The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-10-28
THEY ARE WITH us.
GERMAkY'S BlMETALLlSTS CEolRe
BRYAN'S ELECTION.

endt.
CHICAGO. Oct. 1S.-While at the re-
cent Buda- Pesth exposition, Mr.. Nor
ton Frewen, the distinguished English
bimetallist, had a conference with Mr..
Otto Arendt, the distinguished Ger
man bimetallist, who recently declar-
ed, through the New York Journal,
that tbs Independent action of this
country in adopting fr-e coinage
would have marked effect IN lore
ing international action.
After leaving Buda Pesth, Mr.. Frew-
en- wrote out his interview with Herr
Arendt, and mailed it to the latter Tor
revision.
Mr.. Frewen left London less than a
month ago for America and is now IN
Chicago. lie received this morning a
communication from Herr Arendt in
closing the latter's revision of the
Buda-P -Pesth interview which is as
follows:
GLOW do you explain that you
wrote in The North American ReVlew
in opposition to free silver and but re-
Gently, in the New York journal, IN
support of Mr.. Bryan2"
II am glad you ask me the question,
because numerous letters from the
United States prove to me that my at
titude was not understood on the
other side. At least dozen cores
pondents think that the wicked sill
verites' have committed forgery and
that the letter in The Journal was new
or written by meat all This is particu-
larly the case with those who have
seen only extracts. My position is
this. Last spring hoped and believ-
ed that while both parties would de-
clare against free silver, both would
be for energetic action in favor OF in
ternational bimetallism. l assumed
too confidently that the Republican
party would particularly favor such
action, and that at the st. Louis con-
vention the idea of Senator Cameron
and Speaker Reed would be included
in the platform; namely that by a
combination of the currency and tar
if issues there would be offered a
q more favorable tariff to such ma
ton as would open their mints to the
free coinage of both the metals. But
instead of this, at st. Louis, the Re
publican party surrendered absolutely
to pressure from Wall street. Thus
bimetallism received deadly blow,
and the single gold standard was
specifically indorsed, with only some
meaningless verbiage, as to something
to be done when other nations were
ready to do it. The st. Louis action,
as we over here view it, was radical
ly fresh departure, and as such it has
been hailed with delight by the pro-
fessional monometallist press OF New
York-by such papers as The Sun and
The Post. 1t represents the very worst
elements of reaction--the old absurd
determination to do nothing without
England This!is the stock argument
of the men in Europe who want gold
monopolism-not of the men who de-
sire any form of currency reform.
II AFFIRM" said DR.. Arendt, 'that
the st. Louis platform is radical and
reactionary for this reason: Those
who constructed it are the men who
would decline emphatically to do any
thing unless England did everything.
That was not formerly the attitude of
the United States. At the monetary
conference of 1881, the American rep
resentatives, declared that bimetallism
with the cooperation of France and
Germany, was all that was required.
Under all the circumstances, I be-
lieve that any active bimetallic policy
in the United States with Mckinley as
President is extremely improbable.
The New York money power which
supplies his campaign funds will de-
mand in return gold policy-on the
principle to the victor belong the
spoils.' Presently your farmers in
America, and, after all, they are the
backbone of your nation, will have
too little left rol recruit this spoils
policy any longer; and then, through
depth of suffering, reform will
come"
$50 that, DR.. Arendt, it is your
view, that while free silver is less de-
sirable than wide bimetallic union,
yet that it is lesser evil than per-
manent gold standards"
Exactly, 1 should vote for Mr..
Bryan were l in American, because /
regard the alliance of Wall street and
Mckinley omnibus of great disaster
impending. The issue is not so much
for or against free silver, as for or
against fresh exploitation Of the
people by the larger capitalists class.
And" continued DR.. Arendt,
"while expect nothing in the way of
bimetallism from Mckinley, think
that Bryan's victory must keep inter-
national bimetallism to the front.
Should silver rise 10 the parity, and
stay there, the problem is solved /,
should silver continue, as believe it
will, to fluctuate around some point
considerably below the parity, then
the economic difficulty in Europe,
the gold premium-that barrier to all
that Europe exports to America-will
be so formidable that some action will
be secured in Europe to solve the ques-
ton forever"
And what do you think of the
methods of fighting on both side?"
''There, again, l find a strong argu-
ment for supporting Bryan. The Re
publican press is shouting for Sound
money! honest money is denounc-
ing free silver as Reputation Why.
these are the very lying arguments
into America from the European gold
fanatics. This is the exact style OF vitu-
peration with which we in inter-
national bimetallists are assailed
every day in Europe. If the
'pold party' win by empl loving