The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-12-22
THE CONFERENCE Is USELESS,
That Is Mr.. Bland's Opinion-His
Views of the Financial situa-
ton.
Another baby, please.

II WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-Kepre'
sentative Bland, of Missouri
Chairman of the House Coinage
Committee and the champion o.
free coinage of silver, was asked
to-day what he thought would
be the effect of the failure of the
international Monetary Confer
ence to agree on anything. He
replied:
Il don't see that it would have
any effect one way or the other.
l never regarded it as anything
more than a makeshift, to tide
over election, and, perhaps, help
a movement to demonetize silver.
| always regard it as having
those objects in view more than
any real expectation of doing
| good to silver. | don't think the
public generally expect much of
it."
"Do you expect anything from
the Conference ?"
81 do not, and l never have"
Suppose that the Conference
should fail, and that a PROPOSE
| ton should then be made to re-
peal the Sherman law, what
then -
"That will be proposed any
way, l presume. l am in favor
of repeating it if we can get
something better for silver. l
don't like the Sherman law my
self. At the time it was pro-
posed | stated on the floor of the
House and in my report that it
| would not increase the value of
silver or tend to promote its res
toration as money; that it would
be a failure in that respect. Yet,
you might say it is a connecting
link between total demonetiza-
ton and something better. Hence
think it would be bad policy
to repeal it unless we can do
something else at the same time.
Our bill and the Stewart bill re-
pealed the Sherman law, but,
substituted free coinage
"Do you think there is any
prospect of Legislation p
81 would not like to express
my opinion on that, because l
do not know how members feel.
From the way they voted last
session there is not much pros
pect of it,
"Aside from free coinage,
what plan can you suggest that
would improve the financial sit
uation p
Il would 60 to work and coin
all the bullion which has been
purchased. That would be a
great relief, because it would
show that we were determined
to make money of silver the
same as gold at a fixed ratio. y
"It,'' added Mr.. Bland, "would
be the means by which a def
cheney in the Treasury would be
met. All the bullion we have
IN the Treasury under the pres
ent policy might just as well be
dumped into the Potomac so far
as making money of it is con-
cerned. 1t is treated as a COM
modify, and as treated by the
Treasury now it is so much dead
capital. We have purchased
since the Sherman law went in
to effect nearly 100000
ounces of silver, which would
coin about 100000. Rat.
ing the purchases at an average
price of So cents an ounce we
would gain approximately $50.
100000 on coming the bullion.
which would bridge over any
difficulty arising from the def
cieney in the Treasury the COM
ing fiscal year, so that we need
not issue bonds nor take asy
other steps than coming that
bullion to provide ourselves with
needful funds
Don't You think the PROPOSE
ton to make silver legal tender
up to S. shows a more liberal
disposition towards silver On the
part OF Great Britain :"
That would make it a spb-
sldlary curreney-a mere token.
Any proposition that does not
make it full legal tender is not
making money of it. What
Great Britain wants is to drive
the United States to demonetize
s.lver-to make it simply a sub
C1GY0ry