Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-01
4 nlnrrALLIc CONFERENCE.

The committee appointed by the senate
caucus to propose legislation looking TO
nm international conference on btmetal'
lism has completed the task assigned To
il and will submit its proposition to an
other senatorial caucus 10 be heid on the
! reassembling of congress. AS stated III
the dispatches the proposed Legislation
simply authorizes the president to ap-
point delegates to an international none
fairy conference whenever he shall see
fit TO call one. or when he see fit to re-
sDond to the call of some other country
for such n conference. 1t is not con-
templated to request the president I"
invite other countries to join with the
United States in considering the subject
Of international bimetallism, but the
question of doing so is to be left entirely
within his discretion.
According to Senator Wolcott. the
chairman of the committee, who recently
visited Major Mckinley, the president
elect is favorable to the proposition. He
said in an interview: major Mckinley
is cordially in favor of making good the
promises Of the party and seemed pro
foundly interested in the bill and what
was said about it. He is in thorough
harmony with the party and his main
Dmpose is the good of the country"
The republican national platform
pledged the party to promote an inter
national agreement for the free coinage
of silver. 1t would seem safe to assume,
therefore. that if the proposed legislation
is enacted the next administration will
act upon it and that during the present
year another international monetary
conrerence-there have been fiye-will be
held to consider what may be done for
silver
The question that naturally presents
itself is. What promise is there of any
practical result from Il conference?
Are there any better reasons now than
there were in 1892, when the last con-
ference was held, for believing that
another international discussion of bi-
metnllism would amount to anything
more than the one of four years ago
did? Senator Wolcott says that senti-
ment in Europe in favor of an inter
national understanding in reference to
the disposition of the silver question is
growing and aggressive; that France
and Germany both feel the importance
of the issue and England read an OBJ
iect lesson In our late campaign and
election. But where Is the evidence of
this? Unquestionably there are very
earnest bimetallists in all the European
countries. There Is Il considerable
number of them in England they are
more numerous in Germany and France
and they are To be found elsewhere
but they are not Il controlling force in
any of the governments, nor are they
likely TO be in the near future. Only
two or three really influential voices
have been heard recently in Europe
in favor of bimetalism. NJ. Meline in
France and the Dutch minister of
finance have spoken In favor of that
policy and their utterances have been
the most significant that have been
heard for year past, though they do
not appear to have produced any
marked effect. AS everybody knows
the English government stands firmly
In the position announced by the chan
cellor of the eXchequer when the ques-
ton of England being represented in
an international conference was pre-
sented In the House Of Commons year
or more ago. 1t will have nothing to
do with bimetallism. Germany will
take no step in the matter that England
IS unfavorable to. Without these ma