The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-14
RIVER AT 8 A A, M,
Danger Height ef
THE SETBACK TO BIMETALLIsM.

1t ought to furnish food for thought
to those who are really friendly to the
largest use of silver as money when
an American bimetallist, speaking to
the BimetaIlic League, of Great Brit
ain, says:
1t is to be deeply regretted that millions
OF our best citizens, represented at the
Chicago convention last week, declared for
the free coinage of silver at the ratio of 16
to without waiting for the action of other
countries. This was done passionately, but
the effect will be to maintain the gold stand
ard unimDaired.
In this great contest over the cur
rency question, as in almost all issues
that stir men deeply, the conservative
man and the conservative view are
thrust into the background, and it be
comes a conflict of extremes The
whole country is likely to divide now,
in short season, between those who
have no real interest or care for bimet-
allism, and most of whom do not be-
1ieve in it at heart, and those whose
success would fasten silver monomet-
allism upon this country. The cause of
NN~A~NA'AAA
out a leader and without rep
TesentatiVe. We stand for bi-
metallism, by which we mean the free
use of both gold and silver as money
on terms that will maintain both in
circulation by making them equally
desirable. We do not believe In either
of them as a form of credit money,
or in an attempt to add to or sub
tract from the value of either Of them
by legislation. That the cause Of BIZ
metallism, as thus understood, has
been making tremendous strides in
recent years no man who reads and
studies will deny That the time is
approaching when the sentiment in
favor Of such an agreement as will re-
store silver to its ancient place as a
money metal not only in one country.
but in all, is near at hand. is their
unanimous opinion. None, there
fore, view with greater regret
and sorrow the course of recent
events than those who have a right
to wear the title of bimetallists.
These gentlemen, who are working in
Great Britain for a cause which has
been there so weak and unpopular
until within comparatively recent
time, cannot be accused Of infidelity.
They are not open to the supposition
of yielding to hostile influences on
either side. 1t is immaterial to them
what party or what doctrine triumphs
in the United States as long as 1t
advances the cause Of bimetallism,-
which they have at heart Their judg-
ment is not biased by party sympathy
or party association, and they--asSss.
unanimously. exactly as Mr. VS..
Whitney saidzto his associates ainS-the
Chicago convention, that the move
ment in favor of free coinage by the
United States alone at this time at an
Impossible ratio gives to bimetallism the
greatest setback that it could possibly
receive. 1t encourages all the other
nations to hold out against the bime
tallic movement among their own peo-
pie, in, the hope that they can force
the United States to bear the burden
and carry the loss of work that
should be the common duty of them all.
More than that, 1t encourages them to
hope that, by the necessary failure of
a single nation to accomplish what
trarscends its power, the very cause
and name of bimetalllsm will be So
discredited that they themselves will
escape the necessity of dealing with
this question by practical legislation FOR
years to come. In a word, as Gen.
Walker puts it truly. the effect of the
action at Chicago in favor of silver
monometallism Is pretty sure to do in
finite injury to the cause of silver and
to rezestablish that Of gold monomet-
allisn at a time when the nations
were about 20 yield to the pressure of
Inevitable necessity. It is thousand
pitiesathat good cause should be thus
yuined by the unre-soning action of
$780,