coinage　reported　a　resolution　reciting　statements　made　in　that　address；　and　calling　upon　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　for　a　detailed　account　of　his　administration　of　the　Silver　Coinage　Act。　Secretary　Manning's　reply　was　a　long　and　weighty　argument　against　continuing　the　coinage　of　silver。　He　contended　that　there　was　no　hope　of　maintaining　a　fixed　ratio　between　gold　and　silver　except　by　international　concert　of　action；　but　〃the　step　is　one　which　no　European　nation。。。　will　consent　to　take　while　the　direct　or　indirect　substitution　of　European　silver　for　United　States　gold　seems　a　possibility。〃　While　strong　as　to　what　not　to　do；　his　reply；　like　most　of　the　state　papers　of　this　period；　was　weak　as　to　what　to　do　and　how　to　do　it。　The　outlook　of　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　was　so　narrow　that　he　was　led　to　remark　that　〃a　delusion　has　spread　that　the　Government　has　authority　to　fix　the　amount　of　the　people's　currency；　and　the　power；　and　the　duty。〃　The　Government　certainly　has　the　power　and　the　duty　of　providing　adequate　currency　supply　through　a　sound　banking　system。　The　instinct　of　the　people　on　that　point　was　sounder　than　the　view　of　their　rulers。

Secretary　Manning's　plea　had　so　little　effect　that　the　House　promptly　voted　to　suspend　the　rules　in　order　to　make　a　free　coinage　bill　the　special　order　of　business　until　it　was　disposed　of。　But　the　influence　of　the　Administration　was　strong　enough　to　defeat　the　bill　when　it　came　to　a　vote。　Though　for　a　time；　the　legislative　advance　of　the　silver　movement　was　successfully　resisted；　the　Treasury　Department　was　left　in　a　difficult　situation；　and　the　expedients　to　which　it　resorted　to　guard　the　gold　supply　added　to　the　troubles　of　the　people　in　the　matter　of　obtaining　currency。　The　quick　way　of　getting　gold　from　the　Treasury　was　to　present　legal　tender　notes　for　redemption。　To　keep　this　process　in　check；　legal　tender　notes　were　impounded　as　they　came　in；　and　silver　certificates　were　substituted　in　disbursements。　But　under　the　law　of　1878；　silver　certificates　could　not　be　issued　in　denominations　of　less　than　ten　dollars。　A　scarcity　of　small　notes　resulted；　which　oppressed　retail　trade　until；　in　August；　1886；　Congress　authorized　the　issue　of　silver　certificates　in　one　and　two　and　five　dollar　bills。

A　more　difficult　problem　was　presented　by　the　Treasury　surplus　which；　by　old　regulations　savoring　more　of　barbarism　than　of　civilized　polity；　had　to　be　kept　idle　in　the　Treasury　vaults。　The　only　apparent　means　by　which　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　could　return　his　surplus　funds　to　the　channels　of　trade　was　by　redeeming　government　bonds；　but　as　these　were　the　basis　of　bank　note　issues；　the　effect　of　any　such　action　was　to　produce　a　sharp　contraction　in　this　class　of　currency。　Between　1882　and　1889；　national　bank　notes　declined　in　amount　from　356；060；348　to　199；779；011。　In　the　same　period；　the　issue　of　silver　certificates　increased　from　63；204；780　to　276；619；715；　and　the　total　amount　of　currency　of　all　sorts　nominally　increased　from　1；188；752；363　to　1；405；018；000；　but　of　this；　375；947；715　was　in　gold　coin　which　was　being　hoarded；　and　national　bank　notes　were　almost　equally　scarce　since　they　were　virtually　government　bonds　in　a　liquid　form。

As　the　inefficiency　of　the　monetary　system　came　home　to　the　people　in　practical　experience；　it　seemed　as　if　they　were　being　plagued　and　inconvenienced　in　every　possible　way。　The　conditions　were　just　such　as　would　spread　disaffection　among　the　farmers；　and　their　discontent　sought　an　outlet。　The　growth　of　political　agitation　in　the　agricultural　class；　accompanied　by　a　thorough…　going　disapproval　of　existing　party　leadership；　gave　rise　to　numerous　new　party　movements。　Delegates　from　the　Agricultural　Wheel；　the　Corn…Planters；　the　Anti…Monopolists；　Farmers'　Alliance；　and　Grangers；　attended　a　convention　in　February；　1887；　and　joined　the　Knights　of　Labor　and　the　Greenbackers　to　form　the　United　Labor　party。　In　the　country；　at　this　time；　there　were　numerous　other　labor　parties　of　local　origin　and　composition；　with　trade　unionists　predominating　in　some　places　and　Socialists　in　others。　Very　early；　however；　these　parties　showed　a　tendency　to　division　that　indicated　a　clash　of　incompatible　elements。　Single　taxers；　greenbackers；　labor　leaders；　grangers；　and　socialists　were　agreed　only　in　condemning　existing　public　policy。　When　they　came　to　consider　the　question　of　what　new　policy　should　be　adopted；　they　immediately　manifested　irreconcilable　differences。　In　1888；　rival　national　conventions　were　held　in　Cincinnati；　one　designating　itself　as　the　Union　Labor　party；　the　other　as　the　United　Labor　party。　One　made　a　schedule　of　particular　demands；　the　other　insisted　on　the　single　tax　as　the　consummation　of　their　purpose　in　seeking　reform。　Both　put　presidential　tickets　in　the　field；　but　of　the　two；　the　Union　Labor　party　made　by　far　the　better　showing　at　the　polls　though；　even　so；　it　polled　fewer　votes　than　did　the　National　Prohibition　party。　Although　making　no　very　considerable　showing　at　the　polls；　these　new　movements　were　very　significant　as　evidences　of　popular　unrest。　The　fact　that　the　heaviest　vote　of　the　Union　Labor　party　was　polled　in　the　agricultural　States　of　Kansas；　Missouri；　and　Texas；　was　a　portent　of　the　sweep　of　the　populist　movement　which　virtually　captured　the　Democratic　party　organization　during　President　Cleveland's　second　term。

The　withdrawal　of　Blaine　from　the　list　of　presidential　candidates　in　1888　left　the　Republican　Convention　at　Chicago　to　choose　from　a　score　of　〃favorite　sons。〃　Even　his　repeated　statement　that　he　would　not　accept　the　nomination　did　not　prevent　his　enthusiastic　followers　from　hoping　that　the　convention　might　be　〃stampeded。〃　But　on　the　first　ballot；　Blaine　received　only　thirty…five　votes　while　John　Sherman　led　with　229。　It　was　anybody's　race　until　the　eighth　ballot；　when　General　Benjamin　Harrison；　grandson　of　〃Tippecanoe；〃　suddenly　forged　ahead　and　received　the　nomination。

The　defeat　of　the　Democratic　party　at　the　polls　in　the　presidential　election　of　1888　was　less　emphatic　than　might　have　been　expected　from　its　sorry　record。　Indeed；　it　is　quite　possible　that　an　indiscretion　in　which　Lord　Sackville…West；　the　British　Ambassador；　was　caught　may　have　turned　the　scale。　An　adroitly　worded　letter　was　sent　to　him；　purporting　to　come　from　Charles　Murchison；　a　California　voter　of　English　birth；　asking　confidential　advice　which　might　enable　the　writer　〃to　assure　many　of　our　countrymen　that　they　would　do　England　a　service　by　voting　for　Cleveland　and　against　the　Republican　system　of　tariff。〃　With　an　astonishing　lack　of　astuteness；　the　British　minister　fell　into　the　trap　and　sent　a　reply　which；　while　noncommittal　on　particulars；　exhibited　friendly　interest　in　the　reelection　of　President　Cleveland。　This　correspondence；　when　published　late　in　the　campaign；　caused　the　Administration　to　demand　his　recall。　A　spirited　statement　of　the　case　was　laid　before　the　public　by　Thomas　Francis　Bayard；　Secretary　of　State；　a　few　days　before　the　election；　but　this　was　not　enough　to　undo　the　harm　that　had　been　done；　and　the　Murchison　letter　takes　rank　with　the　Morey　letter　attributed　to　General　Garfield　as　specimens　of　the　value　of　the　campaign　lie　as　a　weapon　in　American　party　politics。

President　Cleveland　received　a　slight　plurality　in　the　total　popular　vote；　but　by　small　pluralities　Harrison　carried　the　big　States；　thus　obtaining　a　heavy　majority　in　the　electoral　vote。　At　the　same　time；　the　Republicans　obtained　nearly　as　large　a　majority　in　the　House　as　the　Democrats　had　had　before。



CHAPTER　VIII。　THE　REPUBLICAN　OPPORTUNITY

The　Republican　party　had　the　inestimable　advantage　in　the　year　1889　of　being　able　to　act。　It　controlled　the　Senate　which　had　become　the　seat　of　legislative　authority；　it　controlled　the　House；　and　it　had　placed　its　candidate　in　the　presidential　chair。　All　branches　of　the　Government　were　now　in　party　accord。　The　leaders　in　both　Houses　were　able　men；　experienced　in　the　diplomacy　which；　far　more　than　argument　or　conviction；　produces　congressional　action。　Benjamin　Harrison　himself　had　been　a　member　of　the　ruling　group　of　Sena