The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-04-01
SENATOR TELLER TALKS.
Says the Financial Question Is the
Au-AbsOrbing National Issue.

Chicago. March 26.-(Special. )-United
States Senator Henry NJ. Teller, OF Colo
RADIO, is in Chicago on his way home.
In an interview on the financial ques-
ton, Senator Teller says:
II believe there has been no time since
1878 that we could not have secured an
international agreement if we had been
able to convince European governments
that the United States was really in earn
est in the matter. The influence of the
administration has always been either
lukewarmly for or against an interna-
tional agreement. The opinion is very
prevalent in Europe that our government
has not desired an international agree
ment, nor, to return to true bimetalllsm,
the use of gold and silver on equal terms.
The only way to convince them that we
will adopt bimetallism is to adopt it.
II believe the monetary question will be
the most important question Of the next
national campaign and that question
is simply whether we shall use gold and
silver as the basis for the credit of our
paper money or only gold The prevalent
distress, the steady decline in values since
the repeal of the Sherman bill in the fall OF
1883; the fail in wages the Discrimination OF
investors to use their capital-aH these
things are so marked that, not only men
i'm public life. but all thoughtful citizens
have studied and must continue to study
methods such as will afford relief.
NO revision of the banking system Will
do it, What we need is not more paper
money, but more metallic money. The pres
ent unhappy conditions are not peculiar
to this country. The same conditions exist
in every country where q gold basis IS
maintained In the gold countries bust
ness has grown worse for several years.
in the silver countries stable prices have
been maintained.
Fail of Values in Gold Countries.
"In the gold countries all classes of
property have declined in value. The de-
cline is especially noticeable in the prices
OF farm products, and factory and mill
products have been affected to marked
degree All classes Of securities that de-
pend on the prosperity and soiYency OF
the country have suffered. Railroad bonds
to the value of $l0J0,0j0OO0 nave depreclaJ-
ed 20 per cent in the past two years. lt
is estimated by reliable stausticians that
labor has fallen % per cent in two years
and farm lands and urban properties, save
in the very center Of the great cities, have
fallen u to il per cent in two years. This
shrinkage is especially hard on the debtor
class. and is of no especial benefit 10 any
class save the small class which has
fixed and steady income from either state,
national or municipal bonds.
THAT this condition has told very severe
~ on rdliIOdu pcoptS - 'i'FSA ~ '"S nun
Der Of railroad companies in the hands of
receivers and by the falling off in divi-
deuds of those still trying to operate their
own lines. There is nothing in the present
condition to lead any man TO look for any
prospect of relief either in this country
or elsewhere in the world until the none
tary question is settled. The bimetallist
proposes no experiment. He simply says
the world was in good condition before
tl,rouob the then established relation be-
tween gold and silver and he proposes a
return to that condition by the repeal
of the obnoxious legislation. This VIII re
store former conditions and bring general
prosperity to the world.
The supporters of the gold standard
have not and do not propose any remedy,
and either do not desire any change in
the present condition or are incapable Of
supgestinsg a method of making Il change"