Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-01-20
Senator Wolcott Delivers Speech Upon
the Negotiations of the Bfmetallic Com
mission With European Countries.
Proceedings In the House.

| WASHINGTON, Jan. 18.-Features Of
Mondays proceedings in the senate
were the speech delivered by Senator
| Wolcott Of Colorado, chairman of the
bimetallic commission, upon the nego-
| tiations of the commission with Euro
pean countries relative to International
bimetallism and the passage of the
Lodge bill restricting immigration into
the United States. The proceedings
were the most interesting and impor-
tant that have characterized any single
days work of the senate during the
present session. In anticipation Of
them the galleries were crowded at an
early hour.
Quite unexpectedly Senator Hanna
appeared at the opening of the session.
Foraker (O.) presented. Mr.. Hanna's
credentials for the remainder of Mr..
Sherman's term, which will expire on
March 4, 1899, and asked that the oath
of Office be administered to him. Mr..
Foraker escorted his colleague to the
desk, where Vice President Hobart ad-
ministered the oath.
Wolcott's Speech.
Mr., Wolcott enumerated the obstacles
with which the commission had to
contend, in which he included the
remarkable drop in the price of silver,
the coincident tariff legislation in the
United States and the statements of
New York bankers in England, who, he
said, sought access to the English Off
cials and assured them that any senti.
ment which had formerly existed in the
United States in favor Of bimetallism
was dead. Other statements made by
the bankers, according to Mr. Wolcott,
were the following: That the mission
was sent solely as a sop to a few far
western Republicans; that the country
generally favored the gold standard,
and that the president of the United
States shared this view.
The statements We're, y Mr. Wolcott
said, "of course untrue, but III support
of them these people assumed to present
interviews and statements Of the direc-
tor of the mint a hold-over from the
last administration, the late comptroller
Ilof the currency, an equally precious
legacy, now out of the public service,
and translated to q Chicago bank, and
pretended statements in letters and in
terviews from the secretary of the treas
ury to the effect that there was no
chance for international or other BIZ
metallism, and fayoring the permanent
adoption Of the gold standard. No
body in Europe cared a rap what the
two minor prophets thought or said, as
nobody in this country cares, but tho
alleged statements of the secretary of
the treasury were different matter.
We insisted that the letters must be for
geries and the interviews fictitious, and
trust they were, for it was inconceiy-
| able that a member of the cabinet
would seek to undermine the efforts Of a
mission appointed by the president, and
whose efforts he was cordially and zeal
ously seconding. q RI Il Al.
Mr.. Wolcott summarized the present
situation by saying that it is apparent
that for the time being it is useless to
count on any cooperation from Great
Britain towards a bimetallic agreement,
and that while France actively desires
to see silver restored to it's old position
as standard of value equally with
gold, she insists chat the problem is-one
which demands International action,
and the Co operation, to some adequate
extent, Of other leading commercial ma
tions of the world.
Here Mr.. Wolcott announced his in
tention to retire from the commission.
He said ut is my sincere conviction
that an international bimetallic agree
ment is still feasible, by the terms Of
which certain countries will join us
and open their mints to the unlimited
coinage Of silver, and others will con-
tribute to the plan an enlarged use Of
that metal as money and I say this the
more freely because I shall give way
upon the commission to somebody more
fitted for such negotiations and better
| able to give them his constant time
Iowa Cattle For England.
FoRT DODGE, Jan. Al. w. Hackett
and @. w. Maher, two Of the leading
or