The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-24
THE HARRIsoss AND FREE COINAGE

The expectation that Speaker Reed
will strangle the free coinage bill en-
boldens the henchmen Of Mr.. Harrison
to hint that the president is not 40
much opposed to the measure but that
he would sign it il it came to him. Some
Of the Harrison organs are now feigning
to advocate the bill, since it's passage has
become more than doubtful. Thus the
Helena organ which has been stabbing
the bill under the ribs at every opportu-
nifty says that if foreign silver is shut
out by the bill "there is every reason to
believe that, in that form, it would re-
ceive the sanction Of the president"
The Washington correspondent OF the
Chicago Inter Ocean, on the other hand,
who ia an unusually careful and we'll
informed writer, says unqualitiedly that
Mr.. Harrison will veto the bill. He
quotes a very neal and confidential
friend of the president as saying:
"Mr. Harrison has never been in favor
of free coinage. His record on that
subject is fixed. He is not a man to
change the opinions Of a lifetime be-
cause OF the accidental result Of an cleo
ton, and I do not believe that he is the
man who for the sake Of any supposed
political advantage which he might per-
sonally gain would sign such a bill with
q protest and seek to relieve himself OF
the responsibility OF the constitutional
veto in that way. Moreover, President
Harrison is not likely to overlook the
fact that the measure which would be
presented to him il it should be the
senate bill without any change, would
not be a republican bill but a democrat
ic bill; that it passed the senate for a
political purpose and was devised by the
democrats for O political purpose. That
the chief opposition to it in the senate
was republican and that the dem
ocratic opponents OF it were scarcely
numerous enough to be counted; that it
is not true that free coinage is a repub-
lican measure or that the republicans OF
the west are united upon it; that on the
contrary free coinage has been discred-
tied by the republican national plat
forms and that it was not approved by
the platform on which Benjamin Harri-
son was elected; that in fact all the con-
siderations which might be thought to
act upon a man combine to make it
probable that the president would not
approve of such 9 bill as that which
passed the senate"
The correspondent makes this addi-
f;oro ;pforaetinU atatamant.
''The gentleman who makes the above
statement has talked with the presi-
dent upon the subject of silver since the
bill passed the senate. 1t is his firm
conviction that the president will not sign
with or without a protest such a meas
ure as that which has Just been sent
from the senate to the house. Mr.. Rus
sell HARRISON, the son Of the president,
who is himself a resident Of one of the
new western states, and is said to be
interested personally in silver mines,
has expressed the opinion to some west
ern friends who have inquired Of him,
that the president would not sign the
bill which passed the senate. Russell
Harrison is quoted as saying that the
president has always been opposed to
free coinage, and that he knew Of no
reason why anyone should infer that he
had changed his mind"
There is an old legend about a shield
with two faces which once caused a
great controversy as to whether it was
gold or silver. 1t was finally discovered
that it was either, according to the
point of view. In Mr.. Russell Harrison
we have a living emblem OF the same
sort. In the long distance rear view,
that we are now happily getting from
Montana, he appears to be silver plated.
But the full effulgent beams of his
Washington face are beams of gold.
Bar silver. JOE.