St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-08

vocates of free coinage in the senate are
on the committee, and think, consider
ing the number of absolutely free coin
age men in the national legislature. that
they did well to get two out of five.
Senator Kellogg expresses himself as
not particularly well pleased with the
selection of the three anti-free coinage
members of the committee. Gen. Fair
child is not known to him, and he does
not know how far the eX-commander of
the G. A. r. is inclined to go i'll the di-
reetion of coneiIiation of the silver in
tereStS. --.-~
Fearful of Fairehild.
Bnt he seems to fear that Mr.. Fair
child, coming from Wisconsin, perhaps
the most conspicuous hard money state
in the Northwest, is not good material
for missionary work. The silver plank
is generally regarded with mere interest
than any of the other resolutions that
will constitute the platform. This sub
committee, as whole, is the best
known as to its membership. and is,
perhaps, the strongest of any of the
subcommittee into which Gov. For
aker divided the resolutions committee.
Its free coinage members, MesSrS.
Teller and Jones, of Nevada, have for
years advocated free coinage in the sem
ate. Joseph q. Cannon, of Illinois, was
for years one of the leaders of the Re-
publican party in the house OF repre-
sentativeS, and served as chairman OF
the committee on appropriations. He
voted for the present, law, and Is a =
strong party man, who is willing to go
as far as his party deems wise, but from
all indications he will go TO further.
LuciuS Fairchild is a one-arHled veteran
OF tie war, was commander of the q.
A. r. and governor of Wisconsin. }.
q. A. Bracket, of Massachusetts, ran
against Russell for governor and was
defeated. MIR. Bracket, like most Re-
publicans from. his state, would favor
the repeal of the present law. Among
his associates on the Massachusetts del
egation is James Fairchild,; ,;of Boston, a
we'll known New England banker and
brother of the chairman.
Must Get One to Win.
The problem which eoufronts the S IL
yer men, so far as the subcommittee is
concerned, is to win over to their side
a single member of the three in the op-
position. They thoroughly understand
that free coinage cannot by any posi-
bllity be obtained as declaration
of principles of the Republican party,
and the composition of the committee
would seem to make it unlikely that
any of the three anti-free coinage men
would consent to anything which would
meet even the assent of MeSSrS. Jones
and Teller as proposition with which
they will be content.
Mr.. Cannon is probably the most lib
eral of the three in his silver views, but
it Is likely that lie will be unwilling to
give his consent to any step in advance
Of the present law. tits therefore quite
PROBABLE that the plank will be subStan-
TALLY in accord with the present statute,
with perhaps a modification looking to
larger coinage, OF the purchase of silver
bullion, and some reference to will
ingneSS to act, in conjunction with
other nations, in monetary agreement
for all enlarged use of silver.
The coinage of the silver, instead of
its storage, is one point which the more
intelligent of the free coinage men earn
eStly desire, as they fear that the piling
up of bullion in the treasury will not
tend to make people regard silver as
money just the same as gold is regarded
"a thing the silver men are anxious to
inculeate into the public mind.
Prepared TO Fight.
The silver men are prepared to Tight
the report of the majority of the sub
committee, and when the general COM
mittee gets to work on the platform it is
likely that the greatest effort of the
silver men will be made. They have
held a number of conferences for the
purpose of agreeing upon a plank for
submission to the convention. In some
respects it is novel, as it involves a lin
itation-(of course not legally, but as
party declaration)-on the exercise OF
the presidential veto so far as. the cur
rency question is concerned.
This plank proposes to declare that
the Republican party is in favor of
bimetallism Oh the present ratio, or such
other ratio as may be agreed upon, and
is then coupled with a clause carefully
drawn, but amounting in effect to a
statement that the determination of the
extent to which the United States will
90 in silver coinage is question which
should be left to legislative determina-
ton, the implication Of course being
that it Is not a matter for the executive.