The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-14
RIVER AT 8 A. NJ.
Danger Height Of
is THIS "soUND MONEY"

Mr.. McKinley's silence on the money
question turns out to be more encour-
aging than his words, and his inaction
is more encouraging than the act which
marks the first approach Of this admin
istration, officially, to dealing with the
financial question. If the millions Of
voters who supported Mr.. Mckinley
last November solely because they be-
lieved that he represented the sound
money cause were not sufficiently be-
wildered by his contemptuous tariff
bill, what must be their feelings when
they read the list of his appointments
as commissioners to represent the
United States at an International mon
etary conference? Those commission
ers are Senator Wolcott, of Colorado:
MIR. Stevenson, of Illinois, and Mr..
Paine, Of Boston. About Mr.. Paine
we know comparatively little, the most
assuring statement being the language
of the press report, that 'he is
regarded as allied with the sound
money faction" About the others we
know a great deal. Senator WoIcott
Is as ardent an advocate of the free
coinage of silver at the ratio Of 16 to 1
as could be found. He differs from his
colleague, Senator Teller only in the
single point Of considering 1t more i'm
portant to remain formally in the Re-
publican party than to sacrifice his re-
lations to it for his views on financial
subjects. AS far as his individual at
titude is concerned, he is as uncom-
promising a 'siXteen-to-oner" as any
on the list. The ex-vice president shares
his views. For a long time Mr.. Steven
son kept silence, but when it appeared
that the organization of the Democratic
party would be carried by the free
silver people he went over to them
body and baggage. He is not a man
qualified to represent either the nation
or the Democratic party in this confer
ence, because he is not a deep student
Of financial subjects, nor will he go
into such an assemblage with strong.
clear decided views to impress upon
others. He will regard his work large
ly from the point Of view Of politics.
and his qualifications scarcely go be-
yond it. There would have been less
reason to quarrel with the selection Of
an able sound money Democrat like
Mr.. Whitney, or an able free silver
Democrat like Mr.. Vest, than with that
OF Mr.. Stevenson, who cannot carry
weight in such a conference.
The thing to be noted, however. Is
the selection made by a president elect
ed distinctly on the financial issue and
pledged by the platform of the party
and by every obligation that a man
can hold to the voter to maintain the
gold standard This man, so bound nv
pledges and by duty, names a commits
sion Of three men, two Of whom are
committed to the free coinage idea in
its extreme FORM and a third whose
views are little known. 1t looks as If
Mr.. Mckinley had desired to advertise
as widely and emphatically as possible
both his own insincerity and his desire
that the international conference. If
one is assembled, is to come to
naught. We all know that, if any un-
Outstanding is to be reached among
the nations, it must be by series of
compromises. Not one Of the great
powers Of Europe, whose assent to such
an arrangement has been deemed nee
essary, would listen seriously to
proposition to join with us in the free
coinage Of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1
To larger use Of silver they might
agree. 1t is not impossible that some
Of them would unite with US in a COIN
age plan contemplating a change in
the ratio. But If dr. Wolcott and Mr..
stevenson are not to reverse all Of
their records. they will listen to nothing
but the fat rule Of free and unlimited
coinage 1T the ratio OF 16 to 1. In this
case. u conference IS foredoomed to
failure, and our part In It will only be
TO intensity the ridicuIe and criticism
Of The world that we have invited by