St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-11
Leading Democrats Figuring
to Make 1t a Secondary
Issue.
Several Want 1t RELOCATED to
an international Congress
in 1893.
The Great Battle Of 1892 to Be
Fought Upon Tariff Re-
form.
So Republicans May as Well
Prepare to Defend the Me-
Kinley Iniquity.

I WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.-The silver
| question as legislative issue is once
more awakening the liveliest apprehen-
sionS OF both political parties at the ma
tional capital, and within the past few
| days this topic has been the subject of
even more discussion than has the time
honored issue of tariff reform. But
there is suddenly being manifested
| among the Democratic leaders a dispo-
| sltion to prevent the silver question
reaching the dignity of a paramount is
sue to the prejudice of tariff reform agi-
tatlon, and it is said that prompt meas
ureS are to be taken to stamp the fnan-
| clal question as secondary issue, and,
ii not to relegate it to future solution,
| at least to prevent those fatal embar-
| easements that might result from hope
less party division upon the question.
| RepreSentive William NJ. Springer. OF
Illinois; Senator Carlisle, of Kentucky,
a member of the finance committee of
the senate; Senator John NJ Palmer, of
Illinois, and Representative Joseph III.
| ONeill, of Massachusetts, are few of
the PROMINENT Democrats who are said
to believe the best solution of the silver
| question lies in international agree
| ment, and VINO will therefore favor the
bill now being prepared for the relega-
ton of the question to an international
| congress to be held in Chicago in 1898.
| Such disposition of the question by this
| congress would, of course, prevent the
! silver question from becoming one OF
| the
Harassing Issues
| of the coming campaign, and enable the
| fierce political battle of 1892 to be fought
| once more upon the burning issues of
| tariff reform.
"What course do you think should be
| pursued by the Democratic party in this
congress with reference to the silver
question:" a correspondent tonight in
Quired of Mr.. Springer.
1.-The course which | have heretofore
| pursued III reference to the free coinage
| of silver" replied MIR. Springer, lis not
matter of doubt. | am bi-metallist,
and as,Such l cannot support any policy
which would relegate silver to the rear
or eliminate it from political discussion.
| On the contrary, would makelt great
national and international question.
and would settle it upon lines, as broad
| as possible, and at the earliest time
practicable. My experience, however,
in matters of legislation teaches
me that the object which is
most desirable cannot always be ac-
| complished. But that which is desir-
| able and which at the same time may be
| attained ought to be the aim of all leg
| islatiOn. What. then, Is attainable dur
| ing this congress. so far as silver is coll
| cerned? The house is Democratic by
| large majority. The senate is Repub-
ID n -, nj;
| lta would be next to impossible for
| both houses of this congress to agree
| upon silver bill of any kind, but,
| even If
| An Agreement
| should be reached between the two
| houses securing free coinage or making
| more liberal provisions in that direc-
| ton, the president stands ready to inter-
| pose his veto. Hence, no legislation
upon this subject, however desirable it
may be. can be attained during this
congress. This is what / intended
| to state in my remarks at the Jackson
| banquet in New York on Friday even
ing last 1t is mere question of fact
| that is all. This situation carries US.
| then, to March 4, 1898, when the pres
| ent congress expires by limitation of
law. The next congress, which will be
| elected in November next, will not as
| Semble in regular session until the first
Monday in December, 1898. This is the
| earliest time at which it is possible TO
| enter upon the consideration of meas
ures which may thereafter be enacted
| into law with reference to the coinage
| of silver.
''Now," continued Mr.. Springer, "can
| anything be done in the meantime
| which would enable congress to reach a
| proper conclusion OH the silver question
when the time arrives at which practi-
| cable legislation may be entered upon?
| This, it seems to me, is the practical
| question for the consideration of con-
| gress at this time. Congress could with
great propriety during this session pass
| an act authorizing the assembling of an
/ international monetary congress, which
| would have for it's object, and whose
| duty it would be to formulate, subject to
the approval of the countries sending
| representatives thereto,
Uniform Monetary System,
and to fix the relations which goldsand
silver should bear to each other and the
nomenclatureS and values of all coins
hereafter to be issued. In view of the
fact that the Columbian exposition will
| be held in Chicago during the year 1898
and, therefore, prior to the assembling
of the first session of the next congress,
it seems most appropriate that this
international congress should be held in
| that city during that time. This con-
| gress should be popular ore. 1t
| should be congress, not secret con-
! ference or commission, as in the past,
and should have large representation
from this government and the govern
| ments with which we maintain dip
| lomatic relations. Its proceedings
! should be published the same as
| the proceedings of congress-, and
! representatives of the press should
! be admitted to all its ses-
siens. 1t would thus become great
| educational agency for the enlighten-
| rent not only of the poopie of this
| country. but of all other countries, in
1 reference to the subject to be considered
| by it. The representatives on behalf of
! the United States should be appointed
/ by the president of the senate and the
| speaker of the house of representa-
tiyes. At least seven representatives
| should be appointed by each, not more
| than four of whom should be members
| of the same political party, and who
4 should represent, so far as possible, the
different shades of opinion upon the
| Coinage of Silver.
sThose appointed by the president of
1 the senate should be members of the
senate, and those by the speaker of the
| house should be members of the presA
| emf house of representatives. 1t might
| be we'll also to authorize the secretary
| of state and the director Of the mint in
| office at that time to act also as repre-
| sentatives of the United States.
1.-THE president should be authorized
| in behalf of the United States to invite
| the governments with whom we main
tam diplomatic relations to send repre-
| sentatives to this international con-
| greSs; and he should be instructed to
| inform such governments that the gov
| eminent of the United States earnestly
| desires to secure uniform systems
of coinage and Of weights and
| measures, to be adopted thereafter
by all commercial nations, in order
| to facilitate so far as possible. ex-
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