Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-08-07
HARHiNG ENGLAND

We believe that tho London fipan.
cinl News is regarded as an authori
ty on both sides of the Atlantic, and
yet it is saying strange things Just
now about the free silver movement
in this country:
There is plain moral in the ro-
mark that if the United Stat es would
venture to cut her self adrift from
Europe rnd take outright to silver
she would havo America and Asia at
her back and the command of the
markets of both countries. The bar
rier OF gold woulp be moro fatal than
any barrier of custom house. The
bond of silver would he tho stronger
than any other bond of FREQ trade.
There can be no doubt about it
that if the United States were to nd
opt silver basis tomorrow, British
trade would be ruined before the
year was out. Every American would
be protected, not only at home. but
IN every other market. OF course the
United States would suffer to a Ger.
tain extent Though having to pay
her obligations abroad in gold, but
the loss of exchange under this head
would be a mere drop in tho bucket
as compared to the profit to be reuped
from the markets of South eAmeIica
and Asia, to say nothing of Europe.
The marvel is than the United States
have not Il ng ago sliced the oppor-
tnnity. 1t has been n piece of lucl,
that it hns never occurred to the
Americans to scoop us out of the
worlds aarket by going on silve,
basis and it might servo us right if,
irritated by the contemplate apathy
of our government toward the silver
problem, the Americans retaliated by
freezing out gold. 1t could be cas-.
lily done"
We have heard this prophecy be
fore. 1t has been made by more than
one prominent European writer on
finance. Moreton Frewen has insis.
ted for long time that the United
States was blind to its own interest
in hesitating'to adopt free silver coin.
age and then enter into commercial
union with Asia and South America
He always insisted that under
such an arrangement the silver coun
tries OF the world, while they might
sell to England, would do their buy.
ing here. Professor Ahrent, the
great German authority, has also
argued that the United States, if fol
lowed by Germany, Belgium, and
ltaly-as he thinks it would be, soon
err OF later could, through the mo
dium OF free silver coinage, almost
destroys England's foreign trade
He has been extensively qnoted by
the gold men, but chiefly as to the
difficulty, in his opinion, of our nc
ting alone. He has invariably said that
concert of action among the nations
named above wonld give them con
troll OF commerce in every quarter o.
the globe. And now comes the Lou
don Financial News, with the posi-
tive statement that free silver coin
age by the United States. acting in
dependently, will multiply its trad,
beyond conception and isolate Great
Britain so far as concerns the silve,
using countries.
1t is needless to say, of course
that the Post does not intend IL
surrender it's convictions at the in
Stance OF British newspaper. The
Post, however, believes in fair and
impartial discussion of public ques
lions and we therefore reproduce
this rather unexpected uttorance as
a contribution to the controversy
contribution, by the way, from q
source hitherto regarded as of hish
authority.
Washington Post
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