Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-13
IT PERPLEXES THEM.
Republicans Sweating Over
the Silver Problem.
A Compromise Measure Hard
to Hit Upon.
The Silver Men Insist Upon Free
Coinage.
The Gold Bugs 10th to Give In-Windom
Called Into the Councils of the
Congressman.
Associated Press Dispatches

WAsH1NeToN, April 12.-The Repub-
lican caucus committee having under
consideration the question of legislation
on the silver question had another meet
ing today, the whole subject being thor
oughly discussed with the view of arriv-
ing at some common ground upon which
all can stand. Secretary Window was
before the committee by invitation and
remained with the committee about
two hours engaged in discussion. He
was not disposed to intrude upon the
original bill, but expressed himself
willing to accept the terms of the meas
ure reported by the House committee.
The session of the committee lasted
until 2 O'Clock; then an adjournment
was taken until Monday morning. No
vote was taken on any proposition, and
no conclusion was reached. The delay
in arriving at conclusion appears to be
caused by the insistence of the extreme
silver men upon absolute free coinage
The conservative element favors the
House bill, and there is leaven of re-
strictive feeling at work.
The section of the House bill particu-
larly attacked by the silver men is that
making the treasury notes issued in
payment for bullion, redeemable in
bullion. They argue that the effect of
this would be to pile up bullion in
the treasury, and give warrant
for the demand of the radical
farmer element for great Government
warehouses in which their agriculture
products may be stored and Government
notes issued thereon. They want the
treasury notes redeemed in lawful
money, which may be procured by coin
ing the bullion purchased. On this
point Secretary Window contented him
self with reiterating his preference for the
House provision. He also expressed re-
gret that the committee had stricken
out of his bill the provision giving him
discretionary authority to suspend bull
lion purchases.
The members of the Senate Republi-
can silver committee have not had a
meeting since Thursday night, and the
indications are they will wait until the
House caucus announces its conclusion
upon the subject. This committee con-
sists OF Senators Morrill,, Allison, Aid
rich, Sherman, Jones and Hiscock, the
SIX kopuDllCan members OF Ine COLI
mittee on finance, and Davis, Mitchell,
Mcmillan, Manderson, Platt, Pierce and
Teller.
The silver men on this committee are
contending for the free coinage of bullion
produced in the United States and of
Mexican ores smelted in United States
refineries. They say the entire amount
produced in the United States and Mex
leo, as shown by the statistics of the
Treasury Department, is 100000
ounces annually, all but 1000, 900 ounces
being native product. This entire
amount, they claim, is not as great at
the present value, as the Secretary of
the Treasury is required to purchase by
the terms of the Jones bill. 1t requires
the purchase monthly of silver bullion
to the value Of $4,500,O00; but they
admit that the effect of the passage Of
the bill would be to increase the value
of silver. In case they are unable to
secure anything from the committee
more favorable to them than the terms
of the Jones bill, the silver men will in
sist on substantial increase of the
paper currency of the country. There
are several suggestions before the COM
mittee respecting this point.