The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1895-03-15
ATHENA, MARCH Is, 1895
GERMANY AND BIMETALIsM.

The decline in the prices Of Am
erican securities on the Berlin
Bourse on the arrival Of the news
Of the shelving OF the free silver
bill in the United States senate is
an evidence of the growth Of bime-
tallic sentiment in Germany, says
the Globe Democrat. Two or three
years ago this action on our part
would have not produced any such
effect. 1t has had no influence of
this sort in England. The tenden-
cy, indeed, would have been in
the opposite direction. A defeat
or a postponement of a free silver
bill would have appeared to Ger
many, as to all others of the great
nations, to be an act Of financial
sanity. 1t would ave been a bull
factor of the highest Importance
for us. Prices of American stock
in that country would have gone
up, and the current of money in
our direction for investment would
deepened. The change in the at
titude of Germany on the silver
question which has just been re-
leased is Of considerable signific-
ance, and is Of great interest to the
United States.
Undoubtedly Germany is in a
position to materially strengthen
the cause of international bime-
tallism. The double standard men
have clearly obtained a large ma
jority III the reichstag, and if they
secure the favor Of the kaiser for
their scheme the prospects Of ac-
complishing something in the pro.
jected monetary conference will be
frightened. The kaiser has q fac.
ulty Of making his desires prevail
sooner or later and if the bimetal-
lists Of his country win him to
their side the whole influence ol
the government will be with them
Coupled with few medieval no.
tions and some obsolete and absurd
opinions, as to the sanetity and
authority of his guild, he has some
ideas which makes him more mod
ern than many other of the crown.
ed heads of the time. Ii William
III, should be enlisted in the cause
Of international bimetallism that
policy will have secured u power,
full champion,
With Gemany's weight in The
scale in favor Of the restoration 0.
silver to its old place in the cir.
culation, a new and powerful pres
sure would be brought TO bear OF
England to win her over to this
policy, The favor of the rest o
the great nations of Europe and o
nearly all the small ones can doubt
less readily be gained. The pros
poets in favor of international
harmony at an early date on this
question appears brighter now thar
it did at any previous time since
the United States started out il
1878 in the crusade for the genera
rehabilitation of the white metal
In the present instance, however
the initiative, as is proper, will no
be taken by the United States
This country has been doing a goo,
deal of missionary work in thi
case among the European nations
in the past sixteen or seventeen
years, but without any discernabl
result, We viii now let some q
the other countries take the lead il
the enterprise, but we stand read,
at all times to lend a hand in til
work, All the countries Of th
world are interested in solving th,
silver problem, and. the solution
lies in the readjustment, under al
International agreement, Of til
ratio between the metals and I'll
general opening OF mints to silver
-.
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