The morning call., 1890-06-06
THE FIGHT BEGUN.
The Silver Problem in Both
Branches Of Congress.
A Lively Tilt in The Senate Between
Stewart and Sherman.
Free Coinage Advocates Receive a Setback
In the HOuSe-A Weakened
Member.
Special Dispatches to THE MonSrso CALL.

WASHINGTON, June 5.-Sllver played an im-
portant part in national affairs at both wings OF
the Capitol building to-day. The great debate
between Sherman and Stewart attracted general
attention and when Sherman sat down and Stew
art arose TO reply the interest was intense.
Stewart had great pile OF books on the table
before him and referred to them frequently.
When Stewart alluded to the trckery of the
gold men in surreptluously inserting clause
securing the demonetizaton OF the silver dollar
Sherman was very nervous and WINGED under
Stewart's sharp thrusts and citations from the
Congressional Globe. He said:
ut appears from the report that the committee
rec commended striking ont Section 49, which con-
tained provision for a silver dollar equal TO the.
fye-franc piece, and substituting in lieu thereof
trade dollar There were twenty amendments
proposed by the Finance Committee, and they were
Congressional Globe. When Section 10 was reached
IL eliminated. Section l6, which demOnetized
silver, was omitted, as appears by the Globe and
the amendmentto Section II was next considered
After Section II the next amendment considered
was Section 10, which provided for leaving OFF the
eagle on Inc silver doiiar. nan, quarter Aha
dime and substituting in lieu thereof the weisht
and fneness OF the coin. Mr.. CaSserly objected TO
leaving oil the eagle, and sherman explain q that
they had adopted the international coin OF Europe,
with ratio OF l6la 10 /, and that the dollar pro-
vided for i'll the preceding section was precisely
the equivalent OF the hve-franc piece. and IL was
necessary to stamp the weight and 'hneness OH the
coin SO that foreigners might understand Its value,
because said Sherman, the intention is that
silver dollar shall circulate all over the world
II is possible that the reporter of the Con-
gressional Globe might have omitted from
his reports an amendment to Section 10. but such
thing has never been known to occur, and probably
did not occur In that case, because Shermaus
sons for stamping the weight and hneness on
If the amendment had been adopted, Tor it must be
borne la mind that after Section l6 had been passed
over sherman dec!ared it contained provision for
a 1Ve-trauc which
would be 3S4 grains. and not trade dollar OF 420
grains The trouble is with Senator Sherman that
The record is evidently against him, rs well as the
recollection OF every senator and member who was
In Congress at that time"
Stewart said that lnasmuch as the records lex
cept the files, which were inaccessible 10 the
general public were out OF print lie desired TO
place the whole matter on record, SO the people
could see for themselves how silver was demon
elized. This would be fair TO all parties. and
would set aside all controversy the subject.
He said he would print first the House bill. with
tie amendments proposed by the Finance COM
nltee, aud the action of the Senate on each
amendment as Indicated by marks az tile Clerks
desk; that it would appear that tile amendment
demonetiZing silver was marked Agreed" by
the reading Clerk notwithstanding the evidence
of the Globe that ait was not read II acted npon."
Next lie would print the proceedings of he Sem
ate. as shown by the Globe, and afterward The
engI ossed Senate amendments that were sent TO
the House. to be followed by tue report OF
the conference committee There was nothing
In the report OF the conference committee 10
show that silver was demOuetiZed. He said tha
there was no remarks By any one in the Senate
to show that the bill contained the provisions
demOnetizng silver He stalled that he pro-
duced this record to refutc the oft-repeated
charge that lie was IN the Senate when dem0ne-
llzation was accomplished and knew II was done
that the bill was long and purrorled 10
be a bill TO define the Mint laws;
that no one had reason to suppose the bill would
that Il was tile duty OF the Chairman OF the FL
nance Committee 10 inform the Senate OF so i'm
portant a matter. The first that did not do
mslead him. together with all the members OF
the Senate and House who have spoken on the
subject except Senator Sherman himself.
He read extracts from the following g-named
persons. showing that they were ignorant OF the
decentralization Of silver II that lime: Senators
Bogy, ConKling, Allison, Blaine, VOORHEES,. Beck
and Heriord, aud Representatives Holman, Can
non, Kelley, buTchard, Garfield and Grant.
Mr.. Sherman became very much excited and
lively debate followed, In which Stewart told him
that he undoubtedly knew that silver WAS de-
monatized by the bill, and that II lie knew The
ell cts which would follow. he was responsible
for changing all the contracts in the world by
legislation and for depiiving the people of tho
money Of the Constitution and bringing untold
disaster upon tie country. II lie was ignorant
OF the economic effects of lhe decentralization OF
silver nobody would have blamed him for ac
knOwedgIng his mistake and trying 10 rectlly it,
Not having done So the responsibility rests
with him and could not be shifted upon others
who were deceived by his silence as Chairman Of
the committee, when lie procured such important
legislation.
AT the other end of the capital building mat
ters we're just as interesting The California
Associated Press agent talked with Senator
Stewart and other extreme silver men Tonight.
They are inclined 10 believe that t0-day's acll0n
OF the House in ''gaggiug' the silver men and
shutting off amendments IS looking to free coinage
Indicates that the Window bill Will pass lhe
House.
The silver men are very indignant at Carter OF
Montana for dodglng the vote on the resolution
reported by the COMMITTEES on Rules. Mr.. Car
ter was OIL The floor OF tie house but did not vote
WHEN bis name was called. While IL now looks
discouragIng to the silver men for free coinage,
The Senators Will not relax their efforts Oh the
Senate side.
Senator Stewart said: Some OF our Western
Representatives are weak -kneed, but II the
Western senators Will stand up TO the rack we
may accomplish something. The SILVER question
Is IN the hands OF men from the mining Stats.
They can SECURE Tree coinage by exercising the
right kind Of nerve and energy. This much Is
cOuceded-the gold standard contractiOnsts
must have legislation OH the tariff and many
other questions which do not Interest the West
ein country US much as the silver question. III
gold defeats free cOlnage the silver men can de-
feat their taiiif aud Other legislation. The plan
OF the gold ring is TO work upon individual Sem
ators from mining States aud ge: them compli-
aed in all sorts of ways and then demOnetiZe
silver by reducing 1t 10 a commodity, after Win
dons plans. II our Western people would watch
their Senators and Representatives and see that
they ale IN their seats TO record their votes and
not dodge and sneak ana skulk, we may accom-
pllsh something"
Carter OF Montana, presumably in explanation
OF his failure 10 vote to-day, says: -" The bill
now before the House Is a good one, with the
exception OF the bullion clause. Many Western
men would not support this feature, but we have
about concluded that III order 10 secure any
silver legislation at all we had better pass this
bill and send IL 10 The Senate, where the bullion
feature VIII be Sill icken out. THUS we may hope
to secure some desirable silver legislation.