The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-28
WILL RIGHT ITSELF.
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT NOT
NECESSARY TO RESTORE
SILVER.
DIR. Arendt Gives His Views-When
America Shows Its Independence of
the Bourses, Foreigners Will Fall In
to Line,
to Line

scientific nature of the American free
coinage OF silver propaganda, and its dis
repute among genuine bimetalliSts
abroad, that the Journal has induced
some of the most famous European econ
omists of that school to write their views
upon our political situation. The dis
cussion is opened by DR.. Otto Arendt,
who has received many Gathering certifi-
Gates of character from the monometallic
press on account of his recently publish
ed opinion that free coinage by the Uni
ted States alone would be disastrous to
bimetdllism in Europe. 1t will be seen
that DR., Arendt has now changed his
views, and is in ga enthusiastic advocate
f Mr.. Bryan's election.)
The people of the United States have
never been called upon to decide ques-
ton so important as that of the coming
presidential election.
Persons and parties do not count in
this campaign at all-the great funta-
mental principals of modern national life
are at stake. Shall these he upheld, or
shall they be trampled under foot? This
is the all-absorbing question.
Europe, the mighty grandparent of the
young colossus, feels in her old bones
that the ballot boxes which are soon to
be set up in the cities and villages and
hamlets of America will speak the desti-
MES OF ner leauinS naUlOIlS.
Never before was the dividing line so
sharply defined, and we understand that
the sovereign people of the United States
mean once for all to solve the social cues
ton which has in late years caused so
many disturbances and unhappy condi-
tions.
Look at the two sides and mark the
striking contrasts. Mckinley and his
votaries representing the party of So
called ''honest money and dishonest
profits, the party of trusts and monop-
olies, the party that brought the pillage
of national resources for the benefit of
capital to IL fine point and into method
on the one side.
Their opponents we find under the
proud banner of Bryan. These are the
productive Observation-Disclosures and far
mers who refuse to permit themselves to
he bled in future for the cause of the
gold standard.
European bimetaliists who have been
fighting the gold standard for many years
past regard international bimetallism as
the true solution of all the questions in
volved.
My views on that subject Il have laid
down in an essay published in the June
issue of the North American Review,
when l gave it as my opinion that the
question of free silver should be settled
only after an international agreement re-
garding the relative values of gold and
silver had been arrived at; for at that
time L took it for granted that both par
ties would favor silver in theig platf9ysa.
though not to tie sxSent OF free coinage
- With respect to the possible candidates,
bimetallists, taking Mckinley to be
thorough silver man, / certainly regarded
him with much favor.
What sad disappointment, however,
came with the st. Louis convention 1t
was obvious that the spirit of that con-
vention was inspired by Wall street,
while Mckinley himself deserted the peo-
pies cause and closed an alliance, often
sive and defensive, with all-grasping cap
ital.
Heaven high above him, unfettered and
unmercenary, rose Bryan, who at once
gained the respect and sympathies of
bimetallists the world over.
If were an American citizen / would
unhesitatingly vote for the peoples
champion. y free coinage president ap.
pears to me lesser evil than a stock ex-
change president, who would walk 10
Cleveland's footsteps. There are superb
cial people in this and other countries
who imagine that if Bryan is elected in
November free silver coinage will begin
next March, They forget that Congress
must finally decide the question. Even
should President Bryan, as will be most
probable, call an extra session, it would
take several months before free silver
coinage would be legalized
1t is fully appreciated in Europe that
free coinage would prove more formid-
able menace than the proposed suspension
of the Bland and Sherman acts. Euro
pean financiers and monopolists have had
| q.
values, and fear. them more than even
McKinley's prohibitive tariff
America offers us the. tantalizing alter
native between prohibitive tariff and
Il silver standard. But our money mo-
nopolists in this case harvest the storm
where they have been sowing the wind
Their long continued opposition to inter
national bimetallism is on the eve of re-
ceiving its proper retribution. Bryan 9
victory will no doubt prepare the way for
an international agreement.
Should Bryan be elected, we, the bme-
tallists, would gain formidable allies,
while American bankers would certainly
do all in their power to forestall the de-
probation of American values by backing
our cause of international bimetallism
Now as to the prospects in Europe.
| The possessors of American values, fear
| ing depreciation, would influence the
| hourse to such an extent as to cause cap
| ital TO reconsider its attitude toward
bimetallism, whereupon the European
| government may be obliged to adopt
! bimetallism in order to restore conf
dence and equality.
All Europe has formally declared that
bimetallism shall not be introduced with
out Britain's co operation. The English
| cabinet Mt Balfour's instigation decided
on March II that nothing should inter
| fere with the gold standard. Balfour