The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-24
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
WHAT HE SILVER LOBBY HAS
BEEN DOING.
Views OF Leading Democrats and
Republicans 49, Work OF the
"Bimetallic League"
IoonnrsrosDrSor ~ THE APPEAL.l

WASHINGTON, April 22.-"There has
been here this winter" said Repre-
sentative Cutcheon, Republican, IRON
the day that Congress met, the most
powerful lobby in the interest OF the
silyer-mine owners that ] have ever
known in Washington, with possibly
one except n-the lobby in the in
terest of the bonded whisky bill in
III last Congress. There is no mo-
nopoly i'm this country to-day more
absolute than the silver mine mo-
nopoly; and the passage of this free
coinage bill, in my opinion, would
have been absolutely valueless to the
people but would have put tens OF
millions Of dollars into the hands Of
the silver bullion and mine owners.
From the very first day of this Con-
Rress this silver lobby has
maintained an organization here
called the 'Bimetallic league, and
has Rad its headquarters in
the Pacific building on + street, with a
literars bureau engaged in turning out
literature in the interest OF free coin
nge for the benefit of the silver bull
ionis Every member OF Congress
has been literal y bombarded with
this kind of literature ever since Con
Rress met. / am In favor of equ
rights for equal dollars. But | am not
in favor Of bill TO put millions OF
dollars into the hands of the mine
owners
CONGRESSMAN FISHERS VIEWS
81 voted on nay own cow ctions,
and | believe that when the people
understand the question they will see
Il as | do, said Representative Fisher,
the only one of the seven Democratic
members from Michigan who voted
against the free coinage bill. Talk
about your Goulds and Vanderbilt"
exclaimed Mr.. Fisher Look at these
silver millionaires, like Senators
Hearst Stanford, Sharon, Fair and
Jones, and others of their stamp. DO
the people Of this country want to
pour any more money in the Golfers
OF these men by free coinage act like
the one wo have Just defeated"
"There was demagogery and hyp0C.
risy on the floor of the House when
the vote was taken on that bill, " con
tinued Mr. Fisher "Men came &c
me and said: You are right. We
know we ought TO vote az you do, and
we would II we thought there was
any danger that the bill would pass
But our retention in Congress depends
10 certain extent on our supporting
this bill and we shall therefore vote
for il, even though we do not believe
Il is for the interest of our constituents
that the bill should pass. y
"A good many people seem to think
that free coinage means free dollars"
said Mr.. Fisher. "But they would
find that the dollars would
90 into the hands of the
mine-owners, and il would be Just as
hard AZ ever for the laboring man to
get them, These silver bullionists are
making a cat's-paw OF the laboring
men. The other day | got monster
petition signed by Michigan Knights
OF Labor p ny ny for free coinage.
Where do you suppose il came from ?
II was got up, printed and sent out by
the silver niue monopolists II was
malieu hJ lehuNllle, Nolo. OhnnoI
the labOring men see what these
mohopolists are afterY
pd SILVER CERTIFICATES.
There is strong sent'm among
The men who voted, at the same time,
against coinage and against free coin
age, in favor OF bill TO prov de that
the United States sub-treasuries shall
receive on deposit all silver bullion
from American mines and issue there
Tor silver certificates Of small denomi-
nations, for the market value OF the
bullion, This would give the country
q convenient paper currency, ased on
coin. Ii is not unlikely that some
plan OF this sort will be adopted at
the next session OF Congress, though
probably no at this session. ~