The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-07-06
LIBERALS |. |||: RI MAY WIN OUT |
No Certainty That Roseberry Will
Be Defeated in the co,i1- !.
ing Struggle.
The Situation in the Irish Dis
tricts Summed Up in an
Impartial Tanner.
A Change in the Currency System
Will Enter Largely Into
the Canvass.

the Canvass.
London, June 29.-Doubtless the ques-
/ ton in the coming general election in the
United Kingdom Of the most interest to
the United States will be the influence OF
! the result upon the international none
tary conference should it be called this
Iyear by Germany, by the United States or
any other government. That is to say,
| it's influence upon Great Britains attitude
in that conference. II the liberals secure
a majority in the next parliament it may
be accepted as almost certain that the
instructions to the British delegates will
| be, as at Brussels, hostile to any interna-
tional agreement. Sir William Harcourt
| will doubtless dominate the financial pol
icy of the next liberal government, and
| he is uncompromisingly in favor of the
! single gold standard. In fact, there is not
a single liberal leader, so far as known,
who favors any change from Great Brit
Iain's present policy.
| But if the unionists come in there is
strong probability that the delegates will
have quite different instructions from
those, if, indeed the instructions are not
Idirectly in favor Of an agreement lnclud-
ling England, If it can be made practicable.
The question will probably cut no figure
! in the campaign. The unionist leaders
4 will not venture to antagonize the anti
silver sentiment in London, which sends
| SO members to parliament. But two OF the
most influential members OF the unlonlst
| government, Mr.. Balfonr and Mr.. Chap
4 lin, are pronounced bimetallists Mr.
Goschen is believed, on written authority,
| to be of an open mind upon the question,
while Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, the new
chancellor Of the exchequer, has very re-
Gently expressed the opinion that interna-
| tional attempt to diminish the use OF gold
| in the coinage and to increase the use OF
| silver would be Of advantage to the world.
This certainly can only be construed as an u
| expression favorable to an international
bi1netallic agreement, although he coupled
| it with a warning against any but the
most careful Interference with the present
|currency system.
AS Sir Michael will very certainly be
again chancellor-which Office corre-
Isponds with the American secretary OF the
| treasury--if the unionists come in, and as
| Mr.. Balfour will be equally as warm an
advocate Of bimetallic agreement IN the
government Of which he will be the real
Header, the exact words Of Sir Michael
upon the subject will be OF great interest
I in America. The occasion was the annual
banquet OF the Bristol Chamber Of Com
merce on the evening Of May 1 last, and
| find practically O. verbatim report in the
Bristol Mirror Of the following morning.
1t is a curious fact that no London paper
has as yet alluded, to the speech in COM
menting on the new ministry.
| Sir Michael had discussed at great
I length the depression of the English man
afacturing as well as agricultural inter-
ests, and expressed the fear that ccn1peti-
I ton in the United States, India and Japan
Knight hereafter bemore prejudical than
| now to England's manufactured as we'll
as to her agricultural products. During
| the dinner the Mayor of Bristol and he
1 had a little personal discussion on bimet-
/ allism. Sir Michael said that he did not
| think there was any more abstruse or
more difficult question than the one con-
| nected with the currency OF the country.
i He did not think there was any question
| Of graver import to the welfare or the
| country than that connected with the
/ currency. He thought matters on which
lsparty policies differed OF grave moment,
! and SO they were, but he would venture
Ito tell them that a mistake in dealing
with the currency in this country might
bring as much ruin to Great Britain as
any political change in contemplation at
/ the present time could inf1ict.
Therefore, he was surprised at the facil-
Iity with which many gentlemen, who he
thought had not studied this matter more
! carefully than he had done, pronounced
their opinions for or against monometal-
| lis,n or binetallism as if they were able
/ masters Of the subject. He would tell
| them this. he did not believe that there
was a single man in England who could,
i with any certainty, forecast what effect a
I change in the currency might have upon
j the fortunes of this country.
The politician in active life who was, to
Ibis mind, the best qualified from his ex-
perience and ability to express an opinion
4 mon this subject was Nj. Goschen. There
/ was no man who had been more dif1ident
lin expressing an opinion at all, and, there
| fore. he would not pretend to dogmatlze
1 himself upon so great and difficult mat
\ ter.
What he would say was this: He
thought it was clear that this appreciation
/ Of gold in the main was an injury to the
conntry, and he should like to see an in
l ternational attempt for SO only could it
! be successful to diminish the use Of gold
| ii coinage and increase the use Of silver.
/ He thought that with the increased pro-
.Iduction Of gold they now saw in west Aus
.ltralia and south Africa such an attempt
might really have great effect in stop
Iping, at any rate, the further appreciation
/ OF gold, and he believed if that could be
] done It would be q very great advantage.
Further than thatathe was not prepared to
4 20, and after what he had said they would
4 scarcely suspect him Of being willing, bur-
i riedly, he might almost say, to depart
4 from that gold standard which for 50
many nan years ha d been looked upon as the
1 safety of finance in this country. He COM
amentied the subjects to their earnest con-
il Isidsratien, an he could assure them they
A would haYe his own. q sSs
He aax confdent Il these matters were
i fairly consi by IN con;
comm sdliAnz