The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-01-22
3|hETA(LIC COMMISSION.
SPEECH BY SENATOR WOLCOTT
Ample Discussion on the Subject Of
silver lis Observation-Disclosures That
the Indian Government Would BE
Glad to Retrace Its steps.

discussion of the silver question by Sen
ltor WolcOtt of Colorado. The features
Of Mondays proceedings in the senate
we're the speech delivered by Senator VOL
colt of Colorado, chairman of Che bimetal
lie commission, upon the negotiations of
the commission with European countries
relative to international bimetallism, and
the passage Of the Lodge bill restricting
immigration in this country. Senator
Foraker, the senior senator from Ohio,
presented Senator 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 admins
tered to him. Senator Foraker escorted
his colleague to the desk. where Vice
President Hobart administered the oath of
office.
Taking up the silver question, Senator
Wolcott said that when congress met a
year ago, soon after the national election,
there was universal expression by the re-
publican membership in the senate that
the pledge of the party in its st. Louis
platform, to promote international bimet-
allism by every means in its power, was
an undertaking to be faithfully carried
out without evasion or delay. He then
gave an account of the appointment of the
commission, saying that all three of its
members were bimetallsts.
"Our views were" he said, "known to
the president before our appointments
There was no one of us who did not and
does not now believe the financial ques-
ton overshadows all others and that con-
tinued adhesion to the single gold stand
ard means only disaster to our agricul-
tural and commercial interests"
The commission had, he said, in its six
months stay abroad, visited only London
and Paris, and, he added, that whatever
measures of success or failure had been
melted out to the commission, sit had been
hampered by no lack of authority or sane
ton, or administrative support
The language of the law had been the
commissioners guide, and there was new
er at any time, he said, instructions given
us that sought in the slightest degree to
change or hamper OF limit the full powers
conferred upon us by law.
1--WE have BEEN" he continued, "of one
mind and in entire agreement during all
of our negotiations and our efforts have
Loyalty been furthered by our representa-
tives abroad wh5'we fortified by strenu-
Gus instructions. In England, especially.
the able and intelligent and cordial CO.
operation of our ambassador was of great
advantage in our deliberations"
Summing up the favorable conditions
under which the commission operated
Senator Wolcott said 1--WE have had
then law broad and full in its powers:
we have been free to act under its pro
Visions; our views have been identical and
earnestly favOring an international agree
mentand we have had the hearty sup
port of our ambassador at the court of St
James. Further than tins. IRON the dav
of first entering upon the fulfillment of
our duties until now the president of the
United States has extended to the com
mission his answering support in all of
its efforts to bring about'an international
agreement. There has been no moment
that we have not known that back of our
efforts was the earnest desire of the chief
executive to carry out in its integrity the
provisions of the platform of the republi-
can party pledging it to every effort to
bring about an international bimetallic
agreement"
"The newspapers of London. like the
newspapers of many of the capitals of the
world" he went on, "are dominated by
and allied with the banking element. and
reflect their views and often their ex-
! Orosciopa Tho b,,cinaeo Of .,,o,oxy loan
ing is an engrossing pursuit not always
tending to the cultivation of the ameni-
ties of life, and it is not to be wondered
at that the London newspapers, voicing
that industry, should, in their hostility to
policy of which they disapproved, for
get for the moment that courtesy which
is due the stranger within their gates, es-
pecially when he comes upon invitation,
and that they should be led to character
ize officials as impertinent which they
themselves invited.
ut was realized from the beginning
that bimetallism for England was out of
the question. India was the vital point
of all the negotiations with England. All
other proposals were insignificant in COM
parison with that respecting the reopening
OF the minis of India to the unlimited
coinage of silver and the repeal of the
order permitting gold to be paid for gov
eminent dues and to be exchanged for
government rupees"
Senator Wolcott spoke at length on the
conditions in India, explaining the values
of the rupees since the closing of minis to
silver in 1898. The closing of the minis
had, he said, created wide dissatisfaction
/ nd thnrn ,,.n. u ..o.,o,,l ;.,,r,roo.in,, tInt