The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-08-03
The yorthern Gold Fields.


The great gold-nnds on the hlono'No
come az a most awkward time LOT nl1cl-
national or any other kind oil Diiile' .l''l9ili'
Next to good crops and gooH uauv, no-
thing so depresses true bimetalllst lovers
NJ tbeir country and their kind as the
discovery of fresh gold deposits IL Is
such an ugly fact 20 explain away ia
pans going over 20 the gold stahdaiu
NAV plausibly be accounted for as II was
by Senator Stewart, on the GROUND lha1
Japan has been bought up. RUSSIA
leaning towards gold has an obvious coh-
uection with Russian tyranny. But wneh
vast new quantities OF gold are FOUND 10
20 into that terrible vacuum ID the cur
rency which nothing but silver was avail
able 10 hll, II begins 10 look as II not ouly
bankers and creditor-nauons ana the pow
ors Of darkness. but Providence aiao' were
on the side of the gOld-bugs.
The alleged scarcity with dlminishlhs
production. OF gold has been the leading
article in the creed Of honest bimetal-
ism. For a time it could assert hlgn
geological authority I'm its support The
distinguished Austrian geologist IIoL.
Sucss. deliberately proved. only q rev
years ago, that the gold supplies or the
earth were gradually giving out ana that
no fresh finds of any consequence could
be expected This was shortly before
tho tremendous increase in the output Of
South African gold, which OF itself was a
shattering blow to the bimetalllc argu-
ment Now comes these undoubtedly Ilch
discoveries in this far of corner III they
yield, as estimated, $lO,O00VO year IN
gold there alone we should have an addi-
lion TO the currency half as great as that
made by the Sherman law OF blessed mem
orv-and they would be full-weight dol
lars. too none Of your hfty-cent shame
faced token-dollars.
AS we say. AN this is most i.l-timed
for international bimeiallism Senator
Wolcotts smile we venture to say mar
rows perccpubIy as he reads the teie-
grams in the London papers giving am acc
count of the KlOndike gold fields This
thing is playing scandalOusly INTO Loid
Salisbury's hand. II was bad enough be-
fore The trade and Treasury returns III
England for the FIRST quarter OF the hsca
year were showing degree of prosperity
most cmbarrassiEg 10 bimetallic logic.
Tho estimates or the Chancellor Of the
Exchequer had been surpassed by more
than So 100000. Then there was the I'M
pleasant news from America OF good
crops and high prices for them. With
Nebraska and Kansas farmers paying OF
their MORTGAGES by the million, how could
international bimetallism be expected TO
make headway2 When on top OF all this
came the authentic accounts OF tho great
discoveries of gold ON the tributaries OF
the Yukon. Senator Wolcott must have
been tempted % eXcla.m with the psalm
ist. Lord. how are they increased that
trouble me,'
This financial and political aspect OF
the question is doubtless the most im-
81 1.rrf Hrfr
another highly suggestive side These
gold finds are in British territory. Tie
Klondike flows into the Yukon near tho
Alaskan boundary, and the gold has been
discovered mainly along It's course I'm the
Northwest Territory. Yet the successful
miners the men who come home with
tales OF fabulous wealth attained In few
weeks. are largely American citizens
That IS TO say. they arc "alions,' ''for-
egn devils" allowed 20 80 freely into
British territory and carry away It's chief
treasure without let or hindrance Ina
CINE the case reversed. Imagine the gold
fields on our side of the Alaskan border.
and Englishmcn swamlng in 20 despoil
us What shricks 10 high heaven and
appeals 90 Congress there would be- We
should have laws in a twinking 20 make
an alien miners pay nine-tenths OF their
findings into or Treasury. We should
tax thom heavily 20 get into the terri
tory and not let them get out without
paying the uttermost farthing. What
some OF our States have done In the way
OF legislation 10 make aliens smart FOR
lending US capital and developing our re-
I sources fairly indicates what we would
do In the case supposed. This stupid Eng
lish indifference 20 the nationality Of the
man extracting wealth from English soil
would never be the policy Of wide-awalle
| and patcrnal and strictly look-out-for-
number-one American government.
The incident throws light on the ter
rible 'land-grabhng" prosperity Of Eng
| land. She grabs everywhere, but che
| throws what She grabs open to all the
world. She IS we'll known 20 grab with
| peculiar fury when It IS a question Of
| getting a bit or gold-bearine land that
| always drives her frantic. But, as the
! klondiko gold-hnds show she lets FOR
/ eigners come and help themselves TO the
| gold after she had grabbed H. She po-
/ Ices tho territory acquired she makes
/ lie and prosperity safe there she estao-
] lishes courts She fosters education ana
/ religion; but She gives Frenchmen, Ger
| mans. Italians. or even her dearest foes
! Americans the same rights there as
! Engushmen. This IS a policy or IN
credible Stiffness, according 10 Amen-
can standard. IL might be justified on
| tho theory that law and international
| policy are intended to promote trade and
| industry and make human liberty ana
| happiness as secure as possible; but we
| know that theory TO be entirely mis-
! taken Laws exist for the purpose or
| discriminating AGAINST foreigners. ana
causing misery in foreign cities as Nc
kinlyoy boosted That his tariff had done
International relations-are 10 be so man
aged that every nations hand viii be
against IFS fellow. This being the Ameri-
can conception. and. therefore the true
conception. the obsoletoness. the isolation,
the supreme folly OF the English policy
are clearly proved-and that. OF course IS
4 INC mum thlnE.-The Nation.