The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-08

The Wool and Cotton Reporter tells us
that 1.-THE foreign wooden manufacturers
are, for the most part, in excellent spir-
IT'S" are buying Large amounts of WOOL
are not conscious as yet that ''they have
lost our market" and are docking for
ward to a profitable business in light
woolens in China and Japan. The rasca's
even think they will "seI US large orders
in the future" Under these circum-
stances The Reporter naturally warns
american h1kfn1lfa CturerS to be or their
guard 1t is not this prophecy which af-
fects us, but the cheerfulness of these
s~coundrels. We always thought one of
the most attractive effects of a good
tariff was to make foreigners feel misera-
ble.-New York Evening Post.
President Mckinley might have put ii
THAT We might adopt a coinage ratio Of
gold and silver after the other nations
had agreed upon one, but that we would
News. Yes, President Mckinley might
have aid something of that kind had
he desired to get off the platform on
which he was elected-a platform pledg-
ing his party to promote an international
bimetallic agreement. But as he preferred
to stand squarely on That declaration of
principles and po!itics. he said nothing
which, under any fair construction, indi-
Gates a lack Of fidelity to the ~bimetallist
pledge which enabled his party in 1896
to carry states that couqd not possibly
have been carried for unconditional gold
monometarlism. He has done his party
and the country good service by faithful
ly adhering to that promise in the past
and there is not a word or suggestion in
his New York speech that indicates a
Discrimination on his part to go on. pro-
mo+fng an international
whenever there is a chance for effective
work in that direction. While it is un-
likely that the Mckinley administration
Will run after" other nations. it is bound
to take advantage Of any circumstance
that may ndica a reasonable proha-
biHty OF securing their assent to a COIN
ratio. Whether the president or any
body else believes that it is possible to
bring about the agreement which the
president and his party are pledged to
promote Is a MATTER of secondary polit-
ical Observation-Disclosures Post.
Secretary Gage has evidently received
a very severe tip from Mr.. Mckinley.
His currency Plan was al Wen enough.
and so his declaration before the house
committee On currency and banking
would have been, If the reporters had
not got rod Of 1T. But when Mr.. Gage
explained his plan-that is to say. tod
the truth about it-and declared THAT n
was a scheme for committing the coun-
try more thoroughly to the gold stand
ard. he called down or his head a storm
Of protests from those republicans who
think It s.FFl fea eshle TO deceive the peo-
pie on the money question. The pro
tests arose, not because Mr.. Gage favors
ire go Il standard. but because ne spoke
his mind too freely. md refused to nince
matters by cove-ing his meaning under
ambiguous phrases. There was great in
dignation among the republican shutters
and considerable talk of forcing Mr..
Gage from the cabinet. To these bitter
threats he replied that his resignation
was always at the disposal of the presi-
dent. 10 be demanded ard given when
ever he misrepresented the policy OF rhe
administration There was no more COM
fort in this than in the declaration that
caused the noise: and 50 the cAamor was
kept up Then Mr.. Billy Chandler called
on the president. and the great maxim
maker bade the senator be OF good cheer,
for If he (the maxfm-maker) was in ia
vor Of anything he couldn't get more
tfonal b~imetarism and ite belongings
Atlanta Constitution.