Evening star., 1898-03-19
GAGE ON THE scfRRENcY.
Secretary Of the Trsasury Praise. the
Gold Standard.

Secretary Of the Tfsnsury Praises the
Gold standard.
Secretary Gage Of the Treasury Depart.
ment delivered an address at Cleveland,
Ohio, last evening before the chamber OF
commerce upon financial questions This
was IN acceptance Of ansinvitation given
Secretary Gage several weeks ago by the
chamber.
The Secretary was met by the officers of
the chamber upon his arrival In the CITY
and escorted to the ; H5llenden. At q
o'clock they had dinner together and then
proceeded to the chamber, which was
densely crowded with The leading business
men OF the city. No one but members was
admitted. After the address the Secretary
was entertained at the onion CLUB. Secre
tary Cages address follows:
Most of us had cherished the hope that
the financial issues which have SO lonx
vexed the country had been settled by the
political decree of 1885, Most of us had he
iieved that the peoples voice having once
been decisively uttered. those who repre-
sented that voice would be left free to
peaceably adjust the financial policies of
the government IN a manner consistent
with the warrant they had received.
Events and conditions easily Recognizable
now go to show that such is not the fact
One branch Of the national Legislature.
comparatively unaffected In its personnei
by the election of 1896. is evidently not
sympathetic to that reasonable and lopica /
result OF various political faiths, the ma
Jorfty Of members In that body have the
power to obstruct, perhaps unite to defeat.
the last expression of the popular will
More than this, the evidences are
strong that the minority will force a mo-
tion to reconsider in 1860 the peoples YER
ulct OF 1896. We must be ready to vote
again upon the main issue We need NOT
rear its results. Nevertheless, the onset of
the coalition between reyolutionizing dem
t.
ing populism will be pushed with both yieor
ana zeal Already the leaders are bringing
their skirmishers into line for the congress
sionai contests of next autumn
IN a recent appeal. separately issued
yet by indubitable signs, jointly conceived
the coalition formulated the catchwords
TOR the new campaign. 1t is interesting to
study these several documents, and I take
tne liberty OF quoting some Of the more
striking passages, and OF making brief hut
appropriate comments thereon
says the chairman of the national demo-
cratic committee, TO the peopIe:'
The surrender of the republican Marty
TO the advocates of the gold standard ana
monopoly is at last complete. The nresant
administration, called to power upon the
solemn pledge of the republican national
convention at st. Louis to promote bineta,-
nsm, mas formulated and sent to Congress
a Dill. the leading purpose of which the
secretary OF the Treasury avows, is to com
gold standard ~ ''ie
radical difference appears between in
ternational bimetallism and the demo
cratic scheme for the free coinage of siIv,,-
without the aid or consent of any other ma
tlon. International bimetallism means tho
same measuring rod over values. both AT
nome and abroad. 1t involves a use of the
words money, and resultant harmony in
the exchanges. Local 'bimetallism' means
a d1slocation between the United States and
the rest of the commercial world i'm a
money standard. Besides al, the other
losses and arrangements already pointej
cut, 1t means position of continuous dis
advantage in the competition for the
worlds 8 trade and commerce.
Nothing but the bHndsst disregard for
the economic laws which govern us more
surely than do statutory enactments can
lead US into such folly. For interna tional
bimetallism the republican party stands
piedged. To secure it,, all honorable and
proper efforts will be but forth; but. until
1t Can be secured. 1t Is manifestly for the
interest Of our people,ito preserve. by ali
proper means, the present gold standard
Inrough 1t we measure by the same rule
wltn which our competitors measure. and
by It we contend in the struggle for com
mercial supremacy with sweapons evenly
natched to those of our well-armed antag-
OnistS." e