Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-14
FOR FREE COINAGE.


and Measures had effected an organization
this morning. This was the first meeting
Of the committee, and 1t was expected to
be simply OF preliminary nature, but Mr..
Pierce forced the subject to the front at
once by resolution TO report free silver
| bill without delay. The discussion that
arose on the resolution showed that the
| committee is q free-coinage committee,
| though both free-silver and anti-free-sil-
ve- men oppose the adoption of the reso-
luton on the ground that it was too pre-
| cipitate. There was not much talk with
regard TO the policy Of giving hearings.
and what little was said was by men favor.
| able to free coinage. The sentiment OF
| the committee appears to be adverse TO
any prolonged hearings that will prevent
| consideration Of the subject by the House
until the session is we'll advanced, though
members are willing to hear argument
! that will be TO the point and not OF UNUSUAL
length. The first business was the call or
the roll, and it showed ten out OF tne
| thirteen members present. the absentees
! being Tracy Democrat. OF New iork;
TAYLOR (Kepublican), Of Illinois: and NC
| Keieban iIndependent), of Nebraska.
| Wednesday at 1880 o'clock was fixed rs the
| time for the weekly meeting. This was no
sooner agreed upon than MIR. Pierce. OF
Tennessee, offered the following;
The CAUSE or DISTURBANCE.
Resolped. That 1t is the sense OF this
committee that bill for the free and IN
| limited coinage Of silver should be report
ed TO the House without delay.
! The resolution was unexpected by most
| of the other members of the committee
| and was rather irregular. but it had the
| effect desired of pressing the question 10
| the front.
Mr.. Kilgore, Of Texas, said he had no
| doubt the committee would report
free-coinage bill, but he saw no neces-
sity for adopting such resolution at Inc
| first committee meeting.
MIR. Bartlne. of Nevada, the leader OF
| the Republican free-silver men in the last
| Congress. said be was as heartily IN favor
| of free coinage as any man. but IL was the
| first meeting of the committee. and two OF
| the members opposed to free coinage were
absent. 1t might look ike snap judgment
| to pass the resolution, and while In the
| last Congress a free-silver bill had been
grossly wronged by prolongation OF the
hearings, it would be better not to 90 to the
| other extreme now.
| THE FAT SHOULD NOT BE THROWN INTO TIE
| Mr.. Williams, of Massachusetts, protest
| ed against the resolution In quite long
speech. He warned the majority that II
| they sincerely believed that they had a
| lust cause, hasty and oppressive methods
| in forwarding that cause would be the pest
argument that could be used against tnem
| and against their cause.
MIR. Bartine. of Nevada, agreed with Mr..
| Williams that hasty action would hurt the
| silver men. -,
MIR. Stone, of Pennsylvania, opposed the
| resolution as being verdict taken before
any evidence was put In.
MR.. EPEs, or VIRGINIA,
| said he was elected on q free-silyer plat
| form, but did not wish to have the ques-
| ton forced until he had little more
| light. :.
MIR. Pierce expressed himself as deter
mined to press the resolution.
Mr.. Robertson, OF Louisiana. came out
strongly for free coinage, and against M
necessary delay, but thought the resolu-
| ton should not be adopted Just yet. He
would only consent, with the understand
| ing that at the next meeting the question
should come up again.
| MIR. Bland, Of Missouri, the chairman OF
the committee, thought that the resoiu-
ton might go over, but intimated that
change In its form might make it unobjec-
| tionable He suggested that the resolution
| be modified so as simply to announce IT TO
| be the purpose of the committee TO take
up the coinage question at once. No OPP
| position was manifested to this modifica-
4 N. II.
even such a resolution as that ought to be
reported at the first meeting.
THE RESOLUTION WITHDRAWN.
Mr.. Pierce finally withdrew his resolu-
| ton for the present, and by common con-
sent the subject went over until the next
meeting.
Mr.. johnson, of North Dakota. in the
| course of the proceedings, said his views
| were against free coinage, and he was one
| of those who opposed the resolution OF
| Mr.. Pierce and favored more information
being laid before the committee prior to
| action.
Mr.. Bartine, in another speech, drawn
out by suggestions of hearings. said he
never would consent TO any long hearings.
| The committee had had suIfeit OF them
last year.
THE NITRIC SYSTEM.
| The meeting closed after Mr.. Williams
| had brought 10 the attention OF the COM
mittee tho question OF the adoption of the
metric system.
| MIR. Bland proposed to refer the subject
| to subcommittee, which will be dones
| The COMMITTEES meets again next Wednes-
| day.
FREE-coNAGE COMMITTEE.
After the meeting Chairman Bland said
| to an Associated-Pre reporter: There
1
| mittee is in favor Of free-coinage bill.
| The resolution which Mr.. Pierce to-day
| introduced was merely to test the sense
| of the committee upon the silver ques-
| ton. After some discussion it was de-
| cided to postpone the resolution until
next Wednesday to await full attendance
| of the members of the committee. There
is evidently majority of the committee
| favorable 10 the resolution, but we
thought that there should be fair oppor-
| tunity for full discussion"
UNLIMITED FREE COINAGE AT AN EARLY DAY.
| You think q resolution for free coin
age bill will be adopted z"
| ~ think the temper Of the committee is
| to take up the subject without delay and
report a free coinage bill to the House at
! an early day."
"Wiil the bill be strictly free coinage
bill or will the coinage be limited to the
| American product?"
| There will be no American product
| about it, or any other Limitation. 1t will
| be general free coinage bill. and, in my
| opinion, such bill will pass the House,"
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS ON THE ISSUE.
WASHINGTON. January 13.-The action Of
| the House Committee on Coinage to-day
| in discussing, with evident intention to
adopt, resolution declaring IN favor OF
1 Dill lOI LILO iicc tSfhobO "a cA VI hoS otA-
denly revived the movement Of prominent
| Democrats for joint caucus to determine
| the policy to be adopted by the party on
| this prominent issue.
Chairman Springer. of the Ways and
Means Committee, was asked this evening
| for his opinion on to-day's action OF the
committee and the apparent intention to
report free-coinage bill ct an early day.
SPRINGER NOT SURPRISED.
81 am not surprisedat the action or pro-
posed action of the committee" said he.
TIT indicates, and take it for granted.
that they will report Q bill for the free
coinage of silver. That has been expected
from the well-known views of majority
of the members of the committee. The
only opinion have expressed on the SUBJ
ject has not been in opposition to free
coinage. but has been conviction that
free-coinace bill could not become law
because of the Presidents veto.
spRINaKR's NEW YORK sPxEca.
II want to say for the benefit OF those
gentlemen who have taken exception to