New-York tribune., 1897-07-18
OF SOCIETY.
fBY CABLE TO THE TRrBrSE.l I

sets everybody's ears ringing, never clears tne
air; when quiet IL restoi ed after interval OF
noise and turmoil the situation 10 found to bs
unchanged The denunciation Of Secretary sher-
mans letter on the Behring Sea question by the
English press Is an artificial demonstration Of
this kind Public discussion has turned. not upon
the merits OF the question. but upon the methods
Of presenting the argument; rot upon the facts
Of the case. but upon the amenities Of diplomatic
intercourse. 1t has left the question Of protect
ing the seal herd precisely where It was. Lord
Salisbury and Colonel Hay have been negotiat-
ing this question for several months and
with the help Of ex-secretary Foster they win
continue their work There IL evidence that
the Foreign Office has taken offence because
Secretary Sherman has emphasized certain pas
sages in his own or Mr.. Fosters argument, nor
has there been any justification for The
Timess" reference to It's money article as
proof that Jingoism has business aspect which
Is unfavorable to the revival Of American pros
perty. Neither the frolicsome pups the
confirmed bachelors among the, seals can be
transformed into dogs Of war. The regulation
of the pelagc fisheries is practical question IN
which London, with Its immense Undressing IN.
dustry. is directly inter 1t would be quick.
ly settled II a single small port In a single re-
mote province Of Canada did not have the power
Of clouding international relations for It's own
selfish interests.
1t would appear idle to assume that because
The Tribune has brought to light an important
State paper the negotiations now in progress
here on the silver question would fail b.
metallism is at best complex problem; but
when an attempt Is made {, overlay II with the
plain facte Of natural history involved in seal
breeding II beoomee inscrutable mystery too
profound for the human mind. There Is no con.
necton between these two subjects. except in the
minds Of excited Underwriters. What the three
silver envoys, with the American and French
Embassies behind them. trying to do IL to
induce the British Ministry to make certain
concessions which will render monetary confer
ence for the settlement OF the silver question
practicable They may not succeed, but their
failure will not be due to Secretary Sherman's
excess Of emphasis In arguing the seal question.
1t is not however. foregone conclusion that
they will not succeed. They can have an inter-
national conference whenever they ask for IT,
but that may be the easiest method OF defeat.
ing bimetaiism. What they are trying TO bring
about Is a conference which will be certain to
accomplish practical results. and they are seek
ing to open the way for 1t by securing in advance
either pledges OF bimetaic cooperation. like
|
cesslons, like the reopenlrg OF the Indian mints.
They dealing with Ministry which is d.
vlded on the monetary question, and the issue
is uncertain There two men who can either
hasten or prevent the holding Of an international
conference pledged to do something besides de-
bate the monetary question. These are eir
Michael Hicks Beach and Lord Rothschild
The asperites Of English journalism excited
by Secretary Sherman's outspoken and aggres-
sve letter have not interfered with the social
| attentions showered upon the representatives OK
the United States at Windsor and Buckingham
and the functions remaining at the close OF the
waning season. Never have Americans been
welcomed with greater distinction and cordiality
| in London. There were as many as a dozen oni-
cia representatives Of the United States Gov
ernment at the State concert on Thursday night
wnen the English press had been faying
Brother Jonathan for twenty-four hours. and
| they were the guests of honor. Lord Salisbury
and Colonel Hay sre on the most friendly
terms. although some frantic censors have sug-
gested that the American Ambassador ought to
receive his passports in consequence OF the
| Sherman letter.
| Whatever furries Of excitement there may bs
| in London newspaper offices IL cannot be seri-
| ously questioned that the relations between the
| two countries have improved IN consequence OF
| McKinley's appointment Of a special Embassy
| for the Jubilee and Colonel Hays increasing
prestige and influence in diplomatic circles Mr..
| Reid had taken passage by to-days steamer.
but changed his plans at the last moment ana
will sail by the American liner on July "a
The Economist" has review to-d-Y OF
decade of American finance. with the closing re-
tha nj tod
have suffered grievously from party strife and
perverse legislation. and may be called upon TO
endure something more from the vagaries OF
their politicians The article is not unfair and
reveals evidence Of Improvement in American
financial conditions, especially In the shrinkage
~ the deficit and the stability OF the gold re-
.srve II does not bring out the essential fact
| that the real cause OF the financial disturbance
| during the decade has been the Cleveland
nolicy OF tariff revision on English lines and the
| temporary abandonment OF the economic sys-
tenn TO which all the business interests OF the
country had been adjusted for generation.
The age Of miracles has passed. and II Is not
| perhaps reasonable TO expect Free Trade man.
! ,or. IN toll the exact truth about the disastrous
effects of Democratic tarin -tinkering. sun.
! oven the Golden Club is getting on and really
learning something. 1t has presented To Sir
Wilfrid Iaurier a gold medal ana copy os
resolutions declaring that Canada's preferen-
t,al tariff does not invalidate the Belgian ana
German treaties. and adding that even II 1t does
the most favored nation treaties must be aban'
doned by England As the Golden Club guards
the Ark OF the Covenant OF Free Trade. this 10
an orthodox declaration that the most favored
nation principle Is q hocus-pocus, and tha'
canada has hit on the practical method OF usina
the tariff as a lever TO force foreign nations 70
open their markets
This of course Is precisely what the Ehg'sn
Fair Traders have advocated ana "na' 'ne : zee
Traders have sternly condemned Inc ooooen
Club now redeems the doctrine from '"e :"
proach OF heterodoxy and proc'aims 40 ." -
80 =, ~. ,rue faith once delivered to the