The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-09-19
A,uERENTS OF GOLD MONOMET-
ILISM VIEW MR.. A. ]. BAL
TOURS RECENT STATE
MENT ON
TFE PROSPECTS OF AN INTER
NATIONAL AGREEMENT"ON
THE QUESTION
Asa Serious Blow to the Cause of BIZ
netallism, if Not, Indeed, as the
Last Nail in It's Coffin"-What
the Press Think Of the Matter.

Idherents of gold monometallism re-
cad Mr.. A. J. Balfour's recent statement
on he prospects of an international agree
mqt on the question of the standard
of value as a very serious blow to the
calse Of bimetallism, if not as the last
nal in it's coffin" A member of the
op,osition asked Mr.. Balfour, who is the
Conservative leader and spokesman OF
thegOvcrnment in the house of commons,
"wlether, in consonance with the views
he lad repeatedly expressed, he would adj
Wis, that the government invite the as
senbling of an international conference
in order to obtain an agreement in re-
garl to the currency. In formally re-
plyng, Mr.. Balfour said that he was
strongly in favor of such an agreement,
but that he had mo right to pledge his
colleagues to such an opinion" nor amy
reason for thinking that such an agree
ment would result, at the present mo-
meIt, from an international conference.
He added that "a second abortive con-
ference would be very undesirable. The
anti-silver men in Europe and America
speak of this utterance as crushing ana
fatal to the hopes of bimetallists, ard con-
graduate themselves on the bursting of
the bimetallc soap bubble" but their
opponents see no adequate ground for
these cOmplacent and confident claims.
According to them, Mr.. BalfOur'5 eau
tious statement is wholly natural for a
man in his present responsible position,
and means nothing more than TINT the
government is not ready to take Up the
question at this time. We give COM
ments below representing both sides:
An Agreement to Drop the Whole Hum
bug i'm Sight.-"The statement Of Mr..
Bafour in the house of commons
puts international bimetallism out of its
misery. 1t has been at the las gasp
for many weary weeks, and now tits lift
ing up of the heel against it by its old
familiar friend leaves nothing to lie done
for it by anybody but the undertaken and
the gravedigger. For BalfOur has long
been its last stay and hope. Did he
himself for international bimetalIsm in
his Mansion House speech two years
ago? Has he not been the man in all
England upon whom bimetallic hopes
have been fondly conferred, and wlo was
going to do great things for silver when
he got office again?
Under the admirable English system
of finding out what men in responsible
offices really think, he had to stand up
in the commons yesterday and sa. what
he thinks about bimetallism now
He was still in favor of an international
agreement upon the currency question,
but he had no right to pledge his col
leagues to such an opinion WAT does
that mean? 1t means that th matter
had come up i'll cabinet and that the said
colleagues had hidden him let them have
no more of the bimetallic nonsense. But
agreement was one thing, anC an inter-
national conference was another. Even
the agreement had no countenince from
the cabinet, and the conference had no
countenance from Mr.. Balfour A con-
ference would be sure to be abortive,'
and that would be very unlesira BILE.
Therefore, he was against ceiling one.
He still cherishes his love for an agree
ment,' but it is evidently to remain a
sad and hopeless passion. An agree
mcnt that can not be talked ABOUT, that
is only made more impossible by confer
ring about it, that no government can ap-
proach without danger of running every
thing would smell just as sweet in BIZ
metallic nostrils if it were FRANKLY called
The only international
uSIccileuI III SlSuI is an agreement W
drop once and for all the whole humbug
of international bimetallism." Evening
Post Qnd), New York.
Postponed for Half a Decade at Least.
In this country both the great histor-
ical parties are committed to the theory
of international bimetallism by the ut
teranccs of their latest National convcn-
tons. But practical men and statesmen
must accept facts as they are and make
the best of them. 1t is n fact that Mr..
Balfours spcech-say rather the condi-
ton of opinion in England that COM
PEELED the spcech-has, in all probability,
postponed international bimetallism for
half decade at least. Anyhow we
can not reasonably hope for it this year or
next year. That being so, the only safe
md sensible thing for this country to
do at present is to stick to the present
gold standard. The right
and polite thing for Republican conven-
lions (State and NationaD TO do is to
declare in unequivocal terms for that
course, and with equal emphasis to say
TO the country that free coinage of silver
1t our mints under existing conditions is
4 folly not to be thought of. \ repeti-
ton of the platform generalitieS of 1892,
# supplemented and interpreted by these
specific, practical declarations, will do no
harm and may even do good. But the
actual state of things makes such sup
and interpreting very advisa
Dlc,"-The Courant Rep), Hartford.
4 Trick That Failed.-"Fhe attempt of
he monomctalliSt Liberals to commit Mr..
BalfOur, the Conservative leader, to a
Instinct pledge for or against bimctalllsm
lid not result very successfully. In fact,
Mr.. Balfour, who is too old bird to be
caught by such self-cvident chatf MS the
Liberals strcwcd before him, very wisely
declined to commit himself on the point
If calling for an international money con-
ference. Mr.. Bafour is not the Con-
sentative leader who has the right to die
ate the policies of his party.
MIR. Balfour, therefore, was quite right in
his statement that he had no right to
pledge his colleagues in the ministry
'ithcr to support the bimetallic policy or
% give speedy summons for an inter-
conference in regard to the use
If silver as money in the worlds business
Mr.. Balfour. however, has
not resigned from the bimetalliSt move
nent and does not intend to keep aloof
rom that movement. He is quite will
ing to use his influence in favor of Brit
sh action in encouragement of the pro-
posed conference; but in order that he
nay use such influence effectually, he
S especially DESTROYS of having something
angible to offer as policies, which may
Ne considered and adopted in part or in
whole, by the proposed international con-