The Anaconda standard., 1898-01-19
Mr.. Wolcoft's Troubles.

VEN while Senator Wolcott was
talking about his commission's $
bimetallism, during the senate
session of last Monday. Secretary Gage
was before the house committee rehears-
ing his well-learned dialogue with Con-
gresham Walker, the moral of which
Is that congress ought to go the full
length OF the other commissions single
gold recommendations.
Mr. Gage is so opposed to the Wolcott
commission that he is evidently seeking
opportunities TO make emphatic his
favor for the other commissions plan;
it is a coincidence that while Wolcott
was trying to make il appear that the
Mckinley administration is friendly to
silver, the presidents own secretary of
the treasury was in house committee
room, doing what he could TO persuade
republicans to commit the administra-
TO the most radical gold plan that
has ever reached a committee of either
house in congress. ii the administration
keeps moving along its goldbug way, as
1t surely viii, Mr.. Wolcctt will have to
make good many speeches in defense
Of the presidents bimetallism before the
session is many weeks older.
BY the way, Senator Woleott rode
right up to the fork in the road, the
first thing. Yesterday the senate COM
mittee on finance concluded to report
fayorab bly, the Teller resolution which
asserts that the bonds Of the United
States shall be payable either In silver
or gold, Mr.. Wolcott is a member Of
the finance committee. When it came
to a vote. he parted company with re-
publican gold5ugs like Merrill, Aldrch,
Allison and Burrows; he voted with the
silver democrats-with Jones, Turpie,
Vest and Walthall.
That Is one Of the Illogical things a
man has 10 do who tries 10 be an adj
ministration republican and a silverite
at one and the same time. only few
days ago when Senator Fairbanks left
Washington for Il conference with his
Indiana constituents. President McKin
ley said To him Tell the Indiana re-
publicans that / am going h keep the
bond" What is in the bond? It's es-
can party IS opposed to free coinage,
except by international agreement
with the leading commercial nations of
the world and that until such agree
ment can be obtained the existing gold
standard must be maintained"
There is no hope Of an international
agreement-Mr. Wolcott has proved
=,
obtained, il is not yet obtained; so that
Mr.. Woleott Is voting against his partys
platform in voting for the Teller res0la-
ton. because that platform says that
until the agreement Is obtained, the gold
standard must be preserved" The
Teller resolution is Il direct attack on
the Mckinley money plank-it asserts
that whether we ever get the interna-
tionai agreement or not. and pending
the effort 10 get it. the gold standard
shall not be maintained.
The Teller resolution flies in the face
of the ST. Louis platform. Noting for
It. Mr.. Wolcott, while protesting 10
travel with the administration might
as well have voted for resolution say
ing. we are opposed to the plank in
the St. Louis platform providing that
while the question of international
agreement is pending, the gold standard
shall he upheld" Yet that Is the Nc
kinley administration essential plank.
Tile fact is Mr.. Nolcott cannot hope to
avoid constant collision with himself.
His vote ef yesterday il vote squafely
against the cardinal plank in the ST.
Louis platform. II proves that il would
haze been eleverer and easier and hon
ester 10 have been straightforward
about II all; his proper course at St
Louis was 10 walk cut