New-York tribune., 1884-01-15
MR. BL4yB,S OPPORTUNITY.

Nav not Mr. Bland himself be led to see that
coinage of silver by the United States is an OBJ
stacle to international agreement OF the men
who labored with him years ago to remonctize
silver, scarcely single prominent one now fa-
vors continued coinage. The Cincinnati Com
p,erciaI and The Chicago Tribune, by far the
most powerful journals i'll the advocacy OF sill
yer coinage, now urge that silver dollars enough
have been coined to give the people all the ben
e6ts originally sought, and that the continuance
of coinage here operates powerfully to uphold
Great Britain and Germany in resisting efforts
for international adoption OF double standard
Mr.. Burchard, now Director of the Mint, says
the same; Mr.. Kelley, long the most earnest
Republican advocate of silver coinage. says the
same; ; Mr.. George Walker and Mr.. V. b. Hor-
ton, who have represented TINS Nation with
honor in foreign conferences, insist upon the
same opinions. NJ Cernuschi, the ablest cham
pion of bimetallism in France, and the veteran
Mr.. Gibbs of England, whose experience as
Governor of the Bank gives his advocacy OF
bimetallism weight, join with all other able de-
tenders of silver coinage abroad in the same
recommen datiOn.
1t is hard to suppose that Mr.. Bland has no
respect for the opinions of such men. Nor can
he deny that they present very convincing argu-
ments They show that this country, by Its
continued coinage of $29,000,OOO of silver IN
n wear, keeps off the British market about two
thirds as much silver as comes to that market
from all quarters. There can be no doubt that
q sudden emptying of the whole American pro-
duct upon the British market would compel
Great Britain to take some steps without delay
TO prevent depreciation of the money used in
India. Germany declared at the last confer
ence. and has since declared, that its position
was simply rendered necessary by that of Great
Britain, while France and other Continental
nations have been ready and anxious to come to
some international agreement. What hinders
The fact that the United States continues to
save Great Britain from the consequences OF
the British policy.
THE TRIBUNE does not argue that unlimited
coinage Of silver by international agreement Is
the best solution of the difficulty, but its opin-
ions on that point are not here of consequence.
The thing desired by all rational men is that
some definite and lasting adjustment OF the
difficulty should be made, and TO that end 1t Is
necessary that Great Britain should be brought
TO realize the necessity of international accord.
Thisis as ardently desiredby one side the great
controversy as by the other. The only way to
reach that end is for this country to cease
shielding Great Britain from the consequences
Of its isolated position.
Sooner OF later we shall have to cease. The
coinage of silver here can 20 on for time, at
considerable public expense indeed, but without
violent change in commercial relations. In the
end. however, it is simply inevitable that the
Treasury will be compelled to pay in silver, If
its accumulation of that metal continues. II
we stop silver coinage at any later date than this,
with larger quantity accumulated, the effect
upon the worlds markets Will be only the more
violent if we go ON, gold must suddenly com
mand n premium, and be drawn hastily from
tie Treasury and the country, and it Will then
become impossible to avoid catastrophe from
which neither silver mining nor any other indus
try can escape. But the United States, now In