The times., 1897-12-09
Chairman Of Silver Clubs on In.
dependent AmerieaniSm.
A WARNING FROM AUSTRIA
We Should Own Hawaii and Look
TO Asiatic Countries for an Ou.-
in Formulating Currency Legisia-
tion-Silver Clubs Headquarters.

National Association of Silver Clubs. has
returned 10 Washington, after an extended
| tcur throueh the South and West, and
reopened the national headquarters OF the
party in the Sun Building. Mr.. + aeney.
although comparatively young in national
political work, is already one of the most
prominent ana widely known apostles Of
the silver cause in the United States. 1t
was he who, unaided and without funds,
organized the movement in New York city,
| which, ap to that time, had been con-
/ sideTed by the older party leaders as a
! hopeless field for btuetallists, and which
resulted in the now historic mass meeting
| at Cooper Union.
on July Is last The Times published
| ala article setting forth at length Mr.
| Keeney's views on the progress OF the silevr
movement. Ii. the course OF this article
| Mr.. Keeney expressed certain opinions
which, in the light or recent develop
ments, were prophetic.
1T il conceded by the ablest European
statisticians,' wrote Mr.. keeney, that
this country has the productive energy Of
any 'ee OF the great European powers
combined. That means that we have the
natural, or latent, power TO sustain our-
| selves as a ton against any combina
tions OF European capital in peace or war
| Hence, ii is only a question of developing
that energy and exercising that power.
| This Is precisely what the international
| gold trust seeks 20 prevent, and what it
has prevented thus far. The very existence
/ Of American Institutions is standing
menace To the totteriug thrones of Eur0ps.
| The oTtIilug of the .nintS Of the United
! States 10 the free and unlimited coina ge
/ Of sihe- at the ratio Of 16 TO l void
mean an increase in the worlds yJl Ine +
money. would mean that with cur
productive energy we could and wo I'D
force European nations 20 the biInetalic
standard, or force them out of the ira Re
markets OF the world. Hence it follows as
/ a logical conclusion that a victory II the
silver forces will be followed by j. war
between the United states and several of
the powers OF Europe combined, the ike of
which viii lee without precedent in tie
annals OF history"
Less than five months after the publi-
cation oi AIT. Heeney's forecast. Count
! Goluchowskt, Austrian minister uf for
eign affairs, and one Of the foremost
! statesmen OF Europe, prophesied a great
]
! He decia red. as The Times readers will
remember. tiiat the turning point had
been reached i'll European development,
which calls for the un.emittng atten-
ton OF the powers. The destructive
competition with tIans-oceanic countries
which had partly been carried on and is
partly 10 he expected in tl.e near future,
require prompt and thorough comlteracttng
measures. The nations OF Europe must
stand shoulder to shoulder Ia the ap-
| proachinT contest, aud arm themselves f9r
the struggle by every means al their
/ disposal The beginning Of the twentieth
century, he said, would, unless some inn
| mediate means of coUnteracting the pre-
| vailing tendency Were discovered and pug
in action, see bimetallism prevailing
from the north pole to Patagonia, and
when this financial condition became eff
| fectiyC, the last hope of European in
dustual competition with America would
vanish
Nj. Keeney s forecast was widely
copied 6nd commented upon last July, but
| Count GoluChowskis warning upon exactly
similar liEes has electrified all Europe and
| aroused America as well to the exigencies
| ofthe hesitustion. The appeal orthe a ustrian
! statesman is more than coincidence; it
| is a startling verification of the views and
arguments OF the noted silver leader.
America is becoming more ana more an
exporting nation and thereby the direct
rival aid competitor OF all Europe With
its vast resources and increasing powers Of
| prCductiunth he day is coming when we can
sell, at a profit, articles that are the means
of livelihood Of whole communities in
| Europe at a price less than the cost Euro
| pean production. When this takes place,
| destitution unrest, and the spirit Of rebel
! lion VIII fill the countries Of Europe, threat
ening the very existence OF the several
! governments. They VIII be forced into
radical action to regain lost markets, which
viii il ItvitaGly lead to arbitrary measures
! against American commerce. This viii
create friction which is likely at any time
to be Increased to the breaking point. The
| United States cannot stop exporting. Its
productive capacity, both OF ia atura! and
manufactured articles, has already far out
run its power ofconsumption. Thscountry
must export to foreign markets, and it m st
| be prepared to maintain its rights, both asa
party TO any issue and at 4 neutral.
There is now before Congress a measure
| directly incidental 10 this policy of prepar-
| ation-the annexation of Hawaii. The
chief markets In which the competition of
| the United States will be the most de-
structiye to Europe will he the Asiatic-
| China, Siberia and Japan, together with
the South American republics. An OF
| our con merce to Asia must cross the Pa
| cific, directly past the door of Hawaii.
| The nation that holds Hawaii controls the
north acific and its commerce.
Party expe1iency as well as national in
terest requires Democratic support of this
measure. 1t Eas nos been presented for
action iE this particular instance by Dem)-
cratic initiative, but it is practically the
same measure that was initiated by the
Democratic administration of President
| Pierce and Secretary OF State Marcy, in
1854
When seen at the Cochran by Times
reporter last evening, Mr.. Keeney said:
The recent utterances OF Count Golu-
| chow ski, taken in connection with the
attitude Of the leading statesmen OF lther
| European countries, must convince every
thoughtful and patriotic American of the
imperative necessity of the immediate
! adoption of purely American finan ial
| policy as a safeguard, not only to our
cor nerce, but our institutions, winch
are now imperilled by the present gold
| system at home, and the threatened com
bination OF the great European Powers
| abroad. Count Goluchowski's warning to
( the great powers is the strongest argument
/ In favor of independent bimetallism BY
the United States that has ever been put