Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-02
THE FINANCIAL PLANK
Managing Politicians Now Figuring on the
Republican Deliverancea
All Point to an International Agree
Agreement Between Extremes.

1t is now possible for the managing poll
ticians to figure somewhat on the financial
plank of the ST. Louis platform. and many
Of them are improving the opportunity. The
east has spoken, through New York and
Massachusetts,, the middle states through
Ohio, and the northwest through Minnesota
and South Dakota, and the belief Is that
the national platform of the republican
party respecting the money question will be
evolved out of these local del!verances.
An International Agreement.
The first thing observed is that the note
Of an international agreement on the ques-
ton of reopening the minis to silver is heard
from every quarter. 1t Is little clearer in
Ohio than in New York or Massachusetts,
but it is plain enough in the east. The gist
of the matter from every quarter seems to
be this: The United States cannot afford
separately and alone, to adopt the policy
of free coinage, and will not d. so. Such
a policy would only be safe through the
agency Of an international agreement. AS
matters now stand. every dollar now in cir
culation in this country must be kept as
good as the gold dollar, and gold must be
forthcoming to meet all the ends of redemp-
ton. Such is accepted in political circles
as being in substance the attitude of all re-
publicans except those in the silver mining
states of the west
The Line of Battle.
This then, it is believed, vii! mark the
line of battle at st. Louis. Nine-tenths OF
the party will be willing TO express friend
ship for silver and to formally and sincerely
commit the party to an effort, in case Of sue
cess at the polls. to help rehablitate silver
as money metal by means of an inter-
national agreement The remaining one
tenth-composed of several silver producing
tnN4 <.rH
ditional declaration in favor Of free coinage
at IL to !. and thus the war over the plat
form will be begun.
Ground Of Compromises.
What ground Of compromise will lie open
to improvement? The policy of purchasing
silver bullion has been repudiated by the
vote Of the party in Congress. That. it is
assumed, cannot be returned to. The sill
yer men themselves have confessed TO it's
failure while the law was in operation.
Is there anything possible, therefore, but
to declare either for free coinage, provid-
ing it car be brought about by interna-
tional agreement, or for free coinage with
out any condition whatever? And If that
proves to be the situation at St. Louis,
will the nine-tenths surrender to the one
tenth, or even be very far guided by 1t, or
will the one-tenth, linked to the nine-tenths
by many strong bonds. withdraw from
further fellowship and go over to the third
party?
The Power of the Government.
The issue being thus reduced to that of
an international. agreemspt,, the question
of the power of this government to bring
such an arrangement about is regarded as
of very great moment. The silver men in
sist that this government is SO strong and
Its credit so HIGH it need not wait on the
rest Of the world in this business Let IL
they urge, but take the step, and other
countries-even England-will be obliged to
follow. They denounce the talk about an
international agreement as only an excuse
devised by the geld men to avoid action.
But the gold men-or bimetallists. as they
think they are entitled TO be called-de-
cline to go this far, and insist that to take
such action as the silver men demand,
without first securing the cooperation of
at least some of the other great money
powers, would bring about a calamity the
like of which the world of business has
never up to this time known.