The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-02-28
FOR REAL BIMETALLIsM.
American Commendation Of a Cana
dian Proposal on Currency.


THE Tribune, Chicago, February 81
The British Columbia Legislature
recently passed a resolution praying
the Lieutenant g overnor to inform
the Secretary of State for the Colo
MES that in the opinion of the House
it should be ordained by interna.
tional agreement that gold and
silver be legal tender to any amount,
that the value of silver in terms of
gold be fixed, and that gold and
silver bullion in any amounts be
freely turned into coin at the State
minis.
This is genuine bimetallism. The
Columbian legislators do not de-
inand the free coinage of silver in
terms OF half its gold value. Their
position is not that of Bland, the
crazy-horse crowd of the Rockies,
aud the cranky Populists Of the
Kansas plains. They do not ask
that so cents worth OF silver shall
be stamped in the mint as If that act
would make it equal in value to
dollars worth Of gold. On the con-
trary, they ask that "the value of
silver in terms Of gold shall be fixed"
by international agreement, so that
those who we're paid in silver money
might receive the same intrinsic
value that they would have received
il paid in gold. What they want is
that gold and silver money shall cir
culate on equal terms, which. cannot
be the case unless the coins are Of
equal intrinsic value. They know
that the old ratios are ruled out by
the march of events, and that a new
ratio must be established II gold and
silver are to circulate on equal
terms, each being received on its
merits, and not requiring to be
buoyed up by the other. This pro.
position is an honest one, and de-
serves the most serious considera-
ton. IL is one which any set of men
is entitled to make and to ask for il
a respectful hearing, since il advo.
Gates nothing which would not be
right and fair to all, gold miners as
well as silver miners, and to the
people OF India, Great Britain,
France aud Germany, as well as
those OF the United States.
II Bland, Stewart, the Joneses,
and other silver men would advocate
the honest proposition of the Bri-
fish Columbian Legislature com.
promise with the gold bugs" would
not be very difficult to make. At
least the bimetallists would then
have a chance to do some good
work, free from the drag that has
been put ON their movement by the
fellows who want to make the cry
Of "free silver" an excuse for perpe.
trating a rank fraud that would
stink in the nostrils OF all honest
men and women. They could work
as effectively among the gold stand.
ard countries OF Europe as in the
United States, and rally to their
support the masses OF the people
who believe in silver money but do
not want IL 10 drive out gold, which
would he the inevitable consequence
Of adopting "frce coinage" at a
theoretical ratio which is CONNER.
cially imp ssible.
The repeal Of the purchasing
clause in the Sherman act OF July
IA, 1880, is working eIcellently on
the public mind Of Europe, aud es.
pecially in England. Since the
United States Treasury has ceased
to provide q market for the output
OF the silver mines in this country,
the disturbance in the finances In
England and India increases rapidly.
If our foolish monometallis would
subside to the extent Of allowing the
question to rest where il is for a
while, the United Kingdom would
issue an invitation to the Powers To
send delegates To bimetallic con.
ference that might establish some
thing in the direction Of "an enlarg.
ed use Of silver" IN a way that would
not mischievously derange existing
values or favor a population Of hon.
est indebtedness, Many symptoms
OF a desire for action OF this sort are
observable in political and financial
circles in the British Islands, aud
these would become more pronounce
ed IL the thinkers Of that country
felt sure they had the moral support
Of the masses here As we'll as OF the
comparatively few who have spoken
for the people. The silver miners
OF the United States never have
been able to sell their silver fol
more than il was worth on the gold
basis at the time they sold il. BY
demanding more than this they have
lost much of the market that other,
wise would have been open to them
to-day. II they are willing to accept
the old conditions, with as large a
market as is compatible with 4
maintenance OF the gold basis, they
should say so to their fool friends
the silver monomelallists in Con
gress and out OF il.
WILL RECOVER nAMAaEs