The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-27

stocks does not take anything away
from the real value of the railway
properties, which those stocks repre-
sent. They might be scared and they
might seH- but so far as | can see the
only people, who would have cause to
regret the sale would be the seller"
'What would be the result, in your
opinion, if we elect a silver President
and silver Congress?'' | asked.
''In self-defense," said one, ''the 9th
er nations of the world would have to-
open their minis to silver and you
would find in my opinion within six
months after the election that an IN
ternational conference would not only
be called, but that there would be the
international agreement which we
here believe is essential
At the office of Consul General Morse
in Paris l met Mr.. John G. Calhoun,
the well-known New York financier
who bears so honored a name. Mr.
Calhoun had been in Europe for two
months and during that time had been
almost constantly with London and
European fnanciers. Il have tried"
said Mr.. Calhoun, Ito make the fullest
study possible of the financial ques-
tion as it is viewed on this side Of the
water 1t is the almost universal
opinion" he went ON to say, "that a
silver victory in the United States
would he followed, and almost imme-
diately, by the opening of the mints
in Europe to silver Mt the same ratio
as that in America. The only gov
ernment which might hold out Is Great
Britain, which, being purely a COM
merciai nation and not producing ma
ton, has prospered SO under the gold
standard which has succeeded in fore
ing on the rest of the world to the
detriment of the producing countries.
But find out also that IL is the uniyer-
sal opinion both in London and on
the continent, that Great Britain can
not possibly hold out, for to do so
would mean great inroads into her
commercial prosperity"
/ have made no attempt to take up
individually the different men from
whom those statements and Impress
ions were obtained, for / am simply
endeavoring TO give in as succinct
form as possible the impressions which
were made upon me. The London pa
pers, as | have said, pay very little at
tention to the news concerning the
progress of the silver movement, but
content themselves with editorial adj
vice to America to stick to the gold
standard because it is good thing for
Great Britain. That is the gist of their
argument. They publish, however, a
great many cards-the English papers
devote large amount of space to COM
munications-which show that the sill
yer sentiment is by no means weak.
In Liverpool found wilder tendency
to discuss the question and to be char
liable at least toward the silver men,
and in the Irish newspapers there is
distinct sympathy with the silver
movement.
/ think that there is no question
that the best thinkers on finance the
world over advocate the restoration of
bimetallism. We have seen how that
is in this country, where for the first
time in the history of the discussion a
party is found bold enough to declare
in favor of the maintenance of the
single gold standard at whatever cost,
but this declaration is qualified, and
very strongly qualified, by a declara-
| ton for international bimetallism. OF
i course we all understand how sincere
| that declaration is when it comes from
| the powers which are controlling the
| battle in defense of gold and contrac-
| ton. They had to put it in the Re-
| publican platform, however, to hold
any of their people in line and it is
| fair to say, think, that the majority
| of Republicans believe that bimetal-
lism should be restored. A calm con
sideration of the conditions must lead
these, if they eliminate party feeling
and personal ambition, to the conclu-
sion that the only way to bring about
an international agreement is for this
| country to take the bold and decided
stand outlined in the Democratic plat
form. 1t is to this country that the
rest of the world looks for it's silver
sentiment, and just in proportion to
| the quantity of that sentiment here
are the bimetallists the world over ag-
gressiye. The election of Mr. Bryan
would unquestionably force the gov
ernments of Europe to return to BIZ
metallism. 1t is the only way to bring
| about the conditions which nine
tenths of the people of this country
| believe to Se essential to national
prosperity in the Atlanta Con-
stitution.
Is SILVER THE DEVILS MONEY?