The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-03-13

people beyond our borders. carried on
American ships manned by American
interested In the financial resources and
policy OF every country, IN the world and
we shall aid In securing some universal
International system which shall be free
that great questions OF financial policy,
upon which depend the prosperity and
therefore the happiness of our people,
are not international questions?
There have been three international
conferences upon the subject of bimetal-
posite each.
The conference Of 1878 was held too
soon after the change which Germany
empire refused to participate, France held
aloof. and England attended only through
courtesy.
yitation of France and the United States
following closely upon the heels of the
knowledge, OF the subject, but continental
politics still played an important part,
and no conclusion was reached.
The conference of 1892, summoned at
our invitation. AT the head of which the
President design ated the able and dis
sonl; was doomed from the first although
at at the outset u seemed full of promise.
%t II the Emgsna in
when the law was enacted authorizing
the time when the delegates were named.
MI Gladstone. prime minister. was hos
ule, and both the English delegation and
the instructions which accompanied them
were unfavorable. France. content with
tardy approval of the conference. Ger
many allied herself with England in the
change in her standard. Notwithstand-
Ing the ability of the delegation from this
the conference adjourned. nominaIiy to
meet again. but never resumed its ses
sions.
Meanwhile. in 1885 the three great
France either unanimously or by an
oyerwhelTng majority ihs3 s,r In their paria,
with the other powers in an international
conference for the purpose of removing
value of gold and silver. 1t was because
powers, as well as in the fulfilment of
the pledge of the st. Louis platform and
that In 1897 one more attempt was made
to sett!s this question.
Mr.; President. ! do not intend to go in
to the facts concerning the commission
abroad or the preliminary trip which pre-
ceded IT l took the time of the Senate
description OF what took place. But the
lapse Of time. perhaps, permits me to
of interest in the Senate. The position
of France has been quoted by one or
two speakers during the course of this
debate The position of France was that
she was bimetaIlic and that under no
make change in her financial system
unless important concessions could be
first obtained from England; and without
concessions from England, including the
cnarir" ~ ~" r16'a mint. France would
not proceed further.
There was another fact which the
laLse of time permits me to state with
out embarrassment to anybody. and that
is the undoubted fact that when our en-;
vcys-for there was no conference called
had their interviews with the English
ministry in the late summer OF lSl, be
fore the proposals which we had made
were forwarded TO India, the knglish
ministry We're of the unanimous opinion
that the India authorities would quickly
avail themselves of our offers, and that
the result of our proposals would be the
doubted as any fact in existence. When
people talk here Of the futile enorts OF
to the achievement of success we came.
There is one further fact of great i'm
portance in view OF what l am going TO
that II we had then been in position,
either in the summer before our propos-
ais went to India, or afterwards upon
their return. TO negotiate with the Eng
lish government upon the basis OF
change in ratio, not great. not enormous.
altered conditions. we might atill then
have come back with an agreement exc.
not at liberty so to do. The hostility
that prevailed here would have prevent
ed.
Mr.. President. it is undoubtedly trYe
that our final success was perhaps MI
ther furthered nor hipaered by the atti-
tudes and actions of parties and indiy,d-
uuls on this side of the water. but
there was nothing left undone by the ex-
tremists on both sides to injure and de
stroy our usefulness and the possibility
OF our success.
do not care again to refer to this ac-
ton of administration subordirates.
Above them all was the President OK the
United States, and i is beyond any lqes-
abroad. cordially and zealously co oper-
ated with the commission, gave US free
hand and the fullest power.
There are. however, some facts con-
cerning the attitude of the followers of
Mr.. Bryan toward an attempt To secure
it is pertinent to speak at this time. and
party respecting this question.
There were notable exceptions.
senator from Arkansas mir. ,l?nesi and
others who cordially seconded our eff
ney. before we went away. thu then SEN
ator from Utah Mr.; Cannonl felt pretty
bad to thir we had ard 9Iksd yiS ,S6 Sf
lions before the throne of foreign
finance.
The senator from Virginia Mr.. Daniel,
always earnest in this question, always
able in Its presentation. sun felt that sur
can characteristics if we should be will
ing to speak with people WHO lived under
a monarchy; and he said:
1.-THE picture of the gr.at republican
people OF America roaring as gently as
any sucking dove through the haunts
of Lombard street, and seeking inter
views with the magnates of foreign
finance with the piteous wall that the
American people may take this matter in
their own hands unless some dole of con-
cesslon be given them. Is an impressive
picture which should be put into the ro-
tunda of the capitol.
The senator from Nevada tMr. Stewart
felt very badly about 1t, and he said:
II want the time to come when the
sending of ambassadors to Europe to
supplicate the crowned heads to allow
us to legislate for our own country shall
stop"
And he thought-'it is SO unpatriotic,
so un-American, to go TO Europe to get
iecisIn tion for this country that | can not