Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1897-09-03

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the money lenders of London were not
agreeable. So thus far and no farther
was the British government willing to
go; thus far it would have had to go if
Mr.. Mckinley had backed up the Wolcott
com mission. but it could have gone no
farther. Refusal to go thus far would
have resulted in an overturning of the
ministry by the bimetallists in Parlia-
ment, effort to go farther would have
resulted in an overturning Of the ministry
by the money lenders of London.
Such was Mr.. McKinley's opportunity
to restore bimetallism by international
agreement If he had availed OF it, the
restoration Of bimeJallism would have
been thing Of the near future, for the
French government was ready to agree
to enter into an international bimetallic
agreement on the basis of the re-opening
of the Indian, French and American
mints to free silver coinage. But he did
not choose to avail of it.. He chose to
kill all chances of international bimetal-
lism by indirectly announcing to the
British government, through a message
to congress, that he did not propose to
avail of the assistance of the British
government in restoring bimetallism, in
fact. proposed to work for the remodel
ling of our currency along lines quite
antagonlstic to bmetallism. Such was
the result Of his message requesting
authority TO appoint q currency COM
mission to work on gold monometallic
lines, sent TO congress six hours before
adjournment, and such must have been
it's intent, for it must have been quite
evident to the president, as it was to
everyone else. that the ostensible end Of
the message could not be served by send
ing IL at that late hour.
But to the British government it had a
well understood, If indirectly announced,
Significance. 1t signifed that the VOL
colt com mission would not be supported
by the American government. that the
purpose of that government was not the
establishment of bimetallism but
quite the reverse and that it would be
futile for the British government TO offer
TO aid in restoring bimetallism. So when
the discredlted Wolcott commission ap-
preached the British government, and
asked if England stood ready to aid
in restoring blmetalllsm, the answer was
returned that it would be impossible to
make definite answer until some time IN
October, and after communication with
the Indian government, which was a
polite way Of saying the British govern
ment did not care to answer while the
American government played double
game, and evinced no disposition to back
up the Wolcott commission.
The diplomatic assertion that it would
be necessary to refer the proposals or
questions OF the Wolcott commission to
the Indian government before making
reply, was in the nature of a mere
pretext to secure delay. The question
of opening the Indian miuts is not one
to be passed upon in India. The power
over the coinage rests in the India coun-
Gil which sits in London, and there is no
one in India who has anything to say as
to whether the mints shall be opened to
free silver coinage or not. They were
closed in June, 1898, by order Of the
council, and they can be re-opened as
a. 80 Do II:
is required TO reopen the Indian mints;
nothing more is required than a simple
council order.
Yet 1t seems to be feared that the
announcement of the Presidents purpose
that he works to stablsh our monetary
system firmly on the gold basis, not to
re-establish bimetallism, may not have
served to kill International bimetallism,
that the British government may yet re-
ply to the Wolcott commission offering to
reopen the Indian mints. So the re-
publican press is busily engaged IN pre-
pairing the public for turning down of
that offer, If made. If necessary inter-
national bimetallism will be openly
killed in the house of its professed
friends. That is what the republican
press is preparing for in belittling and
ridiculing the opening OF the Indian
mints as a contribution to the restoration
Thus we have the Wash
ington correspondent of the Philadel phia
Press, now sojourning In London, writ
ing IN this strain: "The concession of
opening the Indian mints in case the
United States returns to the free and
unlimited coinage Of silver IS the utmost
that can be obtained from the British
government. That will amount to
nothing
On such statements are we fed, but
when we turn to the mint reports of the
United States and find that in 1902, the
year before the closing Of the mints to
free coinage, the Indian mints coined
S52, 25S, TAT worth of silver or more than
one fourth Of the total production Of
silver in the world during that year. that
in 1904 the wear after tho closing of rho