Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-02-10
FAVOR FREE SILVER.
The Coinage Committee to Report the
Bland Bill To-Day.
ITS FRIENDS CLAIM 1T WILL PASS.
Mr.. Bland Makes a Statement With Regard TO His
Bill-A Representative Of the National Grange
Before the Committee to Talk Silver-Ameri-
can and Indian Farmers in LondOn.

WASHINGTON, D. c., February o.
The silver issue Of the Fifty-second
Congress has been defined and the
Bland face coinage bill is to be ordered
favorably reported by the House Com
mittee on Coinage Weights and Meas
ures tomorrow morning. This has been
formally decided upon by the free coin
age members of the committee and as
the result of the serious conferences OF
the free coinage men which closed to-
day IL has been determined that not only
shall the Bland bill be ordered favorably
reported but that speedy consideration
of this measure shall be forced in the
House.
Chairman Bland has been to-day franz
ing the favorable report which is TO ac-
company his bill and hopes to have 1t
completed in time to admit of the bill
and report being presented tothe House
tomorrow and at once placed upon the
calendar. The free coinage men claim
tonight that Of the 332 members OF the
House they will have 200 votes in favor
of the Bland bill. Ten or eleven of
these will be Republicans and the re-
mainder Democrats. OF the opponents
to free coinage, about forty will come
from the Democratic side.
'The bill introduced by me and which
the majority of the committee will to-
morrow order to be favorably reported"
said Chairman Bland to the Associated
Press tonight, sis different from all
other bills introduced in one particular.
1t contemplates the converting OF all
our silver money, silver certificates and
treasury notes issued on bullion and
gold certificates issued on gold, into
coin notes redeemable in coin, thus con-
verting our paper into bimetal paper
instead of keeping up the distinction
between gold and silver in our paper
issues. This conforms to the idea OF
coming both metals on an equality, gold
and silver free.
s'The coin notes are redeemable In
coin, and OF course in whatever coin II
may be convenient for the government
To redeem them. The depositors OF
gold and silver bullion have the privi-
lege of waiting until their bullion Is
coined and having the coin returned to
them, or they may deposit the bullion
and receive coin notes at the coin value
of the bullion deposited. The bullion
then becomes the property of the gov
ernment and is coined as fast as may be
necessary for the redemgtion OF any
notes presented fol Iedempnon. ~ OBJ
viates she expense Of coming all the
bullion at the time it is deposited"
At the hearing before the House Com
mittee on Coinage, Weights and Meas
ure to-day, Leonard Rhone, OF Pennsyl-
vania, representing the Legislative
Committee of the National Grange
asserted that silver should be restored
to its former place. The farmers had
no silver or stocks to sell, but they did
have farm products which were effected,
not only by our policy, but by the policy
of other countries. When the American
farmer went with his wheat into Liver
pool market he obtained probably Sl.10
a bushel for it, while the Indian and
Russian farmer realized Sl.30 in silver
for his wheat, thus placing the Ameri-
can farmer in disadvantageous pos
ition in the foreign markets.
He read the resolutions OF the Nation
al Grange In favor OF free coinage. The
farmer, he added, was at the mercy OF
the money lender and he wanted Con-
gress to protect the legal tender qualiti-
cation Of the money issued by the gen.
eral government so that he could not be
compiled TO make his payment in one
form of money alone.
Mr.. TAYLOR, of Illinois, asked Mr..
Rhone If he could not get in Liverpool
the same amount Of silver for his wheat
that the Indian farmer could.
Mr.. Rhone replied that the exchanges
between the United States and England
were made in gold and that II the farm
er took silver bullion he would have TO
sell it here at its bullion price.
Mr.. Taylor-Are you in favor OF put
ting this country on silver basis the
same as in India?
Mr.. Rhone replied that free coinage
of silver would go great way toward
bringing it to parity with gold
A discussion then arose between the
members over statement made by Mr..
TAYLOR, of Illinois, that Director Leech
had said the silver certificates were re-
deemed in gold and that in this way
gold would flow out.
Mr.. Bland asked If any Secretary OF
the Treasury would dare to pay out
gold for a silver certificate.
Mr.. Taylor replied tnat no Secretary
dared do anything else.
Mr.. Bland-"Then he violates the
law every time he does it, and is liable
TO impeachment, for the act distinctly
says they are redeemable in silver dol
lars and nothing else"
Messrs. Taylor and Williams, OF Mas
sachusetts, insisted that the practice Of
the Government was to pay out gold for
any of its obligations whenever de-
manded, and Mr.. Williams, OF Illinois,
and Others insisted that the silver law,
by its terms, made the certificates re-
deemable in silver.