Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-06-17
ALLlSON'S VIEWS.
The Senator Talks Awhile On
Silver Measure.
THE HOUSE BILL WILL SUIT HIM.

Not in Favor of Coming the Bullion
Vest On the Democratic Platform of
Isss-A Committees Reasons for Re-
porting an NATURALIZATION Bni-The
Republican Caucus Throws Out Nc
Comas' Bill Against Gerrymanders-
National Capital Items.
WASHINGTON CITY, June l7-Allison ad-
dressed the senate yesterday on the silver
question. He said the house bill (all other
bills and amendments having passed
away, was substantially the bill proposed
by the finance committee when it made
its report originally, with the exception
that the house had added to it provision
for redeeming in bullion and provision
relating to free coinage when silver
should come to par These were the two
vital amendments made to the bill as it
was originally reported from the finance
committee. AS he had assented to the
original report, he expected to vote for
that report, substantially, as he believed
it was the wisest and, on the whole, the
best solution of the question.
His Opinion of the Amendments.
The bill having been referred to the
finance committee for the second time,
the committee had reported back two
amendments, one striking out the section
of the bill relating to the free coinage
after a certain point, and one inserting a
provision that the act shall terminate at
the expiration of ten years. He would
support the amendment to strike out the
free coinage section, but he would not
support the amendment limiting the oper-
alton OF the bill to ten years. He regarded
that limitation as unnecessary and as I'M
periliing the efficiency of the bill. He did
not believe that the bill would last ten
years, or anything approaching ten years.
He Favors Holding the Bullion.
There were people who believed that the
coined dollars in the treasury were useless
and that it would be wise public policy
to cease that coinage He for one,sdid
not share that belief. He believed that it
was just a. well to continue them to the
utmost limit of 100000 a month. But
there was large public opinion against
that view, and therefore he eontended
that the bullion should be left in the
treasury uncoined He believed that
sooner or later, and he believed very soon,
the numberof grains of silver in the dol
lar and therefore the dollars now coined
would be re-coined.
Does Not Demonetize silver.
He was willing to go on as they were GO
ing on now tentatively, as it werel, with a
provision for the use of silver, pending ne
gotiations that ought to be had for the
restoration of silver on some agreed rate
t.urf h. s
quired whether the prospect of an inter
national agreement for silver coinage
would be promoted by the pending law.
which would demonetize silver. Allison
replied that there was no decentralization
OF silver proposed in the pending bill Its
provision in that respect was the same as
in the act of 1878, except that the pending
measure provided for the monthly pur-
chase of s500,000 more of silver than the
maximum authorized by the act of IS IS.
A Coiloquy with Vest.
Vest commented upon a remark of ALI
son as to the newborn zeal7 of Demo
cratic senators in the cause of free coinage
of silver, and made a statement to show
that that had always been the Democratic
policy He read resolution which he had
offered in the senate in 1879 for the COM
plete reconciliation of silver, and which
had been on AllisOn's motion and by the
vote of Republican majority, referred to
the finance committee where it had been
buried beyond resurrection.
Allison-That was in 1879; but where
was the senator from Missouri during the
four years of Mr.. Cleveland's administers
ton that he did not again introduce his
resolutions
Nest-I was fighting the Republican
party. as usual
Allison-As usual, but not in the same
way7
Vest Makes an Explanation.
. Vest remarked that if the Democratic
party said nothing on the silver ques-
ton in its platform of 1855, it was not be
cause it had receded from the position
which it had always held. 1t was because
President Cleveland was an eastern man,
New York man, who did not sympathize
with the majority of his party on that
question He had reason to believe now
that Cleveland was better informed on the
subject, and was in sympathy with the
people of the great west and of the ma
jority of the Democratic party