The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1897-12-01
rbe Isin,etaiiic Commission.

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The inside history Of the sham
commission sent by Mckinley to
negotiate in Europe for interna-
tional bimetallism is beginning to
leak out. People who have watch
ed the course of the present adj
ministration and understood it's
pledges and affiliations never ex-
peoted nor hoped that the Wolcott
commission was meant or would
be allowed to effect anything. 1t
was sent out in nominal compliance
with the insincere pledges in the
Republican national platform to
make every effort to secure an in
ternationaI agreement remonetiz-
ing silver, and it was hoped by
this action to satisfy that very
considerable class of Republican
voters who believe in bimetallism.
at the same time, there was no
real intention to do anything, and
the attachment of European mon
ey centers to the gold standard
was relied on to nullify the efforts
of Wolcott and his colleagues. In
the vulgar tongue, the plan was to
''pull Salisbury's leg" for the pur-
pose of making American political
capital.
The unexpected happened. The
Bank of England even went SO far
as to offer to maintain a large pro-
portion of its reserve in the shape
of silver, and there was serious
question of re-opening the Indian
mints to the free coinage of silver
The gold-standard people who con-
troll the administration at once
took the alarm. Wolcott was show
ing too much zeal. He had effect
ed what seemed to be the impossi-
BILE. He must be stabbed in the
back, and the English government
be made to understand that the
commission was in fact nothing
but political dodge, intended to
deceive, and meaning nothing in
the way of action. The task of
undeceiying the English admins
tration was intrusted to Ambassa-
dor Hay, and very soon Wolcott
discovered that the weather had
become unexpectedly frosty. The
talk about opening the Indian
minis was repudiated and secuted
as the one thing that was impossi-
BILE. The Governor of the Bank
of England, who had wanted to
hold one-fifth of the reserve in
silver, was roundly scolded. Vol
colt was politely told that his pro-
posals were out of the question
but Lord Salisbury would always
be glad to see him, and if he had
any further suggestions to offer he
might come again next year. He
came home in disgust.
The episode is discreditable to
the administration. The com
mission was sent out with intent
to deceive the American people.
It was never intended to effect
anything. 1t was in its nature
an insult to European govern
ments, by accrediting to them a
financial embassy offering propo-
sails meant only for home consump-
ton. That it was taken serious
ly in England is not surprising,
for it is difficult to conceive that
the government of a great country
would lend itself deliberately to a
shabby and silly fraud, dishonor-
able abuse of power for the pur-
pose of manufacturing political
capital. But for those who hold
the honor of their country dear
the incident is melancholy and dis
couraging-Charleston Gazette.
The question where control of
pupils by school authorities begins
and ends has long been a vexed
one. The Attorney General of
Colorado has rendered an import
ant decision bearing upon it. He
holds that school directors and
teachers have power to establish
reasonable rules. not only for the
government of schools, but also
for controlling the conduct of
pupils in going and returning from
school. The case in which the
decision was made arose from a
school principal prohibiting boys
from playing football if their
marks were not up to the STAN
dard
The Democratic nartv in the re-