by the highest and most disinterested motives, and Mr. Lodge
was thinking only of his spite. President Cleveland, said a Boston
paper, deserved and had the right to expect Mr. Lodge's support,
instead of which "we find our junior Senator introducing a
legislative proposition intended to appeal at once to the
anti-British prejudices of a good many Americans, and to the desire
of the then preponderating sentiment of the country to force a silver
currency upon the American people. It was an effort to strike at
England."

Mr. Lodge proposed that all imports from Great Britain or her
colonies should pay duties double those of the regular rates, and
any article on the free list should be made dutiable at thirty-five
per cent; these additional and discriminating duties were to remain
in force until Great Britain assented to and took part in an
international agreement "for the coinage and use of silver."

Mr. Lodge's free silver amendment shared the same tomb with his
Force Bill; in the Senate fortunately there were men with broader
vision and less passion.

In his biography in the Congressional Directory (written by
himself) and in the numerous biographies and sketches which have
been published with such frequency (Mr. Lodge has a weakness for
seeing himself in print) curiously enough no mention can be found
either of the Force Bill or the attempt to coerce England with a
silver club. One can only explain this reticence by excessive
modesty.

Two years later Mr. Lodge deserted his silver allies and was as
enthusiastic in support of the gold standard as he had previously
been zealous for the purification of the civil service. A Boston
paper said that he "was made to realize, by the influences brought
to bear upon him, that he must advocate the gold standard or else
provoke the active hostility of the prominent business men of this
State." That perhaps is as infamous as anything ever written. That
any influences, even those "of the prominent business men of
Massachusetts," could cause Mr. Lodge to swerve from his
convictions no one will believe. He must have had convictions when
he sought to drive England to a silver standard, he must have been
convinced that it was for the good of the United States as well as
the whole world, he must have satisfied himself, for Mr. Lodge
never permits his emotions to control his intelligence, that his
action was wise and patriotic. But although Mr. Lodge will not
surrender his conviction