The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-11
SILVER MEN STILL FIGHT.
TaEY HOPE TO GET A SHOW FOR
THEIR BILL IN THE HOUSE


George E. Leighton Of st. Louis Argues
Against the Bill Before the Coinage
Committee-He Says it Will Reduce
the Country to Silver Basis-Where
the Burden Will Fall.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1O.-The House coin.
age committee assembled this morning
within half an hour after authority TO sit
during the sessions had been given. George
4. Leighton and &. A. Hitchcock of st.
Louis, representing merchants and manu-
facturers with a capital Of Sl00, 900, 900,
who signed a memorial against the
passage OF the free coinage bill, were
present, and the former addressed the COM
mittee. The memorial signed in st. Louis,
he said. did not have the signature of
single banker or capitalist. Behind every
coin, as behind every piece OF paper, he
said, was the question: What was il worthl
The experiences of the world had demon
strated, first, that no legislation could give
to a coin value which, in the
Judgment OF the world, IL did not
lntrinslcally possess, aud second, that the
only result Of legislation intended to give
value to any coin was to make a baser coin-
age standard OF the country, and TO drive
into places OF greater security the more
valuable metal. Real values would assert
themselves. and were above the legislation
of congresses and parliaments.
UNDER CRoss-ExAMINATIoN.
Mr.. Leighton had TO stand good deal Of
cross-examination as to his views upon
various phases OF the silver question. In
reply 10 one question he said be was BIZ
metallist, but that he believed free coinage
OF silver without an international agree
ment would not mean bi-netallism, but the
use of silver only. That the silver
agitation had greatly affected business,
he said, was shown by the fact
that notes and nav bonds were now, in
many instances, made payable in gold by
special contract. Silver advocates might
say the gun was not loaded; but a substan.
tial point was that great many people be-
lieved 1t was loaded. and nothing should be
done to disturb confidence when business
was in very satisfactory condition.
WHERE THE BURDEN WILL FALL
In the end, it would be the consumer and
producer, and not the business men, who
would have to bear the burden Of wide fiuc-
tuations. Commerce would always take care
OF itself, and would always charge a pre-
MUM that would more than cover the
risk taken. In his Judgment this
country was already adding too much
silver to the currency OF the country, and
IL kept up 10 would Inevitably result 10 our
public sentiment in favor OF free coinage
was bosh; it was a manufactured appear
ance of sentiment that did not exist.
A vigorous protest against further silver
legislation from the bankers association Of
Buffalo. N. Y, was laid before the COM
mittee.
SILVER MEN MORE HOPEFUL.
Speaker Reeds assurance today that all
the appropriation bills, except the de-
fciency, would be sent to the Senate by
Saturday, encouraged the silver men aud
all Others interested in general Legislation.
The silver men have also received some-
what definite assurance from the coinage
committee that the Senate coinage bill will
be reported In some shape 70 the House
within week from to-day. They think IL
they can only get at in the House they will
have a majority for free coinage, even if
the bill is SO reported as TO require amend
ment. The difficulty Of course will be, they
feel, to get consideration of il after it gets
out OF the committee. They real
ize that Speaker Reed will not
| let them do IL IL he
can help 1t, and that It will be easy for him
to fill up the few remaining days Of the
session with other business For example, he
has already promised two days of next week
to the subsidy men for their subsidy bills.
NEW YORK SENATORS AGAINST IT.
ALBANY, N. Y, Feb 10.-The Senate TO-
day, by vote Of "a to Q, adopted a resolu~
tion requesting the New York delegation in
congress to oppose the free coinage bill; An
amendment requesting action toward the
| repeal OF the present silver coinage act was
| lost by a vote Of 26 to s.
The Senate has passed a resolution pro-
viding for an investigation Of the sugar
| trust.