The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1897-02-22
Arc the Republicans in Earnestp

arc the Republicans III LdIhS9IE
The senate bill to provide for an in
ternational monetary conference is now
before the house committee on coinage,
and it is causing a great deal of distress
to the republican members. As mat
ter Of fact. these republicans are doing
their best to talk the measure to death,
or at least to postpone its consideration
until after Mr. Mckinley is inaugural
ed. Some OF the republican members
of the coinage committee have boldly
announced their opposition to the in
ternational scheme, and take the ground
that the republican party shall repudi-
ate its platform pledge.
typical and characteristic scene Oc-
cured at a meeting of the coinage COM
mittee recently. Representative Fowl
er. OF New Jersey. resumed his unfin-
ished speech against bimetallism. When
he came to the question Of an interna-
tional conference, he announced that
further agitation Of the question Of
bimetalfsm would keep capital cut of
the country To this he added the state
ment that the last campaign had been
a clear-cut fight for the gold standard
against free silver"
At this point Mir. Cooper. Of Texas.
one of the democratic members of the
committee, wanted to know why the
republican platform declared for bimet-
allism if it was an exploded theory.
To this Mr. Fowler responded that the
party has been "evoluting" out of it,
but. unfortunately. at st. Louis. it
left one foot in the past" Whereupon
Mr. Towne, OF Minnesota, asked if Mr..
Fowler did not believe that the repub-
lican party had made a pledge to the
American people to use its best efforts
to secure international bmetallism.
The only reply that Mr.. Fowler would
deign to make to this searching Ques-
ton was that he did not know what
bimetallism meant"
It viii be observed that this was an
Independent statement and not at all
an answer to Mr.. Towne's question,
but it enabled Mr.. Fowler to wriggle
ont OF direct reply, and Mr. Towne did
not press the matter. Mr.. Fowler con-
tinued his remarks. declaring that "the
agitation Of the conference idea might
disastrously affect the operation of
the new tariff bill which the republican
party expected to pass" If the confer
ence had any result. cit would have
tendency to raise prices" and this. Mr..
Fowler thought would inevitably ere
ate uncertainty"
Our readers need not suppose for
moment that the democratic members
of the committee were at all worried
by the opposition of the republicans to
their platform pledges. Whether he
knew it or not, Mr.. Fowler. of New Jer-
sey, and those republicans who have
betrayed a strong desire to repudiate
their platform pledge, were engaged In
creating campaign material for the dem
ocrats-m material of q sort that is not
to be found every day.
The attitude of the democrats was
well illustrated at the conclusion of Mr..
Fowler's remark, when Mr.. McRae. of
Arkansas, speaking for the democratic
members of the committee, said that if
the policy advocated by the republicans
who had spoken was pursued. the DEM
ocrats would be entirely content II
the platform was to be interpreted as
indicated, the democrats would be sat
isiied. They had no desire to hamper
the majority in any attempt to carry out
its principles.
The committee is advertised to take
a vote on Saturday, and no matter what
the result Of the vote may be, the dem
ocrats will be satisfied. They have no