The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-15
FIAT MONEY ISSUE
NATIONAL BOARD OF TRADE
FEARS 1T WILL APPEAR IN
1900.
SPIRIT OF DISSATISFACTION.
NO EVIDENCE OF MANY CONNER-
sIONS FROM THE FREE SILL
YER RANKS
REFORM IN CONSULAR SERVICE.
Extension of Civil Service RuIas IA
Cover Such Posts Strongly Urged
Other Reports.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE Ma
uonaI Board Of Trade met here today
for its twenty-eighth annual session
ex-GoV. Stannard, Of Missouri. presid-
ing IN the absence of Frederick Fralev.
OF Philadelphia, who has been presi-
dent of the board since its organization
In 1868. The executive committee made
Its annual report, which was adopted
without dissenting vote On the sub
Ject OF the currency the report says:
Probably there is no subject which is sin
VI so mQch Importance as that of the cur
lency; Nhile the great uprising in favor OF
sound money in 1896 was not without its good
eHect' there is still much to be desired i'm
Inc way or permanent prosperity which con-
dltlon is mainly due TO the fact that the fu-
lure OF our monetary system is still largely
IN douDt. over confidence as to the CON
thued influence for good OF the defeat az
free silver and the last election is a serious
mistake. While hard times ara undoubt
eddy a stimulus to unsound systems Of dnapre
II Is a mistake TO suppose that the numer-
Gus friends OF such systems will be entirely
satisned by return Of prosperity. Hard
times which did not originate the silver once
ton has undoubtedly been used by interested
parties TO instill false ideas into the minds of
many OF our people, particularly our WORKING
men ana farmers. which have become a part
or their political belief. A spirit OF unrest
and dissatisfaction still exists among srch
classes, and there is no evidence that among
such any great conversion from the free silver
doctrine has taken place anywhere in the
country. In New York or NebrasI,a IN,
opinions OF the dissatisfied are now practi-
cally the same before the election The
form may have changed. AS free silver was
put form and natural sequence of the green
back heresy. so now the tendency is to he
come a fiat money rather than a silver fall
lacy; but in whatever form il shows Itself u
has become general theory of public policy
and a conspicuous tenet in the doctrine of a
national political party. To such the free
silver or fiat money question and all cOnsld-
eratonS or currency reform viii be made
subservient thereto The only way to meet
II Is by persistent education, for which pur-
pose some Of the sound money ORGANIZATIONS
have been continued and a national one
formed. though without very much popular
interest or support, and by the adoption OF
a sound financial policy, including not only
coinage but banking and currency. While
our present system exists there Is the ever
impending danger of a repetition OF our late
financial difficulties. when the country would
be at the mercy OF those who do not have
Its best interests at heart
In the absence OF careful attention I'm the
meantime, and unless by some very UneXpect-
ed contingency We shall have an unprece-
denied degree of national prosperity at the
time or the next general and presidential cleo
ton. we may expect to see fiat money an
issue OF the campaign
CONSULAR REFORM
One of the most important reports
presented and adopted was that OF
Jonathan A. Lane, Of Boston. on the
reform Of the consular service. The
report advocated the extension of the
civil service rules to cover the consular
service to the end of securing practical
business men in the service rather than
purely political appointees Another
important recommendation was that
hnpaa ftat, inn no 10 oNTnnAIIaH IN. OF
test their invoices before a magistrate
Of the country from which the goods
are shipped, in addition to their oath
before the United States consul. In
this connection, it is alleged that sew
eral million dollars are lost to the
government annually by under valua
ton in goods paying an ad ValOrem
duty, the oath before a United States
consul not being binding In the country
of export, and there consequently be
ing no method of Furnishing those guilty
of this form of deception. 1t was fur
tber stated by the report that many Of
the largest exporting houses in foreign
countries have their own agents in this
country who conniVe at this violation
of law.
A report was adopted from the COM
mittee on uniformity Of state laws.
This especially looks to the unifying
Vi COilllutICldI laws III lllt Gil i'AA'
states There is at present so great
variety among the banking laws and
laws relating to commercial paper that
much confusion results in the conduct
of Interstate business. Several Of the
states have abrogated the laws relat-
ing to days of grace on commercial pa
per, and there are many other Varia-
items which make it almost impossible
for business men to carry on transac-
items outside their own states without
the aid of a lawyer at the other end
Of the line.
Somewhat in the same line is the OBJ
ject of the Torrens bill, which received
the Endorsement of the meeting. This
measure relates to the unifying OF the
land laws Of the several states, 50 as
to make the methods of land transfer
and the clearing Of titles the same
throughout the country, simplifying the
various existing processes and reducing
the expense to the minimum.
The recommendations of Surgeon
General Wyman for a national quaran-
tine law were discussed at length and
heartily indorsed.