The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-05-06
SEVERAL PLANS.

The necessity is upon the republican
party to do something in the way of
legislation about silver. II hardly
house and the treasury departments
have each their own scheme. II has
not yet been found possible TO bring
the conflicting views held by the COM
mittees and by the cabinet into any
semblance of harmony. However,
discussion is under full head, and, but
for the death of Senator Beck, to-mor-
row would probably have witnessed the
formal opening of the talk in the SEN
ate.
The STANDARD has often stated the
situation. The discussion in Washing
ton, however, is rather confusing and
makes necessary a frequent reference
to changed conditions. At present w
have Speaker Reeds house committee
ton tn favor Secretary Window and
which fell in with the plan that bullion
going into the treasury should stay
there as bullion and come out rs
bullion. The senate committee APP
proved the recognition of silver as
money, and its bill provides that bull
lion going into the treasury shall come
out as money, in a form redeemable at
the option of the treasury in lawful
money, gold, silver or greenbacks.
When the joint committee represent
ing the two houses had discussed at
length the points in difference, the con-,
clusion was to recommend a bill pro-
viding that the treasury shall purchase
100000 ounces u month, the notes is
sued against this silver to be redeema-
BILE i'm lawful money: and with this
goes a section which provides that the
redemption may be i'm bullion ut its
market value, If the secretary of the
treasury elects to take that course.
AS everybody knows, the champions
of silver demand unqualified recogni-
ton of silver, not as "a commodity, but
as money. The broad claim of these
men really is free coinage. They have
been encouraged by the n i'm
which sentiment has manifested itself
since January they are stronger, in u
sense, than they expected to be. At
the same time, official expressions have
lately been allowed to get abroad in an
unofficial way. These expressions are
believed to represent the conclusions
of the white house, the treasury de-
partment and many eastern congress
men. The sum and substance OF them
is that the cause must take what il can
get along the line of the joint-commit-
tee arrangement or IA risk of losing
all. There may, therefore, be a ques.
ton of policy which the free coinage
people must settle before they carry
the fight much farther.
The contest is political in the sense
that responsibility falls on the republi.
can party because its national platform
pledged to silver its rightful place as
money, and because the republicans
are the party in power. Yet the geo
graphical divisions on the question are
very pronounced. The East is practi.
cally against silver. the West is fighting
the battle and. in a helpful way, the
South is with the West. The treasury
department has been and now is domi-
mated 10y the East. but MIR. Window
finds himself facing a more aggressive
force than he expected to meet when
the agitation began. At the same
time, the pronounced friends of silver
will wisely take account of the risks
and figure how far it is safe TO go in
the present congress.