New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-16

| PARTIES AND TIE SILTER CONFERENCE.
Evidently Lord Salisbury was wide awake
when the invitation to the silver conference was
accepted English comments show that the
question will have political influence. The
colt IN manufacturing region is powerful IN
votes. and believes 4 settlement OF the silver
question necessary to its prosperity. Boards OF
trade throughout the country, embracing mcr-
chants and manufacturers whose trade with
India is troubled by the fall in the rupee, have
strongly urged the Government TO join in the
conference with an earnest determination to do
all that it can to secure a settlement. The Gov
ernmcnt aSscn;s. and the opposition critciScS.
Voters begin to ask whether party which will
try to do something cannot serve them better
than party which considers it 4 surrender of
something sacred to attempt any adjustment.
American voters have a similar question to
answer The present Administration has been
able, in negotiation with the British Ministry,
to secure agreement that a conference shall be
held. Clearly there is a better chance that this
same Administration if sustained by the people,
NAV be able to accomplish definite and useful
results than that such results could be accom-
plshed by hostile Administration or by PreSi-
dent Harrison after his party had been defeated
Transfer Of power to different party would
greatly lessen the prospect of reaching any
agreement whatever. Foreign Powers would
have reason to doubt whether the shifting au-
thority in this country would sustain any agree
ment on the lines which President Harrison has
followed in the negotiation
This is the more plain because the Democratic
party embraces two factions angry, irreconcil-
able. and each inclined to extremes. The fac
ton which demands free coinage, and will take
nothing else has decided majority in that
party and insists upon coinage without any
negotiation with foreign Powers. The opposite
faction goes so far in the other direction that 1t
dcnounccs the present silver law, demands It's
repeal and insists that nothing can be done and
nothing ought to be attempted TO promote the
larger use of silver as money. The great BODY
of the Republican party stands with neither OF
these factions. II holds that free coinage with
out international agreement would be rulnouS,
halming everybody and helping nobody AZ
the same time il earnestly desires to do all that
can safely be done to increase the Use OF silver.
1t framed and passed the act now in force
against Democratic denunciation. 1t has laborcd
10 Dl1llH ABOUT " 'pi''
of Democratic sneers that the effort was only
political trick and that nothing could be done
1t seeks and ardcntly hopes, through interna-
tional agreement, TO reach some settlement
which shall be of benefit to this and all coun
tries.
The Republican party is the only one by which
such negotiation can be conducted with hope
of success. Were the Democratic party in
power foreign nations would at once count upon
free coinage by this country as a certainty, and
would feel no need of attempting an agreement.
The Republican party alone has the disposition
or the votes to sustain the only kind OF agree
ment which is practicable, namely, something
other than an opening of all the mnts of the
world to the coinage of silver on the old ratio.
One Democratic faction would be hostile be-
cause frantic for free coinage everywhere the
other because hostile to any concession to the
silver interests or bi-metallc theories. The
one thing certain is that Democratic success
would encourage foreign Powers to believe that
this Nation would take upon its own broad
shoulders the losses involved by international
disagreement
Plainly the only way to make the conference
a success and great benefit to the country is
to uphold the party which cmbodcs its own
policy in the negotiation. 1t can then stand
approved by the Nation in its refusal to adopt
free coinage alone, and can say to other Powers :
| 1.-THE United States wants the restoration of
silver to monetary use, but will not any longer
take from your shoulders the losses or risks
which your disuse of silver involves Come to
an agreement or stand prepared to take care
of your own commerce and finances, however
far silver may fall, when the United States
ceases to purchase" This argument and others
the Administration could present with great
effect, upheld by popular vote Nothing could
be accomplished by party which has no policy.
and nothing by party which proposes to begin
by opening the minis Of the United States to
tho eurnI,,s silver nf Eurnno