The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1897-11-03

The formal answer OF the 4otlt-.
ish ministry to the Wolcott bime
taIlic commission fulfills the.
prophesies of Democratic newspa
pers and orators in the campaign.
of a year ago. The British COY
eminent, through Lord Salisbury,
has dismissed Mr.. Wolcott and his
associates, politely but emphatical-
lily. The noble Lord regrets that
his government Sis not able to re-
open the Indian mints," does not
see the desirability of another in
ternational monetary conference,
and regrets its inability to accede
to the proposals of the American
commissioners ending with the
hope that the United States has
something else to suggest, as
Great Britain has as great an in
terest as the United States and
France is securing stable par ex-
change for gold and silver and an
enlarged use of silver"
We may do Lord Salisbury the
credit of believing that his regret
is only diplomatic but sincere.
Lord Salisbury is inclined to the
bimetallic theories, and his first
Ilord of the treasury, A. j. Balfour,
is one of the foremost bimetallists
in Great Britain. But it would
have been nonsense to to count on
any active support of bimetaIlic
policy from the British govern
ment. There is one thing that
weighs with the British govern
ment more strongly than the per-
sonal preferences of its members.
and that is the wishes of the bank
ing and commercial interests of
London.
The money interests of London.
with few exceptions, are strongly
in favor of the single gold stand
ard and regard it as matter be-
yond argument. Perhaps from
the standpoint of immediate Brit
ish interests they are right. Eng
land is the worlds creditor, and the
more valuable the money in which
the world must pay its debts to
her the better off she is. But.
right or wrong, these interests are
fixed in their beliefs and will lis
ten to nothing else, and they are
strong enough to bring any Brit
ish administration to terms. They
took violent alarm at the mild pro-
posal to keep s2o,Oo0,O00 of the
Bank of Engalnd's reserve in sill
yer, and brought their influence to
bear to force the government to
keep India under the anomalous
financial system that is crushing
out her industries.
The Republican party knew as
well year ago as it knows to-day
that there was not the slightest
chance that the British government
would take any share in bimetal-
lie movement. 1t was trying to
work a confidence game on the
people, and it succeeded. No vo-
ter who is not willingly blind can
ever be misled again by the device.
When bimetallism is established
it must be without the aid of Eng
land. In fact until the United
States government opens the minis
of this country to the free coinnge
of silver it will be little short of
folly to attempt bimetallic negoti-
atoms with other Char
lesion Gazette.
Thanksgiving Proclamation.
Gov. Atkinson has issued the
following proclamation:
with an abiding trust in the
goodness and mercy of Almighty
God, and in conformity with an
established custom to make public
recognition of the acknowledgment
I designate Thursday, the 25th day
of November next, to be set apart
as day of thanksgiving and pray
er for the great privileges which
we enjoy. 1 hereby call upon all
our people to abstain as far as pos
sible from business of every char
acter and kind on that day, and
that they meet in public places of
worship, in order that prayer and
thanksgiving may be offered to
Almighty God for the privileges
and blessings which we now en-
joy"
County Debt.
For the fiscal year 1898, there
were issued 15S county orders in
avoass rf 4I,a Low, o,,r1,,,4;. -