Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 April 1895 — THE DOUBLE STANDARD. [ARTICLE]

THE DOUBLE STANDARD.

Balfbur, the English Stateama Favors It. At tho annual meeting of the Bimettallic League, at the Mansion House, London, April 3, the Rt. Hon. A. J. Balfour. conservative loader in the House of Commons, made a strong speech in favor of the double standard. He said that tho belief in bimetallism was growing not only In London and elsewhere in Great Britain, but throughout tho civilized world. One great change was noticeable —it was seldom now asserted that bimetallism was intrinsically impossible; Formerly a bimetallist was regarded a; a dangerous faddist. Economists, who placed value on tho lessons of experience, had before them the irrefutable fact that while tho Latin nations maintained the bimetallic system tho par of exchange of gold and silver was preserved for the whole world despite wars, industrial revolutions and discoveries of the preciou; metals. Some persons admitted that monometallism in a large portion of the world had depreciated prices and put a bound on imports. Thus,for instance, Great Britain brought from India and other countries wheat at a price below its legitimate value, and these persons declared that this was an advantage to the consumer; and therefore benefited the mass of th< community. Mr. Balfour declared, however, that he was convinced that nobodj in the city was so foolish as to suppose that the interests of Great Britain were benefited generally by an unlimited fall it prices, and that no large body of city men was so unscrupulous as to desire that the debts owed them by foreign nations should be artificially augmented by a change-ir the value»of the currency in whichrthcj were paid. If Britons turned to the world at largt they would find the case much stronger, To consider home interests alone in framing a currency while Great Britain wat connected with foreign countries by ever, commercial tie, was a violation of the common sense of every practical business man. When the country depended for it; very bread on foreign natlons.and if it wen cutoff, ctinld not live a day and would have ruin staring it in the face, it was the height of folly to attempt isolation respecting the currency medium. He did not believe that the common sense of ths nation would long tolerate such a state of things, in view of what was proceeding in America. Germany and France, and eves In Great Britain, he was convinced, that men of all classes would soon combine U end the reproach to our civilization-