Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-10-20
concluded from second page. I

in English politics at that time was
Mr.. Balfour, v no was the conservative
leader in the House of Commons. and
nephew to Lord Salisbury, the English
Premier. Balfour himself never hesi>
tates at any time or in any place to de.
clare himself a bime,alist. Co.
schen. although not as pronounced as
Balfour, is friendly to bimetalism.
The state of affairs in India | have
already laid before you, and the affairs
in England we're but little better. So
far as wheat raising was concerned 1t
was utterly destroyed; landlords could
not obtain rent for their places; such
was the emergency in Lancashire that
mills were closed, wages reduced, and
the cotton industry ruined. Silver
legislation was demanded by all.
When Secretary Foster landed in
England such was the condition of
affairs. Goschen and Foster came to
this understandings don't say it was
an agreement, because / do not I'M
derstand that it was an agree ment-
indeed 1t could not be an agreement
before the various powers met in con-
ference, but they came to this under
standing; that England would take
sufficient silver to redeem all the
paper she had issued as India ex.
change, amounting to about 60,O0O,-
900 Of dollars worth. She agreed to
give silver, through this conference, a
Fixed status as money on a ratio to
gold as the conference should agree
t.; she agreed to add one Eth in sis
yer bullion to the res} rye in the bank
of England. And she agreed to coin,
monthly, sufficient silver, at fixed
ratio, to meet the demands of the
Indi. trade.
Secretary Foster consulted with the
French authorities and they told him
il conference was held France would
be there through her representatives,
and would be ready, as she always had
been on the question of silver coinage,
TO go as far as who would 60 farthest
Foster learned thus much and re
turned to the United States. Then
followed the call, or rather invitations
to an International Conference. That
Conference, as you know, meets on
the Ri OF next month at Brussels
What it will accomplish l cannot say
what it may accomplish do not
know. But l believe they will in
crease the price of silver by the agree
ment that will be entered into some
where from $1.10 to $1.30 per ounce
Some people believe that the ratio
should be fixed at 154 because such il
the ratio of the Latin union. l hope
so. Of course Uncle Sam would be
glad to agree to that ratio for it viii
make silver worth $133. We should
take advantage of every breeze tina
comes to US, because we are in thu
minority. We cannot accomplish
anything by getting mad and abusing
every body. We have not got a
many votes as those who are in oppo
sition to us.
say, therefore, that we made on
mistake when we refused to accep
the purchase of 13,OO0,U00 ounces o
silver aud 100000 per month, ant
we will make another mistake now
If, because the government has no
seen fit to do exactly what we want
to do, we turn in and prevent it from
doing anything at all. 1t will b
better to have silver at $l.15 or 81. 2
on an International agreement, thai
not have anything. because there vii
be no strings on US then, and we vii
be 10 condition to continue the 6gb
for free coinage just the same as W
were before.
urge the necessity of thinking thi
matter over with great care. Do nc