The morning call., 1894-03-30
FAIR CONGRESSES.
First Night of Economics
and Politics.
President Andrews of Brown Uni
versity Speaks on Monetary Af-
fairs of the United States.

The Midwinter Fair congresses were
opened last evening at Golden Gate Hall,
on Sutter street. in the presence of large
gathering of men and women and younger
students of political economy. There were
many leaders of thought in the audience,
and it was noticeable, too, that they repre-
sented various lineS-economic, religious
social, political.
Economics and politics were taken as
the subjects for the first series of meet
ings, which began last night and will be
continued Friday and Saturday nights.
James d. Phelan. who is president of
the congresses executive committee, de-
livered an address of welcome In terse
language he reviewed the scope and
motives of the congresses. The Midwinter
Exposition. be said, was intended to edu-
cate the civilized world TO the Importance
of California, but it was deemed advisab BILE
to go step farther and educate the people
in matters of impoItanc to the nations
welfare. To attain this desired end these
congresses were organized. The hest
scholars and thinkers of the country had
been invited and would deliver addresses
which would influence the mental, moral
aud spiritual advancement OF the people.
he introduced Professor Bernard Moses
OF Berkeley University and President Z.
Ben jamin Andrews of Brown University.
When Professor Moses walked to the
front Of the stage he was greeted with a
burst of cordial applause.
Although we appear under the name of
a congress" said he. yet the idea which
should be realized here is that of a body of
free men. Tie members of an assembly
like this, called 10 discuss economic and
political questions, are supposed 10 matters
under consideration not TO be pledged or
bound TO utter the conclusions of a
caucus" In conclusion be declared the
desired end would not be reached by a
spasmodic effort on occasions of inter
national exhibitions.
Professor Andrews, in a highly enter
tanning paper on "The Monetary Affairs
of the United States" made an able plea
for binetallism. He said it was quite true
that all the British political economists
are tinged with bimetallism. OF the
theorists who will champion monometal-
lism. few live on the Continent, but most
in the United States. Regarding what he
called hallucnations about bimetAl-
ism, he said it meant no such
thing as that it involves an attempt
to fix the relative il not the absolute yaIue
of gold and silver by direct operation of
the statute. Supply and demand, economic
laws. that is. are to determine gold and
silver under bimetallism as now. The
speaker quoted several European author-
Ties IN support oil MS views, and he main
taiued that the demon etizaii ton of silver
was not natural Or rational, but violently
the reverse.
The policy was not debated. but en-
tered upon in entire blindness" he said.
Neither In England, in Germany nor in
the United States, the lands where it was
inaugurated, was any legislator at the
time awake to the stupeDdous signifi-
canoe of the act. Hardly man in public
or in private life then so much "a
dreamed of its grave and far-reaching
consequences, in contracts vitiated, bust
ness aspbyXiated and the bisecting of the
commercial world. Some OF our people
wished for revision of the tariff in order
that manufacturers products may be ours
at lower cost; but if the industrial pur-
gatory In which we have been in since
1873 is a consequence OF lower cost good
Lord deliver Us from tariff revision"
j. j. Valentine of Wells, Fargo & Co.
read paper on gold, which showed wide
knowledge and study from the monomet-
alist point of view