The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-08-07

THE SILVER QUESTION IN EUROPE.

The silver question, 50 called, is enter
ing upon new and important phase in
European financial circles Germany
has discovered that it is impossible to
build up great international trade upon
gold basis only. The adoption of the
gold standard by Germany compelled a
resort to protection to offset the drain
caused by it upon the productive indus
tries OF the Empire; and this policy, by
increasing the cost of living, without a
corresponding increase of wages and
profits, lessened consumption and almost
ruined the agricultural classes. The
ADVERTISER, it will be remembered,
published copies of the petitions from
the representative agricultural bodies OF
the Empire to the German Chancellor
praying the restoration of silver coin to,
it's position as legal tender with gold,
and thus prevent the ruin of the landed
interest OF the nation simply to enrich
the banking and money-lending interests,
which took toll of commerce and pock-
eted the profits OF industry, without con-
tributing one iota to the productive en-
ergy of the country.
Prince Bismarck admitted that mono
metallism was a mistake, but he had
been committed to it as part of his
grand scheme for consolidating Ger
manic unity, and he was not prepared to
recede from it at once, although there
were visible signs of his weakening
But as a corollary of Germanic unity and
a close protective tariff for the building
up of German interests, Prince Bis
marck looked around for markets exclu-
siyely German, or at least where the
fiscal and commercial systems OF that
Empire would prevail. There were none
open to him, however. England,
France, Spain and Holland occupied all
points of vantage in the colonial field
The United States was protective coun-
try, and besides inviting German inn
migration, it threatened fiscal reprisals
against the policy of Bismarck.
Under these circumstances the Iron
Chancellor" was forced to resort to a
policy of annexation to create new mar
between the European maritime powers
which should forcibly occupy and Fan
mex" most of the territory of independ
ent semi-civilized or savage States and
tribes in various parts of the world. The
spectacle was a very unpleasant one in
any aspect one may view it, the more so
that it resulted from necessities of State
originating in the adoption of an I'M
scientific monetary system conforming
solely TO the requirements of usury.
Mutual jealousy at length arrested this
national brigandage, and the Powers
concerned agreed to draw arbitrary lines
across a vast section of this planet,
within which one was not 20 interfere
with the others liberty of action. The
native peoples of the countries so dis
posed of by the high contracting parties
had nothing to say to this arrangement.
Their wishes We're not considered in the
matter.
But the hard practical sense OF the
German people was not satisfied with
the acquisition of new territory. Eng
land, Holland, Portugal and France had
been in the colonizing business for do
minion and trading purposes for certu-
ries, and if relief was to come to Ger
many it must be immediate. Accord
ingly attention was turned to China, and
a bold, and as it seems a successful at
tempt has been made to supplant Eng
land as the dominant mercantile power
in Chinese waters. The Imperial Gov
eminent of Picking has recently built
several ironclads in Germany, and has
taken lessons in military drill and sea-
manship from officers nominated by the
Berlin Government. And now that ii
has a respectable navy and an army by
no means contemplate, the Chinese
Government has determined TO open its
territory by railroad, so that facilities for
transportation might be easy, certain
and rapid, as well for the movement OF
products of the soil and merchandise as
of war material and men. In word, it