Omaha daily bee., 1892-05-18
THE snrrR CONFERENCE.

II appears that President Harrison
has used excellent Judgment in the stops
taken to bring about an international
conference regarding silver He pro-
ceeded in the matter in thoroughly
practical way. Several gentlemen OF
means and ability, known to be friendly
TO silver wore commissioned to sound
the feelings Of public mon abroad upon
a movement looking toward the rehab.li-
tation OF silver, in which this country
should take the initiative. These men
acted with full authority but without
publicity, and the service they rendered
cost the government nothing
The results of the inquiries OF these
gentlemen satisfied the president that
the time was ripe for serious attempt
to secure an international agreement
for the monetary uso OF both metals.
The essential thing was to be assured OF
the cooperation OF the British govern
ment, and this was accomplished, it is
said, by Secretary Foster on the oc-
casion of his visit to England. That
done the invitations for the conference
quickly followed, and these have been
accepted by En- gland, France, Austria
and Italy. undoubtedly will be by Ger
many, and it Is expected that other
countries will have able financiers and
statesmen present in the conference to
canvass tho situation and discuss the
engrossing problem. In all this tho
president, who is as strongly in favor
of bimetulism under safe conditions as
any man IN the country, has proceeded
quietly and discreetly, taking no step
that he was not entirely sure of. While
the success of the president in arrang-
| ing ior an international silver confer
ence may be somewhat perp,cxing TO
| the free silver republicans who are op-
posed to him, on the preteXt of his nos
| tility to free coinage, it is believed to
| be very satisfactory to the moderate
silver mon, rs it certainly must be to
| every body VITO desires to see the silver
| problem settled upon an international
basis.
OF course no one can forcsce tho re-
| suit of the conference. 1t my fail, as
preceding conferences have done, to ef-
feet anthing toward tho solution of the
| question it will meet to discuss, but
| there are reasons for expecting that this
will not be the case, and that at least
an advance will be made in the desired
direction. That it bears conclusive
| evidence of the interest of the admins
tration in the cause Of silver it is pre-
sumed 70 fair-minded man will question.
| In no other way could President Har-
rison have so fully and strongly ans
wercd the charge of the extreme silver
men that ne is unfriendjy to silver, and
his action has given him. so far rs the
free silver question is concerned, COM
plete mastery of the situation. In the
circumstances no sensible person could
| justify any new silver legislation.
1t will be interesting in this connec-
tion to rem lrl that notwithstanding the
unfavorabe attitude OF the London
there is ev dence of Il very strong senti-
ment in England in favor of bimetaliism.
This is shown by the large deputation
that waited on Lo d Salisbury last week,
representing the bimetallist league, by
the expressions of chambers of com =
mercc and trade unions, and by the ut
terances of the provincial press. The
demand of all these influences is that
the British government shall go into
the international conference with full
determination to make II settlement of
the question.