, 1890-07-13
House Of Representatives, by a
Strict Party Vote,
Passes the Conference Silver
Coinage Measure.
Frye's Shipping Bills Passed
by the Senate.

Original package bill. Referred.
Conger of Iowa called up the confer
ence report OF the silver bill. Conger
said the bill pres ented in the report was,
as all conference bills must be, in the
nature of compromise. 1t was not just
such a bill as he thought congress ought
to pass; ii was not Just such q bill, per
haps. as any member OF the house wouli
like TO pass if he were preparing a meas
ure to state his convictions, but it was a
bill that would answer the demands of
the country, that would answer the de-
mauds of the silver miner, that would
answer the demands Of the agricultui alists.
laborers and business men OF the Q ,unlry
The gentleman from Missouri (Bland)
would tell the house that the bill demoue-
tized silver. 1t did nothing of The kind. On
the contrary the whole tenor of the meas
ure remonetized silver. Additional clrcu
lation had been demanded. The bill would
give the country at the present price of
silver, an increase from $57, 1870. 900 a
year To sI1, $50, 900 a year. If silver
went up to n parity with gold it would
give an increase of $40, 900. 900. The
last section of the bull unlocked the
500 900 now tied up for the redemp
ton OF bank notes, making the total in
crease of circulation 10 the next twelve
months $40. 00O, 900.
Williams of Illinois inquired whether
the gentleman. in his calculation, did not
assume that silver would reach a parity
with gold.
Couger replied that whether it did or
did not the Increase would be nearly that
amount. At any rate 1t would iall short
OF That only about Sl3. 900, 900. Was
the gentleman from Missouri tBland)
willing TO stand here and vote against a
measure which would give the suffering
people OF the West additional circulation
OF this large amount He wanted the
Democratic party to tell the country
whether II was unwilling 10 p p a bill
that would give the people OF the country
this large measure OF relief. This was a
Republican measure. GRepublcan ap-
plause Tue pending measure had been
agreed upon by Republicans only. 1t
had been passed In the senate BY Repub-
lcan votes only. 1t might pass here by
Republican votes only. 1t would then 90
where 1t would be signed by a Republican
president, and thence. 1t would 20 20 a
country that would live it such a Repub
lican endorsement that many gentlemen
on the other side would not be here to
vote In the next congress. The work of
the house bad been moving the country
rapidly towards the establishment of a
parity between silver and g,ld. When
congress met silver was ninety three cents
an ounce. Yesterday it sold for 81 .O73
Since it had been announced that the
conference had agreed upon a bill silver
had gone up more than three cents an
ounce. ~lRepublican applause.
Cutcheon of Michigan regarded the
conference bill as a vast improvement
over the monstrosiiy sent here by the
senate, which %pruposed to make the
United States mints the dumping ground
Tor all the silver of the world for the ben
ett OF speculation. 1t wa. also an I'm
p~rovenent over the bill as originally
passed In the house. II would give the
country additional currency OF metal and
paper TOR the uses Of business.
Herman of Oregon said he favored the
Dill, although 1t did not contain the fullest
recognition of the equality OF gold and
SILVER as money metals. IL was a con
cession OF both sides of the question. Ii
was a victory Tor a popular demand and
was a long step towards free coinage. He
had no doubt that after the fall elections
there would be strong representation here
on the line OF free Coinage of silver. He
congratulated the people that he repre-
sented that such an advance had been
made In establishing an equality between
tne Two great money metals of tue world.
bland OF Missouri concurred with the
gentleman. hoping that the next house
wouii be a free coinage house, but that
the house would be composed of those
who advocated free coinage and stood BY
their colors. 1t would cot be composed
OF the Republican party, which, by gag
law, had voted down and stihed free coin
z e II Tree coinage at all, it would
come from that party which stood firm to
tue nag OF free coinage and which had
ne' surrendered It's principles at the beck
vi wan street. He denied that the bill
Vas tue result of free and fair conference
II was the result of a secret meeting of
ene ~nepuoiican conferees. He, as a con-
reiGr, nad known nothing OF the measure
uneh IL mad been framed and the report
was ready to be signed. The Democratic
members had been ignored in the orena.
ration of the bill The bill was one
which practically demonetized silver. II
eas a sugar coated q~uinine Dill. On the
nrst reading 1t seemed the secretary was
~ purchase $500, 900 ounces every month
pue "nen a man rolled the pill around in
Jus mouth he began to taste b;t ~terness.
TIrso much thereof as may be offered"
anere could be traced in this measure the
stea,thy and Italian hand. The bill sur
Ienuered every principle of bimetalims.
surrendered free coinage. il
maue a combination with the bull.
non spectators of Wall street. In
sne interest OF Wall street it departed
rom the legal ratio and changed that
T Sio rom sixteen to one to twenty to one.
~ cnange the ratio was TO pile up SO
mucn capital In the treasury at the ex-
p pyT OF the people and in the interest OF
uan street and the bullion owners. and
nc denounced it as a fraud and cheat on
ne people who were demanding a ratio of
si1teen to one. The bill made silver
sampiy a commodity to be measured BY
81 u, upon which money shall be issued
Sns gold value 1t was true the measure
%.ent make a small increase in the circu-
uun' out would make it by a concession
TT.ne gold standard and the desertion of
Smser; 1t was a declaration that congress
mouin not make any further eight for bi
neinsism. 1t was neither silver nor green
oaeA' out simply a practical device con-
SSoo'eu TO tide over an emergency. He
denounced 1t as a fraud and
ssouid %denounce any measure as a
rauo that did not provide for
coinage. When the bill
tnat mas his name was passed he (Bland)
nao fallen into a trap. Every silver rep
Iesentative then felt perfectly confident
rue mex president would sign a free coin
9 OIL. de would refer to history those
members now willing to accept this re-
poI.a as leading to free coinage Now was
the time to make the 6vht IL tba -.