The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-06-22

 tional action favorable to the joint standard were at all as promising as now. But an ill-advised, unsuccessful attempt here would liscredit the cause the world over What is the situation as regards this? From the discussion of the last twenty years it 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 mo- ment advocating the desrability of the joint standard as the real solution of the monetary difficulties of the world This includes every professional en- gagged in teaching or featuring on these subjects in the universities of Great Britain.
 'They are agreed upon the desirabil- ity of it and that it is entirely praCtica- ble, if established and maintained by agreement of the principal nations. It would be expected that with such a general consensus of scientific opinion as is to be found abroad upon this sub ject it would come rapidly to be the generally received opinion of the na- tions to be affected by a wise settle ment of the problem. Such is the case Of the continental nations iGermany was the one that, in 1892, practically broke up the conference which met at the suggestion of the United States.
 "She instructed her delegates to meet and talk, but to state to the conference that she would not change her imperial standard As her standard was gold that announcement ended all possibili ty of any practical result from that conference Since that time and within the last year her legislative assemblies have specifically, by votes of instruc- tions to her minister's changed her at titude upon that point. So that the specific objection of Germany encoun- tered by the conference of 1892 has been since considered and withdrawn.
 At the present moment Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Holland Belsi- um and the United States wish to CO., operate for the establishment and maintenance of the joint standard by international agreement, and, most important circumstance, Great Britain has recently, within three months, ln fact, made most important conces- sion. She has said: We will do for you as much as you can do for your selves We will make this great con tribution to a bimetallic system. We will go back upon the deliberately ar ranged methods of providing curren- cy for India. We will reopen the h. dian hints. We will engage that they shall be kept open, and we shall, there fore, provide for a free coinage or sll- yer within the limits of the British em- pire for population greater in num- Der than the populations of Germany, France and America put together
 Into this long and now just about to be successful struggle for the establish ment of the joint standard it is pro- posed that we should intervene by as- suming to establish it alone. Against this proposed action on our part these earnest believers in and workers for the cause strenuously protest. They say to us you cannot succeed and your failure will discredit the cause. It can not be denied that the feeling among our people is that this free coinage by the United States alone will not give us the gold and silver money at a par ity with each other, but will bring us to SllN6h IlOIlOlilttdlllsolI eAilN '' in our standard of values. And that change, it is believed, means immediate ruin to our industries and no perma- nent good to any one.
 This feeling is general and intense Whether these differences can be rec onciled it is impossible to anticipate. The democratic party stands for prin2l- ples, desirable to be maintained for the good of the country Most any sacrl- flee might be asked of democrats for the sake of the party and they would cheerfully make it But if the dele gates from this locality should go to that convention and represent that the rank and file of the party would follow the lead of the southern brethren and vote for the free coinage of silver by the United States alone, they would be misrepresenting the state ot puohc opinion here.
 Whether it is so or not it is consid- cred a proposition to debase the exist ing standard of values. And the same feeling of indisposition to compromise with that matter for votes or anything else is as active and doninant here in our party as it was found in the repub- lican party when it bore down ana overpowered the Mckinley machine. Personally it is my opinion if the demo- cratic party goes on to that platform at this time it will meet the most dis astrous defeat that any party has ever had in this country.
 q understand it is honestly believed in and people think it will bring relief from their present troubles, but be- tween now and election day it will be pretty thoroughly sifted and the people of this country will not face the dis turbance of values, the loss of conf dence, the general distress and ruin which would come to their business in terests in such change in their standard of values as would arise from such action And it will, in my opinion, overwhelm the persons who undertake it. It ought not to be necessary for me to say anything of a personal n2- ture. l find myself, however, spoken of and and there as d possibility-not very seriously or prominently, but suf- ciently to attract attention if l should fail to notice it.
 Tt sometimes affects ones influence in cases like the present. I have no personal motive in entering this fight. have said that I would not be can didate. I will add, copying the em- phatiC language once used by the late General sherman: I will not run if nominated nor serve if elected I am not foolish enough to suppose that any agTp h., Ivr