Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-02-25
EUROPE And BIMETALuIsM.
Opinion I'm France and England he
Eardfng International Agreement.

Opinion in France and England he
EardfnE International AEreemeS..
by far the most important utteraace
made in any part of the world during
the last month"; is the National Re
views estimate of n. MeIine's declara-
ton in favor of bimetallism. N. Meiine
is the French premier, and in the cham
Der of deputies December he pointed
out that the depression in agricultural
industry was due to "a cause which can
be expressed in word"
There has been a progressive fall in
the price of agricultural products dur
ing the past ten or fifteen years. 1T
has not been confined TO one particular
country, although silver standard eoun-
tries have not felt it. In them values
have remained stable. This proves to
the premier, he declares, that silver has
Lot fallen, but gold has risen, and that
gold prices have fallen for the very Sim
pie reason that III gold standard coun-
tries t'the enormous privilege of free
coinage is now confined to gold alone"
Upon a member exclaiming: That is
chimera," NJ. MeIine retorted: NO,
that is no chimera; it is the law which,
D.
II. Meline is not in favor of the free
coinage of silver by the republic of
France, independent of other nations.
And he is right. Geographical situa-
ton and other conditions forbid, but
it IS easy to see where he would stand if
an American, or how he would act if
France was a considerable exporter of
foodstuffs and producer of silver.
As it is, he favors international agree
ment to bimetallism, and promises 10
use his influence to that end.
Here is a chance for Maj. Nc
Kinley and his party, if the declaration
at ST. Louis was made in sincerity.
France is one of the great powers, and
the prime minister of France is an earn
est supporter of what Maj. Mckinley
affects to advocate.
Turning from France to England, we
find but one ayowed monometallist in
the tory cabinet to-day, according to
the National Review, very high au-
thority.
The convinced bimetallists are Mr..
BaIfour, Mr.. Chaplin, Sir NJ. White
Ridley, Lord james Hereford. Lord
Lansdowne, Lord George Hamilton,
Mr.. Goschen, Lord Cross and Mr.. Doug
las.
Mr.. Chamberlain, Mr.. Long and Lord
Ba1four, of Burleigh, are classified as
''open-minded." Five members are I'M
classified, and Lord Salisbury himself is
set down as benevolent toward bimet-
allism."
Sir Michael Hicks-Beach alone is
hostile.
The Review predicts that the cabinet
will take the initiative and place Great
Britain at the head of "this great in
ternational movement" We do not
think so. 1t seems to us that as
creditor nation the mother country has
nothing to gain by the exaltation or
restoration of The white metal. But
this opens up another argument, and
one apart from the object of this arti
Gle. What we wish to do is TO impress
upon the incoming American admins
tration the fact that if it is not hypo-
critical it will be met even more
than half way by France and re-
ceive a not unfriendly hearing by
England in any effort looking to
a reconciliation between the estranged
but regal pair-the royal gold and the
queenly silver"
Act!-Chicago Dispatch