Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-02
THAT @lNTERNATIoNAL AGREEMENT"
Now York evening pos,.

lated by persons who are more knowing
than the masses. This was distinctly
true of tho Jingo movement, for in
stance. For two years h band of poll
ticians kept the air full of threatenipgs
against England, and nbuso of Cleve-
land, in the interest Of what was
called more vigorous foreign
policy" AS time rolled on the talk
grow fiercer. The fiag was hoisted on
all the schoolhouses ~ measure of
defiance. The chillsen we're drilled,
and there finally arose call for war,
not with England. but with anybody,
as means of moral discipline. II we
did not go 10 war with somebody, tho
Jingoes said, there WAS no knowing
what would become of our character.
Patriotism" ceased to have any civic
meaning, to connote love of law, or
order, or integrity or good government.
1t meant simply for awhile desire to
fight somebody or admiration for people
who were going to fight With the
Venezuela outbnrst, Jingoism totally
collapsed. After ''standing behind
Cleveland" a few minutes, the Jingoes
all dispersed to their homes, and be-
came utterly peaceable, showing that IL
agitators only kept quiet, the people
had no thought Of fighting anybody.
Very much the same thing has hap
penea with regard to tho silver agIta-
tion, except that'it has little more
assistance from events The panic of
1873 combined with the fall OF silver
TO start with but its absurdities in our
belief would have killed it long ago
had 1T not been nourished by the body
OF much more instructed men known
as bimetallists. The ignorant masses
have constantly heard from these people
during the last 90 years that although
the extreme view Of tho siverites was
idle, there was something behind it,
that the scarcity Of gold had lowered
prices. that double standard com
posed of both silver and gold was pos
sible. through international agreement,
that the hated England was the main
obstacle to this agreement and that our
business was to force her into ii. This
talk of professors and philosophers
has kept this pest of the modern world
alive for quarter of century, and
has caused the holding of three absurd
conferences, in which we we're almost
the only members who really desired
success. The others attended and de-
bated to humor us. In not one of
them did there appear to be the
smallest hope that ultimate agreement
could be reached, but the preaching at
home continued. The hope was con-
stantly held out, and is held out to.
day, that another conference will be
held, when We shall get what we want.
This passion for, and promise OF, a
conference keeps the ignorant masses
of the South and West In constant ex-
partutton md onnafont
What they are waiting for is not
conference to see whether a double
standard would be good thing, but a
conference that will end 10 bringing it
about They think England is the
main obstacle and they want to fight
her. This was actually the explana-
tion Lodge gave a few months ago in
a letter to friend in England Of the
excitement over Venezuela.
The latest contributor to this literature
of mischief is Mr.. W. q. Whitney. He
printed letter this morning full of
wise reasoning as 10 the danger and
folly of free coinage just now. But as
usual he tells the silverites their cause
is good and its triumph ia coming:
There has never been tie when
the prospects of international action
favorable to the joint standard were at
all as promising as at the present
moment. But an ill-advised, unsuc-
cessful attempt here would discredit
the cause the world over. What is the
situation as regards thisY From the
discussion of the last 90 years, 1t has
come to pass that among the persons
in Europe who are trained recognized
scientists upon monetary and economic
questions, scarcely one is not at the
present moment advocating the de-
STABILITY of the joint standard as the
real solution of the monetary difficult
ties Of the world. This includes every
professor engaged in teaching or
iecturing on these subjects in the uni
versities of Great Britain. They arc
agreed upon the desirability of it, and
that it is entirely practicable If ostab-
lished and maintained by agreement of
the principal commercial nations.' -
This is the kind of talk which, com
ing from such quarters, keeps the sill
yer movement alive In this country,
and keeps, or will keep, us for some
time to come in constant danger of its
success. We deny totally the assertion
that in Europe among trained, recog-
nized scientists upon monetary and
economic questions there is scarcely
one who is not at this moment advo-
eating the desirability of Joint stand
ard as the real solution of the none
tary difficulties OF the world." The
direct contrary Of this is nearer the
truth. II Mr.. Whitney does not wish
to be accused OF deceiving his country
men he will give them the names Of
these persons and some samples of
what they say. He is simply repeating
here an absurd statement of Mr., Bal
four's, who is fair specimen himself
of the philosophers" who want dou-
BILE standard. There is hardly one recog-
nized authority in England on finan-
cial questions who desires or believes
in the possibility Of double standard
or would think for one moment of
doing business in it If 1t were estab-
lished. There are professors who
preach it, but, like our "ethical'' pro-
fessors here, few Of those who have
the English pound sterling in their
keeping pay any attention to thom.
But give us their pames, Mr.. Whitney,
and the names of their universities.
Nothing does more to bring about this
immense silver delusion, with its dis
astrous consequences, and to make men
like Mckinley tho leaders of the Ameri
can people, than this sort of talk. As
long as this famous international
agreement" with the foreign "scien-
tists'' behind it, is kept hanging before
the eyes of the public az a strong prob
ability, we shall never have business
peace or stability.
One by one the arguments of the
bimata iata hnya Jncarto1 than rhn