The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-11-05
The Failure of the WOlcott Commission.

There seem to be little rason for doubt that the Wohot Commission has
failed to accomplish anything in its negotiations with the English government
To what extent President Mckinley irresponsible for the failure W e do not know,
but we believe very largely IT, since the commission was appointed, he has
done ANYTHING to strengthen its hands and increase its influence ,ropd. the fact
has not been made public. Not kind word or a hopeful expression has fallen
from his lips with reference to the work of the commission, In cold formal
and perfunctury way he ha, gone through the motions of carrying ont the ante
election pledge of the republican party to promote an international agreement
The gold press of England has SO regarded his action while the same class of
papers in this country mckinley staunch supporters have simply sn@red at the
scheme as visionary impossible and undesirable.
The president has acted asst though he neither expected nor wished for success
His currency message completely ignored the commission and its work. Not
only was there a total failure to mention it, even in the most general way, but
the message plainly contemplated a permanent adherence to the gold standard
and IA complete surrender of our currency to the banks. Why did not the prei
dent urge congress to take some action in aid of the monetary commission he
had createdy Such a recommendation would have been perfectly gernane, and
surely a commission officially sent to Europe by the president of the United
States, to obtain if possible, the concurrent action Of the real leading CONNER
cal nations for the restoration of bimetalGsm, was quite as important as a ir
responsible self appointed convention held in indianapolis" But the former re
ceives not even passing aluson, while the attention of congress is urgently di
rected to the plans and purposes of the latter.
We believe that Senator Wocott and his colleagues have performed their
duty in the most perfect good faith. We also believe that Senator Wolcott in
never shared his confidence The declaration wa thrown into the republican
platform ISL bait for silver men to nibbe at, and, save asit might contribute
to republican success it was never intended to bear fruit II WAS known in nd
vance that England would not cooperate and without her nothing comd be done
in Europe
This is what the silver men said in the last campaign, and the result has
proved that they understood the situation The effort to promote information
al timealllnn having failed, the republican party now stands pledged to the
maintenance of the gold standard without provisos Or qualifications
This presents the issue without even a mosquito netting in the way of dis,
The political arena of the United States is the battle gro1nd. The issue for
1900 is now made. Senator Chandler has declared that this country will never
submit permanently to the oppression of the gold standard and that the party
which advocates it is doomed to defeat What course will he now pursue? Will
he take the side OF the people, or will he, like sc many Others yield to The crack
of the party whipg If the gold STANDARD is bringing that rain which he has 30
NNiuIy pictured 10 u GHtHeTa assert HSp ODUHcll lHJepGnIanc2 " SaY good |
bye to conscience
The international bimaarhts of Europe 50 fan az they oppose independent
action by the United States must also prepare to shift their go1ul if they ex
pect to do anything substantial Uncons.iouay no doubt they have done the
cause of imetalism incalculable harm by antgonizing the only real friends
they have in the United States No sooner doeia strong free silver sentiment
manifest itself here than the gold men, masqneTdng in the g.ro OF information.
bmetalistt alto c seek to check it by pointing to the atials of European
bimehllsts in opposition The gold men in this country-man who want no
bimehlGsm in any form or in any way-are constantly declaring that. free sill yer
agitation here will delay q agreement with the great commercial nations, and
that actual free coinage will prevent it for all time. They never give any sub
stantal reasons for these claims but they arsy very fond of quoting European
bimdalists on their side In Europe speaking generally, insrnai)nll bimet
isa penuine thing in III Initial tatos az rhe If Ia ah,, mi ,
With a very few notable exceptions the American international bimet
lisa sort of milk and water individual "a very indefinite quantity He
has p vague notion that the gold standard Isl bad thing and that silver should
not be madea monetary outcast But he has very little appreciation If the i'm
of the subject, and an exceedingly imperfect knowledge o. what bimet
actually is He is quite likely to regard the money question a Of less
Importance than the tariff, and when Mr. Sherman the Nestor of American f.
declares that true hmetallsm is the ue Of gold as full standard money
with silver in limited quantities IS small change, the average American inter
national bmetalist mods his head approvinsIy and looks wise. If there we're no
free silver sentiment in this country, international bimetaIirn would seldom
be heard Of The advocates Of independent action here have opposed an agree. !
ment with other countries They have simply regarded it a out Of reach, ex-
cet as thing subsequent to action by this country alone.
Bimetalism will never he restored by mere academic discussion. There
must be political action. A beginning must be made and there Is no nation 80
qualified to make that beginning as the United States Of America.
In economic strength this country is fully one fourth Of the gold standard world, I
and 1t will soon be onethird. It has the power 1t has the sentiment and it has !
the election machinery through which that sentiment can make itself heard and
felt f.
Henceforh we rather confidently hope that Wall street will not find unite ,
20 much comfort in the atitudeh European hmetaIhts National Bfmetalist I