The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-08-22
SENATOR HILLS e E
A Clear and Able Discussion Of
the Silver Question.
His Singing Rebuke to Montana
Mono-Metallists.

His Singing Rebuke to Montana
Mono-Metallists.
Renshaw Hall was filled to its ut
most capacity last evening by an in
telligent and a%ppreciative audience
to bear United States Senator Hill
discuss the silver question and the
influence of the metal in solving the
labor problems of the day.
On motion of MI. q. w. Irwin II,
Hon. w. A. Clark was elected Presi-
dent of the meeting. A list of Vice
Presidents, including Messrs. James
Whitlatch, John Caplice, w. E.
Hall, George w. Irwin II, Mr.. Pom
ford and Doctors Beal and Whitford,
were elected.
In a speech of some length Mr..
Clark stated the object of the meet
ing and referred to the able services
of Senator Hill in behalf of the silver
industry of the great West in very
fattering terms. At the conclusion
of his remarks he introduced the dis
tinguished gentleman to the aud
fence.
MI. Hill opened his speech by re-
ferring to the feeling on the Pacific
slope against the introduction of
cheap Chinese labor and sustained
the action of Congress in restricting
their immigration. From this SUBJ
ject he passed to a discussion of the
tariff question and took strong
grounds in favor Of protection for
American labor. But it was in the
expression of his views on the silver
question that he commanded the I'M
divided attention and the sympathies
of his audience. Mr.. Hill, at the out
set took the ground that silver was
indispensable as a coin currency
among the people. That without it
it would be impossible to transact the
growing business and exchanges of
the country; that the enactment of
the Bland law in 1878 rendered spe-
Gle resumption possible in the year
following, and that it has since oc-
cupied a position in the currency of
the country from which it cannot be
taken.
Mr.. Hill then proceeded to review
the position of silver in foreign colln-
tries, and boldly charged that the
international congress held at Paris
over two years ago would have ar
rived at an agreement concerning
the value at which it would be re-
by all commercial nations if
the President and Secretary of the
Treasury had not recommended the
repeal of the Bland coinage law. He
stated what is we'll known by intelli-
gent men everywhere that foreign
nations measure the feeling in Amer
lea concerning the use of silver in
our currency by the comments of the
press here, and thai as nearly OF
quite all New England representa-
in Congress were opposed to BIZ
and as the leading news
papers of those States also opposed it
their influence was felt in Europe to
the injury and degradation of the
He compared the circulation of sill
yer in France to its circulation in
country, and ldthat We would
have to continue the coinage at its
present rate for twenty years before
we would have as much per capita as
France his at the present
time. He secuted the idea that the
,oin is Objectionable because more
vault room is needed to contain
it, and quoted the last Treasurer's re-
port to prove that there were five
of unemployed gold in the
States treasury where there
was one of silver. He insisted that
he growing population, the growing
business and the enlargement Of the
;rade area of the country will soon
all our surplus silver and
BRING the metal into its proper rela-
ion to gold.
The Senator illustrated the folly of
charging the silver dollar to meet the
commercial value of silver by stat
ng that while the United States had
,nly about lac, OOO, 600 of the standard
silver dollars the other nations OF the
world including India possessed about
.,00O, 900, 900 of silver currency, and
hat the attempt to carry out the Ten
argement" policy of mono-metalists
be an attempt to revolutionize
he silver coin currency of the world.
Want of time and space prevent
urther en- enumeration of the more
points Of the Senator's
admirable speech, but he impressed
lis hearers with the belief that al
hough the ensuing Congress would
doubtless attempt to amend the Bland
coinage law 80 as to limit the coinage
# silver dollars to the demand for
hem-such demand to be determined
~ the secretary Of the treasury-the
tutus of silver would remain I'M
hanged for awhile at least. He tread
upon the toes of those men
silver mining camps who played
nto the hands of mono metallists by
the repeal of the Bland
law !