Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-01-22
INTERNATIONAL BlMETALLISM.
Senator waIcott Tells Why 1t Was No
Accomplished.


Senator walcott Tells Why 1t Was Not
Accomplished.
Senator Walcott, of Colorado, chair
man of the bimetallic commission ap-
pointed by President Mckinley, told
his story in the senate on Tuesday.
The account of what he said, as sent
out by the Associated Press, is as fol-
lows:
Mr.. Wolcott introduced his subject
by saying that he was glad to make a
statement respecting certain phases Of
the work of the recent bimetallic com
mission; but that in doing so, he
spoke unoficially, "not committing
his associates in the slightest degree
either to his opinions or deductions"
Taking up the subject of his re-
marks, he said that when congress met
year ago, soon after the national
election, there was universal ex-
preston by the Republican member
ship in the senate that the pledge in
that part of the St. Louis platform to
promote International bimetallism by
every means in its power, was an un-
dertakipg TO be faithfully carried out
without evasion or delay.
"Our views here" he said, "known
to the president before our appoint
ment there was no one Of us who did
not and does not believe that the
financial question overshadows all
others, and that continued adhesion to
the single gold standard means only
disaster to our agricultural and COM
mercial interests"
The committee had, he said, in its
six months stay abroad, visited only
London and Paris, and he added that
whatever measure of success or failure
had been meted out to the commission,
sit bad been hampered by no lack Of
authority or sanction of administrative
support"
Summing up the favorable condi-
tions under which the commission op-
Grated, Mr.. Wolcott said
awe have had then a law broad and
full in its powers; we have been free
to act under its provisions; our views
have been identical and earnestly ia
voring an international agreement
and we have had the hearty support
of our ambassador at the court of St.
James. 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 Republican party pledging it to
every effort to bring about an interna-
lional bimetallic agreement"
In France, he said, the question of
bimetallism was regarded strictly as
an International question, and it was
agreed that France and the United
States should unite in presenting the
question to Great Britain. He conten-
ded for the Importance of the pre-
limiuary undertaking with France be-
cause of the large per capita circula-
ton of that country.
"Had England even adhered TO her
assurances of the 18th Of March, 1896,
countries representing more than half
of the total money of Europe and the
United States would have agreed, prior
to conference; that upon terms to be
settled at such conference they would
reopen their mints to the unlimited
coinage of both gold and silver"
Mr.. Wolcott next enumerated the
obstacles with which :.e commission
had to contend, of which he included
the remarkable drop in the price of
silver, the coincident tariff legislation
in the United States and the state
ments of New York bankers in Eng
land, he said, sought access to English
officials and assured them that any
sentiment which had formerly existed
in the United States in favor of bimet-
allism was dead.