The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1897-07-19
"The Americans Did the Talking"


Nothing could be more suggestive
than this phrase which occurs In the
press dispatch stating that the Amerl-
can bimetallist commissioners held
conference with the members Of the
British government. Lord SALISBURY,
Sir Michael Hicks-Beach. chancellor OF
the exchequer; Arthur BalfOur. first lord
of the treasury, and Lord George Hamh-
ton. secretary of state for India, met the
American commissioners, and the con-
ference lasted an hour.
This conference is stated by the dis
patch to have been an important one,
and then the shrewd remark is made
that "the Americans did most OF the
talking" We are quite sure that this
part of the report is absolutely correct.
The Americans did most Of the talking.
while the British officials gave them
that grave and polite attention which is
a part of diplomacy.
These officials had little to say. be-
cause. from their point of Wow. there
is little to he said; but they must have
been inwardly amused at the spectacle
of representatives of the great Ameri-
can republic going about among the
courts of Europe begging emperOrs and
of its financial middle. The British
officials must have remembered with
good deal of satisfaction that England
was never put to the humiliation OF cali
ING in other governments to aid in fix
ing its financial system. There was no
international conference when England
adopted the gold standard in 1916, and
there would he none now if the British
oI,n etn IL
ard or to adopt bimetallism.
We are forced irresistibly to the con-
cIusfon that the present republican effort
TO restore bimetallsm is simply a fraud
designed TO deceive the people of this
country into submitting to the operation
4 few years longer. or until it has
been riveted firmly upon our system.
We believe that the officials of Great
Britain will pretend to make certain
concessions to bimetallic views. and
that these pretended concessions will
be used by the gold trust and its repub-
lican emissaries as arguments to per-
suade the people to postpone indepen-
dent action.
This is the only explanation that can
he offered for The sudden change OF
front on the part of some of the most
RAMPANT ROlu Iiittt III F4ulO wv. A@is-4AN
months ago the British officials would
have politely dismissed ali suggestions
looking to bimetallic conference. Now
it is stated that Great Britain is willing
to make certain concessions; that
France is anxious for an opportunity to
restore silver. and that Germany is will
ing to be seen on the subject.
All this is inexplicable, except on the
theory that the gold trust is in a state
of alarm over the large vote for ma
tional bimetallism and desires to revive
the old fraud of an international agree
ment in order to deceive the voters into
postponng the issue indefinitely. If 1t
can raise false hopes in the minds
of tho people the gold trust feels that
it can tide the issue safely over the
coming elections.
But will the people be deceived again?
We think not We are of the opinion
that the pressure of hard times will
be a more potent argument than any
the gold trust can invent, and that
nothing short of miracle can save the
gold standard in this country.