The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1878-08-08
The international Silver Confer.
ences


encee
A great deal il now said about the
congress about to meet at Berlin under
the presidency of Prince Bismarck to
hold an inqueston Turkey and decide the
fate of the east. Important as this con-
gress undoubtedly ia, the great congress
will be the International silver confer
ence, which will be held pursuant to
invitations sent out by our government
under clause of the reconciliation act,
and which may decide for years to come
what shall be regarded as the real money
OF the world. All the great powers of
Europe, with the exception of England
and Germany, have accepted our invita-
ton. No definite reply has yet been
received from either of those govern
ments, but it seems at least probable
that as the time for the meeting Of the
conference approaches Germany will
signify its intention to be represented in
it, and that England will come in at the
eleventh hour. Should this be 30, all the
states like Portugal and Spain that are
now holding back because those great
nations are, viii accept our invita-
ton and send representatives to
the conference All Europe will
be represented much seems certain.
Mexico, Central and South America,
and China and Japan In Asia-ought to
be informally asked to send representa-
tives, with the understanding that when
the conference was fully organized they
would be admitted to seats and full
voice in the deliberations. Whether
Asia and South America are directly
represented or not, their wants and wishes
will be kept in view. The conference
must take into consideration the inter
ests of the population Of all the CONNER
cial nations of the globe.
A conference that represents eleven
twelths of the human race must need be
respectable gathering. The numbers
of it's constituents, if nothing else, would
make Its meeting great event in the his
tory of the world. But its importance
does not depend on this alone. The
questions that will come before it are
the most momentous that ever confer
ence met to consider.
The silver conference will have wider
constituency than any that was ever held,
and viii deal with larger and more per-
manent interests than any that the rep
resentatiyes of nations have hitherto met
to discuss. The silver conference, more>
over, promises to be the precursor of others
OF like kind. international congresses
have met hitherto almost solely for ad
justfng national boundaries--for solving
difficulties growing out of war or military
ambition. The congresses OF the future
will have for their great aims the con-
soidation of peace-the joining of the |
nations more firmly together in the bonds
of amity and commerce. Out Of the |
silver conference will unquestionably |
spring, sooner or later, an universal
coinage. II nations decide the ratio be. |
tween the precious metals, there Is no |
reason why they should not decide upon !
an international unit of coinage In both |
the precious metals. We are ON the |
road to the acceptance of the metalsys'
tenn as the universal system of weights
and measures. We already have an
postal union, and its powers
are more likely to Do increased than
Some day we viii have an
telegraph system. And
Secretary Evarts could not do anything |
more certain to immortalize himself
than to urge upon the governments OF
Europe some scheme for the neutraliza-
ton of the telegraph cables of the world,
10 that in case of war their safety might |
be assured against attack and destruction
~ enemy's property. From every point
Of view the coming silver conference il
sure to be the greatest of international
meetings.-f Graphic.