The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-06-12
A LONG
PILGRIMAGE,
Silver Senators Going TO China,
Japan and India.
SENATORS CANNON. MANTLE,
PETTIGREw AND EX-SENATOR
DUBOIS WILL SAIL NEXT MONTH
OR IN AUGUST IN SEARCH OF
FACTS WHICH MAY BE OF SER
VICE TO THE CAUSE OF FREE
SILVER COINAGE = ANXIOUS
ABOUT THE FARMER.

Washington, June 11.-The defeat of
Senator Cannon's amendment to the
tarilf Dill providing for IN export bounty
upon agricultural products was NOT a
disappointment to its author because he
had anticipated exactly this result. The
amendment was, in fact, merely the first
step in the campaign of the silver Repub.
licans, and was used as a basis for argu.
1nent against the regular Republican
party The silver Republicans of the
Senate believe it will be very effective.
The second step in the preliminary
campaign work was taken today in the
appointment. by the provisional commit
tee of the silver Republican organization.
of commissioners to investigate the com.
petition of the silver using countries
with American agricultural products in
the leading markets of the world.
The commissioners appointed are Sena
tors Cannon, Mantle, Pettigrew, and ex.
Senator Dubois ..Yhey will leave as early
as possible for China, Japan and India to
make Investigations in those countries.
Regarding the purposes and plans of the
commissioners Senator Cannon said to.
day:
The appointment of commissioners
from the silver Republican ranks by the
national provisional committee on the
into aud report upon the industrial and
financial conditions there prevailing is
directly in line with the assertion made
constantly by the bimetal'ic speakers and
writers OF this country concerning the
threat of invasion of our industrial and
agricultural markets by the low.paid la.
Dor products of China, Japan and India.
The journey has long been nder consid.
Grafton by members of the silver Repub-
lican party.
1--WE hold that Mt the present rate of
progress in ten years China and japan
will have SO utterly demoralized the
worlds market prices 'on all industrial
and agricultural products sent out from
these countries that the American farmer
and manufacturer in those particular
lines will have been ruined past any re-
demption possible within this generation
II is III the hope of being able to submit
facts and. deductions which shall be of
help in the conduct of an aggressive cam.
paign before the American people that
the commissioners were appointed, and
that we shall make the journey.
we shall go first to Victoria, thence
to Yokohoma and thence to China. We
expect to go 1000 miles inland in the
Chinese empire. 1t ia probable that com.
munications will be sent by some one of
our number descriptive Of conditions rs
they appear to our eyes. Upon our re.
turn we expect to submit our findings in
such form as will expedite the issue as to
whether international bimetallism can be
secured or not.
eff international bimetallism cannot
be secured we believe that the situation
of the world will justify immediate indie
pendent action by the United States un-
der the doctrine of self-preservation as
the first law of nation. Personally, we
have resolved if we go to take with us no
predeterminations, and to remove so far
as possible from our minds all prejudice
and preconceptions, 30 that we may be-
come fully informed in detail as to the
status of Oriental countries and the char.
acter of the threat against our civiliza.
tion
The adjournment of Congress will
necessarily govern our movement. We
had hoped to sail in July and may yet do
so If Congress shall adjourn early enough
to permit of our taking ship next month.
But If the session shall last any consider
able time after July it will rot be pos
sible for us to sail until Augusta. The
time OF our return cannot he decided