Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-02-11
NO FREE COINAGE.

Itlooks as if the present republican
congress will succeed in defeating the
free coinage bill. We know the major
ity is opposed to the bill, but we
thought the recent election taught them
"a lesson that would not soon be forgot
ten. 1t is SAID that Harrison would
veto any appropriation bill that had d
free coinage attachment.
Mr.. Bland is convinced more than ever
That majority of the committee IN
tend to stifle the bill. and unless vote
eau he forced in the house, or the sen
ate free coinage advocates can put the
measure on an appropriation bill as q
rider, there is no hope for legislation on
the subject this session.
Friends of the president say that if
the matter were to 90 on half dozen
appropriation bills, one after the other,
the president would veto all the bills
rather than have free silver coinage.
Congressman Dockery. Of Missouri.
succeeded after quite struggle in Sc
curing an amendment to the sundry
civil bill providing for the Tecoinage
into halves, quarters and dimes Of the
IS, OO0,0O0 of abraded subsidiary silver
com. The terms of the amendment
are such that they will also compel the
coinage into standard dollars Of the
5000, 900 trade dollars now on hand and
which, under the provisions Of the act
to redeem these trade dollars, should
have been coined into standard dollars
long ago. This recoinage of the sub
sidiary coin and trade dollars will add
25.00O,0 900 to the circulating medium
now withheld in the treasury.
The action of the house is thought by
many to mean that no free coinage bill
can pass this congress, but there were
probably some republicans Who voted
to sustain the decision of the chair.
because they believed that the decision
was in accordance with the rules. A
direct vote on free coinage bill may
result differently but it is not clear how
"a direct vote on such a bill can be had
during this congress. The majority Of
the coinage committee have decided
that they need more information to be
acquired through hearing before they
can vote intelligently on the reporting
of any silver bill, and the vote will
probably strengthen them in their posi-
ton.
The silver men have given up all hope
of getting any sort of report from the
committee. Mr.. Bland and Mr.. Bar
tine left the committee refusing to take
any part in the proceedings, since it
was evident to them that it was not the
purpose of the committee that anything
should be done. In doing this they
placed all their faith in their ability to
force the issue before the house by at
taching the provision for free coinage
to an appropriation bill. To do this it
was necessary, as they all appreciated,
to overrule the decision of the chair,
which necessarily would be in accord
ance with the rules. The vote was a
test Of their strength on this sort of a
motion and the result makes it evident
that no attempt to attach free silver to
an appropriation bill in the house can
carry. The leaders of the republicans
do not propose to let free coinage bill
20 to the president as rider ON apprO-
prlation if they can help it, as this
would make his position particularly
embarrassing and would probably re-
suit in the failure of an appropriation
bill, making an extra session necessary