The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1896-09-24
ENGLAND AND THE SILVER QUESTION.

ENGLAND AND THE SILVER QUESTION.
In matters of international policy
neither this nor any other country dares
to act in deliberate antagonism to its
neighbors The comfy of nations re-
quires that no power should follow q
course damaging, directly or indirectly.
to the interest of country with which
it is at peace. At the same time, we
seem to be shaping towards a course
which may bring us into awkward
conflict with the popular sentiment, if
not with the governing powers of coun-
tries with whom we hold politically
friendly relations. In another column
we print extracts from a speech made
in the American senate the other day
by Mr.. Don Cameron, who represents
Pennsylvania. The gist of Mr.. Cam
eron's contention was that the English
policy on the all-absorbing monetary
question is directly antagonistic to
American interests, and that the Uni
ted States must throw off the influence
of English ideas if she means to main
tain the steady march of her prosperity.
There have not been wanting, of late,
Indications of growing irritation with
this country for its dog-in -the-manger
attitude towards question that is con-
vulsing two continents, and gravely
compromising the future of the poorer
states in Europe. This feeling has
been voiced in America by Senator
Lodge, whose proposal to virtually
shut out British goods from the United
States until we should assent to BIZ
metallic convention, though extreme
and absured, indicates the trend of
sentiment on the other side of the At
lantic. Mr. Cameron is much milder,
and makes war rather on those who ac-
climatise English ideas in America
than on this country: but the senti-
ment has the same origin in both cases.
Senator Lodge is not silver man in
the usual sense, being opposed out and
out to free coinage in the United States
under existing conditions, and, there
fore, his views, though tinged with
strong feeling, may attract more at
tention here than those of the pro-
nounced silverites. Mr.. Lodge is very
bitter about the failure of the Brussels
conference Of last year, where the atti-
tude of the British official delegates
was scarcely less than discourteous'
to the United States, and he believes
that nine-tenths of the American peo-
pie regard it in that light. A feeling Of
this kind is not to be lightly ignored.
We have frequent diplomatic differences
with the United States but, as a rule,
there is seldom associated with these
any sense of animus between the peo.
Piles of the two countries, and such
squabbles pass over and are forgotten.
But now we are encouraging the growth
of feeling that on question which
affects the prosperity of millions of in.
dividual Americans this country is in
clined to entertain views unfriendly tC
the states. We know, of course, tha'
the unfriendliness is accidental, ant
that our monetary policy is controlled
by purely selfish considerations 81
purely selfish that we do not mind see
ing India suffering from our actor
much more than America does. TIL,
Americansa are sufficiently old-fashioneC
to believe that it is the part of frienC
to show himself friendly, and whel
this country turns q deaf ear to tn
plant of half the world, including al
thenew world, they, not unnaturally
take it unkindly. It is not for us t
say whether the feeling of irritation i
wholly justified or not it exists, an,
that is the main point. Moreover, it i
taking a shape that may entail yer,
awkward consequences on us. The re
cent proposal to coin Mexican dollar
in San Francisco was bid toward
giving us an object lesson by oustin
us from our commanding position i
eastern trade.
Senator Cameron points aplain mora
when he remarks that if the Unite
States would venture to cut hersel
adrift from Europe and take outrigh
to silver, she would have all Americ
and Asia at her back, and would CON
mand the markets of both continents
"The barrier of gold would be NOR
''fatal than any barrier of custom
"house. The bond of silver would b
"stronger than any bond of free trade.
There can be no donbt about it, that
the United States were to adopt silyt
basis tomorrow, British trade would b
ruined before the year was out. Ever
American industry would be protected
not only at home, but in every otht
market. OF course, the states woul
suffer to a certain extent through ha
ing to pay her obligations abroad
gold; but the loss on exchange und,
this head would be a mere drop in Il
bucket compared with the profits to
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