Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1894 — REED’S REMARKS. [ARTICLE]

REED’S REMARKS.

The Ex-Speaker Sounds a Key Note. A London cable May 31, says: The Fortnightly Review publishes an interview with ex-Spcakcr Reed on silver, which will make a sensation on both sides of the ocean. The great Republican leader sounds a keynote for future campaigns by declaring that silver and the tariff must be regarded, “not as two issues but as one,” and that the depreciation of silver is vastly increasing the exporting business of silver nations, representing seven hundred millions of people. In the interview Mr. Reed says: -You in England want us.to lower duties. What will you give us in exchange? Will you open your mints to silver by agreement? One thing, at least, you may rely on; you will notiind the Republican party, offering the other cheek, as these Democrat) cg en tiemendo. For years past they have been posturing as the friends of free silver, and because you in England closo the. Indian mints anil put a duty on silver bullion these friends of free silver are now preparing to reward your generosity by lowering duties all around. Ono thing, at least, 1 have learned since the cessation of silver purchases last, year—that cheap silver is an effective stimulus to Asiatic ex ports, and. this. being the case, we have got to consider silver and the tariff not as two issues, but as one. It evidently is no time to lower tariffs when the currency ot seven hundred millions of Orientals is depreciating and their exporting pow=ers to gold using nations 4s-thereby-increasing. The fall in silver, its value to pay wages and to buy products in India and China being as great as ever, this, it is, that makes of the silver question an issue that we are forced to face. You recognize, of course, that the position has entirely chanced in the past six months. The previous enormous compulsory, monthly purchase-of silver, a most vicious proceeding, went far to confuse men’s minds and to disguise the fact that there really ’is, in the back ground, a serious currency problem to be solved. It is evidently Important for debtor nations, on which list we stand, to raise the price of silver, and thereby reduce that bounty on exports which Asia now enjoys. This can be done best by agreement with other nations favorable to silver, and by such a scale of high tariffs against those nations which reject monetary agreement as will insure us a favorable balance of trade. In short, a higher price for silver by reducing Asiatic exports to Europe will increase ours. Add to this a high tariff and we can keep our gold at home, or. at least, if sold, it will quicklv come back again.”