The age-herald., 1898-01-18

(Conunuea From First Page.) ~~~----~~-e~~-------~~ the court of St. James. There has been no moment when we have not known that the back of our efforts was the earnest desire of the chief executive to carry out in it's integrity the provisions of the plat form of the republican party pledging it to every effort to bring about an interna- tional bimetallic agreement.
 An International Question.
 In France, he said, the question of bi- metallism was regarded as strictly an in- ternational question, and it was agreed that France and the United States should unite in presenting the question to Great Britain. He contended for the importance of the preliminary understanding with France be- cause of the large per capita circulation of that country.
 Had England even adhered to her as- surances of the 17th of March, 1896, coun- tries representing more than half of the total money of Europe and the United States would have agreed prior to confer ence, that upon terms to be settled at such conference they would reopen their hints to the unlimited coinage of both gold and silver.
 It was perfectly realized from the begin ming, he said, that bimetallism for England was out of the question.
 India was the vital point of all the nego- tiations with England, and all other pro- posals were insignificant in comparison with that respecting the reopening of the hints of India to the unlimited coinage of silver and the repeal of the order permit ting gold to be paid for government dues and to be exchanged for government rupees"
 Many English monometalists Of wide in- fiuence believe the policy to be mistaken one, he said. land would be glad to see India's hints reopened, if it could be done without stimulating the cause of bi- metalism and as a separate and distinct action. There was 8 general opinion not limited to England, that the Indian govern ment would be quick to avail itself of an opportunity to reopen it's hints and would welcome any international attempt towards bimetallism that would raise the value Of silver and would be glad to cooperate in such an attempt.
 India Situation Inexplicable.
 .sTo us," MT Wolcott continued, ''the In- dia situation is inexplicable. Millions of people, most of them extremely poor, have for years invested all their savings in sil- yer. These accumulations few years ago were worth a thousand millions of dollars and more. Today they are worth less than half that sum. By the closing of the India hints and the artificial gold value given to silver, India is at a great disadvantage with the neighboring countries, the exports of which are stimulated by the higher pre- mium on gold, and they are robbing India of much of her manufacturing and export trade. The present policy inflicts upon h. dia as well the evils of an insufficient and steadily lessening currency, evils which the vicissitudes of that dependency during the past twelve months have served to empha- size. The world has heard much of the famine in India and for the great funds subscribed for its victims. It has not been, however, so generally known that the fam he was one of money rather than food that the contributions were chiefly for warded to India in the form of money and not grains during the whole period of the famine Rice was abundant where men were starving and it's price was a trifle over a cent pound, less than the price of wheat