Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-17
FOR FREE SILVER
Representative Hartman Replies to
Senator Carter.
NO COMPROMISING OF PRINCIPLE
international BimetalIism Believed
to Be impossible.
AN EXPECTED MEASURE

The senators representing silver constitu-
encies who still maintain their loyalty to
the republican party will not cooperate
with the silver aggregation in the Senate of
this Congress.
There has been considerable uncertainty
felt as to what course such men as VOL
colt and Carter would pursue, in view Of
the failure of the intern ational monetary
commission. The suggestion has been made
that they might abandon all allegiance to
the administration and join the silver
forces. Ir a recent interview Senator
Carter is quoted as having said that when
it is ascertained that international bimetal-
lism cannot be secured there will be gen.
eral realignment of parties on the financial
question, aid coupled with this he is quoted
as proposing the use of silver coin in the
place of all paper money below So SEN
ator Chandler. who has recently been ad-
vocating bimetallism through the press,
has suggested in one of his communications
that an international agreement should be
entered into between the United States and
other governments on this continent for
the revival Of silver coinage.
No Understanding Reached.
These utterances have been construed by
some as indicating a probable purpose,
based on some understanding, on the part
Of men occupying the position of Mr.. VOL
colt and Mr.. Carter to cooperate with the
silver element in Congress, and as showing
weakening of their loyalty to the republi-
can party. 1t may be stated positively
however. not only that there is no under
standing between them and the silver peo-
pie, but that there is a pronounced and ag-
SreSSlve antagoniSm.
Representative Hartman of Montana, the
same state as Senator Carter, declares that
senator carriers suggestion of a realign-
ment OF parties does not signify to him any
purpose on the part of Mr.. Carter or those
occupying the position he does to break
away from their allegiance to the republic
can party, but that on the contrary, it
signifies that he and they are determined
TO remain loyal to that party. He says
further that there will be no cooperation of
the silver people with Mr.. Carter in sup
port of his suggested compromise.
No Compromise of Principle.
Does Senator Carter, in his recent inter-
view advocating compromise of the silver
question through measure providing for
the Issuance of silver in the place of notes
under ten dollars, represent the views of
silver men generally?' Star reporter ask
ed Mr.. Hartman.
NO. he does not replied Mr. Hartman
"and 1t is only fair to say that from the
terms of his interview, he does not pretend
to represent the silver men, but very prop
erly excludes himself from classification
with them. The apology for a compromise
which the senator proposes will not be sc-
cepted by the silver men in either body of
Congress. The advocates of bimetalllsm
will submit to no compromise of the prin-
ciple for which they contend. Men who
are casting about for schemes to do some-
thing for silver or for a larger use of
silver or to advance the market price of
silver, either do not understand the first
principles of the money question, or else
they are endeavoring to compromise away
nf for hafv lReI
poses. AS a representative of silver state
l desire to repudiate the idea which has
been persistently circulated by the enemies
of bimetallism and some of its pretended
friends, that support of the cause from the
silver states is based solely or to any con-
siderable extent upon the fact that they
produce silver"
DO you think that Mr.. Carter's sugges-
ton OF a realigrment of partiessSin the
event of the acknowledged failure of an in
ternatfonal agreement, indicates a purpose
on the part of himself and other republi-
cans representing bmetalic constituencies,
VINO have adhered to the republican party
up to this time, to abandon that party and
join the silver republicans?' was asked.
1T bears no such significance to me; on
the contrary, 1t demonstrates that he is
fully determined to remain with the repub-
lican party, and the declaration of his ex-
citing hope for International bimetaliism
is intended as an excuse for his doing SO.
and as an ~inducement to those republicans
who agreed with him last fad to continue
their all agiance to him and the republican
party.
Pursuing Wisp.
1.-THE recent letter Of Senator Chandler
and the interview of Senator Carter anent
the failure of the Wolcott commission to
persuade the leading commercial nations
of the earth to permit the United States to
have such q financial policy as she desires
indicate very conclusively that at least Sen
ators Chandler and Carter still propose to
chase the will-o'-the-wlsp of International
bimetallism, in spite of the Knockout blow
dealt to it by Lord Salisbury in his reply to
the proposals of Mr.. Wolcott's commission
Senator Chandler proposes a pan-American
agreement How this will fulfill the
pledges of the St. Louis platform to main
tain the existing gold standard until the
agreement with the leading commercial ma
tions of the earth is obtained Senator
Chandler does not advise us. That Senator
Carters stock of hope in international BIZ
metallism is not all exhausted is evident
from the language he is reported to have
used in that interview, as follows: When
1t Is ascertained that international bimetal-
lism cannot be secured. should unquestion-
ably favor, and upon a candid acknowledge
ment of the fact it would undoubtedly fol-
low, general realigument upon the fipan
cial question throughout the country. And
Tor tnat DIVISION, when 1t occurs, the single
geld standard men will not be well pre-
pared"
II presumed it had been 'ascertained' to
the satisfaction of everybody that inter-
| national bimetallism, involving the consent
of Great Britain, is an iridescent dream.
| The fact of the complete failure of three
previous conferences, because of the re-
| fusal of Great Britain to consent to an
agreement, ought in itself to be sufficient
proof of the imprObability of the achieve
ment of international cooperation. But. II
| TINS were not enough, the statement pub
| lished by the London Statist showing the
advantage which Great Britain enjoys upon
her export and import trade under existing
conditions, shows the utter folly of sending
| any more commissions to plead with her Ia
| surrender that advantage. AS a consuming
and creditor nation, she of course is inter-
ested in taking our products at the very
lowest price at which she can obtain them
| and even her admiration for this country
| will scarcely convince her that she ough,
to deliberately surrender the great advan.
tage which she now enjoys.