The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-10
The Currency Issue Is Not Dead.

One of the significant signs Of the
times is the action of the directors of
the Manufacturers club Of Philadelphia
in declaring their unanimous opinion
that "bimetalllsm, or the use Of both
gold and silver as standard money, un-
der the system commonly known as the
double standard, would be beneficial to
the American people. This belief" the
resolution adds, "accords with the ira
dition and practice of the government,
as The system itself, in our View, does
ir peculiar manner with the interests
of a nation which is the chief Of all the
producers of raw material and is heavi-
ly in debt. But, by what means shall
the restoration Of bimetallism be pro-
cured? We are confident that one
method Is absolutely certain to produce
the result without creating alarm or
financial disturbance. and without
jeoparding the rights of either debtors
or creditors. 1t is by the cooperative
action of the governments Of great ma
tiors Whether amy other procedure
would be harmful or harmless may be a
matter for argument, but this plan is
commended by sound Judgment, and by
the testimony Of some of the ablest
financiers and economists in the world.
as containing ITO element Of risk. We.
therefore, fully approve it and hold to
1t, and express the opinion that our
government should actively endeavor,
by persuasion or the use Of other
means, to induce other governments to
enter upon an engagement to restore
silver to its place as standard money"
This is doctrine to which objection
can be made by no Republican in ac-
cord with his party's last national plat
form. If we are to be guided by that
platform, international bimetallism Is
possible and necessary; but II we are
to take the word of Mr.. Cleveland's
free trade friends, who constitute the
chief champions of his recent and false
Unnamed Sound money" campaign, 1t
is en- artful deception, or as the Phila-
delphia Record loves to put It, an "iri-
descent dream" For our own part, we
have not hesitated to express the be-
lief that by means OF certain restric-
tions this nation could safely have COM
plete home bimetallism, whether other
nations join with us In silver's restora-
tion or stand aloof. This, of course, Is
only belief; and we are mot 30 welded
to 1t that we would reject any fair sub
stitute which, by the consensus Of opin-
lon, Is deemed better calculated to reach
the desired end Of an ample, sound cur
rency, every dollar of which shall be
the complete equivalent of every other
dollar. If. for instance, when the Re-
publican party says 1t wants tnterna-
tional bimetallism 1t means that It will
exert every reasonable influence at Its
command to secure an international
parity, then that ought to satisfy any
patient friend Of silver. 1t Is the silly
fight that ignorant or interested Re
publican pleaders for gold monometall-
ism make on bimetallism that causes
many persons to question the"Republi-
can party's sincerity on this by no
means secondary question of the age.
We notice the occasional expression
In eastern papers of q belief that the
"silver issue" will not figure much in
next years political calculations. That
will depend upon the attitude Of the
Republican, national convention toward
this subject. II any one believes that.
with q stationary currency And grow
Ing, population. we are yet ready to
atop the coinage u silver, o Il has
been virtually stopped BY the Cleveland