The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-19
Mr.. Higgins Promises an Early Raid for the
determination of All Republican Col
lectors of Internal Revenue.
A Lack of Harmony Between the Pres
ident and His Cabinet.
General Gresham Congratulates President
Cleveland on the Success of His Admin
istrati0n Miscellaneous News.
THE SILVER QUESTION.

Stron. Indications that 1t Will Be a Lead
ing Topic in the Next Congress.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WAsHINGToN May 1s.-For several years the
people of Washington have been more fortunate
than their fellows elsewhere, in that they have
been able to secure, at the banks and in the
Treasury, all the bright new one and wc-dollar
bills that business required. Every one who
comes here has noticed that instead of dirty
bills or cartwheel silver, the storekeeper and
merchants paid out crisp new money,
fresh from the printing bureau. Per-
haps one reason why the silverphobiacs
in Congress failed to pay due attention to
the widespread demand for the suspension of
the coinage of silver may be found in the fact
that none of them were required to receive their
salaries in the debased coin. Even those most
emphatcally in favor of the double money
standard never evinced a disposition to force
their ideas to a practical test Every time
bill. was called up, last winter, providing
for the erection of a public building,
Weller, of Iowa. would offer an amend
ment, which invariably read about as
follows: Provided that all moneys paid out on
account of this appropriation shall be paid in
standard silver dollars" Although the silver
men were strong enough to balk all attempts at
legislation designed to suspend the s., 600, 900
month coinage, there is not an instance on
record of the adoption of the Weller amend
ment, and the Iowa crank never succeeded in
mastering more than three votes to his support.
The indications now are that the absurdity of
continuing to coin debased metal, for the sole
benefit of the Northwestern mine owners. will
be forcibly brought home to members next win
fer in manner calculated to convince them
that prompt action is an imperative necessity
For several weeks the Bureau of Printing and
Engraving mas discontinued the manufacture Of
treasury notes of smaller denominations than
five dollars, and for the past ten days it has been
almost an impossibility to secure one dollar or
twodollar bill in the city. The Democratic
statesmen now here have been among the
first to recognize the change in the
circulating medium, and those who have
heretofore most persstently advocated the silver
idea are among the first to realize that the signs
OF the times are against them.
The policy of the President upon the subject
of silver coinage has been very forcibly set forth
in his letter to Warner, of Ohio early in the
year Mr. Manning is known to be in perfect
accord with the President upon this subject, at
least, and the new Treasurer is said to be pro-
nounced in favor of total suspension of the
coinage of stan lard silver dollars for long
period. z~..
In the cur, ent number Of the North Amer
lean Review, under the caption Shall Silver Be
DemonetizedW General Frances A Walker makes
theoritical argument for a bi metallic
currency basis. But he fails absolutely
to advance single argument in support of the
belief that the commercial nations of the world
would take different view of the silver subject
from that taken at the conference of1S78 Prof
w. G. Sumner and Prof. J. L. Laughlin, on the
other hand, point cut very plainly that com
mercial disaster will inevitably result from the
continued coinage of silver at the present rate
Every indica ton in the business air today
points to early and protracted fight upon this
important question next session, and those best
qualified to judge are hopeful that before the
session draws to close some needfu legislation
under this head will have been enacted