The sun., 1897-07-04


miss tho lesson conveyed By this pregnant fact
MAY BRINo JusTick ron EsEgAyp.
EVERY Eneiishman is anxious TO know why
tho arbitration treaty with this eountry was re-
jectod have no rcason TO change tho, opinion
which expressed on tho I'd OF FchruaSy last at
the Redmond meeting in this city. Itwas re.
jected because England's troatn,ont OF ireland
had given her n bad character among tho people
Of the world and u nation, like an individual,
will always be affected By the character
IL bears. Tho arbitration treaty was re-
jectcd because England IL distrustod, and
Englishmen begin to realize that this dis
trust Is based on the barbarously. savage
manner in which ireland hos been govnrnod for
centuries. Tho long limo OF colonists who under
free local governments OF their own participated
in the jubilee has shown that England can re-
gain the good opinion OF the world by treating
Ireland as she has her other possessions, ana. In
my judgment, n substantial measure OF homo
rule will no conceded to Irishmon before tho
lapse OF many years"
did you pay any attention to the silver CUES
tion whilc you wero abroad =
Eyes; in Paris mot the American Commits.
sioners. who are oil my friends. also discussed
the question with several statesmen in different
countries, and Investigated for myself It's
bearing upon the social and Industrial condition
Of labor wherever went"
Have you changed your views about itf'
mo; everything which havo seen confirms
me in the belief that tho agitation for tho free
coinage of silver is nothing but an agitation for
the reduction Of wages. The remarkable feature
of this agitation is that laborers arc induced to
participate in 1t by the pretence that an increase
in the prices of commodities will result In an
increase in the rate Of wages. OF course this 10
fallncy. but It is plausible. and It appears to
havo induced many workingmen to regard
the debasement Of tho coinage as distinct
gain for labor. have never yet found
demand for bimetallism to exist In any
locality where, upon close examination, did
not find that 1t was but q disguised complaint
| that the ratio Of wnges was too high. In dis
cussng tho question with vory prominent
| English statesman he informed mo that outside
| OF Lancashire there is absolutely no demand for
the free coinage of silver In England. Il 10 we'll
| to remember that Mr.. Arthur Balfour sits In the
| House OF Commons as member from Man.
| chester. I do not pretend to say that this &C
| counts for his support Of 'bimetallism' but
| 1t Is a coincidence worth noticing. asked
| this statesman why there was o demand for the
reconciliation Of silver in Lancashire, and ho
| informed me that the Manchester manufactur-
ers complained that they could not compete
with their rivals in India. 1 asked him why.
| and he said becauso the rate of wages is much
higher in Manchester than In India. Clearly
this explains bmetallism in Lancashire and
the same idea will be found to underlie the do
| mand for 1t wherever 1t exists.
| "BIMErALLIsM" MEANS REDUCED WAGES.
"Now. IL wages be too high. tho obvious rem
edy is to reduce them. but the candidate who
suggested to the operatives of Manchester that
! their wages be reduced would be buried politi-
cally and would not bo entirely safe personally.
Instead, therefore, of openly and frankly suR-
| gesting a reduction Of wages. which is easily
| derstood and would easily be disposed OF. 1t is
| moro polite to advocate q debasement Of the
| money in which wages are paid. ana, curl
ously enough. as l have said. the Ia
borers themselves to large extent have
been enlisted in this agitation. In Austria
| l conversed with several members Of the legis
lative body on this subject. and found that
| every one who represented an agricultural con-
stituency was in favor Of bimetallism. They
explained this attitude by saying that the
| prices of agricultural products have declined
| while wages remain as high or higher than ever.
Some OF them expressed the same sentiment
more felicitously by saying that tho cost Of
| agricultural production remains the same,
| while tho prices Of agricultural products have
diminished. But since the cost of production
is almost entirely labor cost. it is plain that
here again the complaint Of tho bimetallists is
that the rate Of wages is too high.
II do not mention thir with any disposition to
| embark again in a discussion Of tho silver ques-
| tion, or to express any opinion as to whether tho
| rate Of wages Is really out Of proportion to the
value of the product, but simply to point out
what have always insisted on during the late
canvass, that the silver agitation is strong no
where except where producers believe that the
cost Of production that is to say. the rate of
wages, is so high that It endangers their profits.
Il,,tt ;,,
also In many instances supported the free coin
age Of silver at the ratio Of 16 to1 q
81 am aware of that, but l have unbounded
confidence in the capacity of the laborers to deal
with all matters that affect their own interests.
Before they take any decided action on this sub
ject l am confident they will insist on knowing
just how they are to be benefited by n scheme
which will clearly and ayowedly increase prices
but which of itself does not and cannot increase
wages. l believe they will show the same good
sense and patriotism In dealing with this ques
tion which they have displayed In dealing with
every other question that affected their own
welfare or the prosperity Of the country"
"Do you think the Wolcott mission will have
any important effectr
II do not believo that the settled policy OF
any European country using tho gold
standard will be changed by anything which
this commission may do. but think It quite
likely that an attempt may be made to persuade
people OF this country that some concession has
been made to the bimetallio agitation by the
gold.using countries Of Europe. or. to use
phrase current everywhere. that something
has been done for silver Any European Gov
ernment which has been troubled by similar
agitation would be glad to SEQ this country
throw open Its mints to tho free coinage of sill
ver so that the consequences of our experiment
would servo as warning to the people of othel