New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-19
USE OF GOLD AND SILVER.
REPUBLICANS AND INTERNATIONAL
MONETARY CONFERENCES.
WHAT THE PARTY NOW IN POWER HAS DONE ~
PROMOTE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. CON
FERENCES HELD.

TELEGRAPH TO THE TRlbONh'J
Washngton, April 1s-The appointment ny fresi-
dent Mckinley of a Commission TO open negotiations
TO- an international bimetallic conference recauS
some interesting facts with reference to the history
of former conferences of this chiracter ana esPe-
c,ally the par. the Republican party has taken IN
bringing them about. 49,.
Tha, the Republican party in the United States
Mas been on all former occasions, as 1t Is to-day
foremost in the movements In favor OF ih'er""'
nonal action In behalf of silver is entirely apparent
from study of the history OF the earlier confer
ences and preliminary work which preceded then''
AT every step in the progress OF legislation OF
official action with reference TO the proposed inter
national conference Of 1897 the professed friends or
silver In the Democratic-Populist and Free-siiver
parties have embarrassed rather than assisted 'he
work their speeches IN Congress and their utter
encee In the newspapers having from frst 10 last
insisted that no conference could prooaoE ne
brought about. that, ~ held. no results would
he obtained. When this Is compared win inc "o
ton OF the Republican leaders, both In the present
case and in former conferences tho contrast Is
startling. ,,
-Four international monetary conferences ioohi"s
70 an Increased use Of silver and the restoration OF
bimetaism have been held IN the last thirty years
The first held at the invitation OF france anu
met In Paris on June II. 1867; the second met, at
the invitation Of the United States, In Paris on
August 49, 1873; the third was called by the united
States and France jointly and held In Paris IN
1881 and the fourth called by the Unl'eo states
and met at Brussels November q ls9z hi'h
might have been held in 1898 had President Cleve-
land chosen 10 follow the example Of preceding
Republican Presidents and call together again the
delegates TO the conference OF 1892, who adjourned
with tho understanding that they should meet again
in case any Of the nations represented cnose 10 CAL
them togethe-. Mr.. Cleveland. however aIthoush
urged to take this step TO reassemoe 'his CONFER
.nce which had made considerable progress at Its
nNhir
for a Republican President his successor to cali a
conference again. The preliminary steps for such
action have already been taken In the appointment
Of the Commission named on Monday last
The first international conference on this subject
was held during the Paris Exposition In 1851 Inc
primary object Of this was the establishment, L
practicable, Of an international silver coin. the
limited States was represented at this conference
nv a Republican, General Samuel b. Rusgles, OF
New-York appointed by Republican president
on the recommendation OF the Leading momoerS Oh
the party. That conference, although not success
ful in the work for which It called. is looked
upon by bimotalists generally as extremely impor-
,ant and General Ruggles's report OF the records
AZ the proceedings are highly priced by students
Of THIS subject.
Thu next step IN behalf Of bimetallism was also
the work Of the Republican party. 1t was the aP-
polntment Of commission under a joint resoiu-
ton passed by a Republican Senate, whose mem
which has taken place In the relative values OF soid
and silver and the causes thereof, whether perma-
nent or otherwise" and, second, into the Pohcy
Of the restoration Of the double STANDARD III thls
country and II restored. what the legal rauo De-
tween the two coins silver and gold. should De-
This was not an international commission Inc
RepubNcans on the Commission were Senator
Jones OF Nevada: George S. Boutwell, George VIII
lard Of the House of Representatives and Pro-
lessor Francis Bowen. OF Harvard College, whlle
the secretary Of the Commission was also he-
publican-George Weston OF Maine. Inc Deiho-
cratic party represented by Lewis v boee!'
Richard p Bland. Randall L. Gibson and William
Crosheck Three members Of this Commission.
headed BY Senator Jones reported in favor OF tho
free coinage Of silver at the ratio OF 151z to l. the
standard Of the Latin Union. Other members OF
the Commission, including Mr.. Grosbeck' MI
Bland, Mr.. Boutwell, Mr. Bowen and Mr. Gibson
presented separate minority reports. but old nor
concur in the recommendation for the new ratio
Of 16i5 to /.
While the report Of the Commission Of 1876 which
was appointed by President Grant did not lead TO
oneiarv conference This confer
ence was brought about through legislation mi
ssd BY Yoes n The House the
was called by a Republican President ana dlstln-
cnished Republicans formed majority OF the
REPRESENTATION of the United States in it, The in
from the United States at Paris; August H. . lsls
we're accepted by eight nations The delegates from
United
SewIYork, chairman; General Francis A. Walker
w S. Grosbeck and 5. Dana Horton the Iatte.
Savi5e fhe same rights on the floor of the confer
ence as the members of the CommlsSlon Al theSe
gentlemen, with the exception Oh MI "'oS'''N
The next international silver conference was held
at the ionf Invitation of the United States and
France. April IS. 1851 the call for the conference
and the appointment Of delegates thereto having ma
9elesstes, Wish w ore Milan NJ Eyarts Allen G.
{pnnf ny q 3.
whose Offices at the former conference; ana whose
writings on bmetasm had " tbe SGa dt
chosen from the Republican party bui me kt t
lean President of that datG tarn nyie ndc S
the earnestness Of his party in behalf OF inter
aGon by go ay and yJ9r
iieve that an arrangement can be made between ,e
leading commercial nations which VIII secure Inc
general use of both metals. 1870, oeoxoo On
The fourth and last international conference on OF
nle' Savim been called by Republican Presi
dent BENJAMIN Harrison. authorized ny an aihenu-
nnhliean Senate. and the representation of the
United states on the Commission being. as on All
The delegates OF the United States We're William T.
Ason 1ehm JORed Wsnd Edwin WIN n TeT and
lanes II McCreary The Instructions 10 these
delegates, prepared by Republican Secretary OF
.it is the opinion of the President. Mr.. Harrison;
and as he believes of the people OF the e In Yea
States with singular unanimiiy, that the inI use i
~ silver as a coined metal at ratio TO gold TO be
be fixed by agreement between the great h GT,
nromote the prosperity Of all the countries of the
world For this reason your hrst ana most I'M
nortant duty will be TO secure II possible an agree
mani among the chief commercial nations of the
world looking TO International bimetallism-that Is,
the unlimited coinage OF gold and silver into
money of full debt aying power at a hxed ratio
in coinage common 10 all the Powers agreeing
The report OF the American delegates on their
return shows that the form Of expression pre-
pared by these delegates that In the opinion or
This conference II is desirable that some measure
may be formed for increasing the use OF silver in
the currency systems Of the nations" received the
approval Of nearly every one of the nations there
represented This conference had by far larger
attendance than any which had heretofore been
held