Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-22
LIVE NATIONAL TOPICS.

A Montana Mine Superintendents Offer
Fun at Holman's Expense-Palmer and
PETER on Anti-Option-Teller on the
Colorado Gold Discovery-Other Mat
ters of Interest.
WARRINGTON, Dec. 2L-The offer OF Mine
Superintendent Allen, Of Butte, Mont, to
coin q silver dollar of more intrinsic value
than the standard dollar issued by the Gov
ernment at the rate of 80 cents apiece will
receive no consideration at the Treasury
Department. for the simple reason that
there is no legal authority for the accept
ance of such an offer even If it were re-
garded as advantageous. It Is conceded
that profit would be realized in the coin
age of a dollar containing 400 grains of silver
at 90 cents a coin. and that the existing dis
crepancY between the face value and the
bullion value of the coin is temptation to
counterfetters. Under existing conditions,
however, the remedy for this state of affairs
lies solely with the people who make the
laws and not with the officers who
execute them. One of the officials Of
the Mint Bureau said to-day that
Mr.. Aliens assertion that it would be profit
able to counterfeit the standard silver dol
lar at its present value, even with the use OF
the same amount of silver. applied with
equal truth to all currencies and securities
issued by the Government, with the possible
exception of gold. He added that the point
would have been even stronger had it been
stead of against the standard silver dolla",
Tor the reason that while both are now
hoated on the market as worth dollar, 1t
takes just half as much silver to produce
one as to produce the other. He admitted
that the value of the Souvenir coin was
wholly fictitious, but said it held the same
relative value as the larger coin at present,
simply because OF It's novelty and the limit
alton of the issue. The official added that
Mr.. sAllens proposition was like a great
many others that had arisen out of the pres
okoI mir
culating medium, and like most of them was
not sufficiently practical to merit serious
consideration, except in the event OF un-
looked for legislation of a most radical char
acter.
DURING the discussion of a minor bill in
the House to-day, Mr.. Brickner (Dem.), of
Wisconsin, in short speech. advocated the
passage of the measure, and then moved
that It be favorably reported to the House.
Mr.. Holman wished that some time be given
for debate, which wish elected from Mr..
ONein (Dem.) of Missouri. a remark-one
which was greeted with applause and
laughter-that economy OF time was as es-
sential as any other kind of economy. And
therefore a half hour was The limitation
placed upon the discussion.
Mr.. PALMER continued his discussion in
the Senate to-day on the anti-option bill
He said that one of the most serious objec-
right OF citizens to make contracts in any
manner now permitted by law. Nothing,
Mr.. Palmer said, was farther from the truth
than the idea that the farmers and planters
OF the United States demanded the bill, or
would demand it, if they we're made aware
of its provisions. The people wanted to be
protected. more than anything, from their
so-called friends, from the men who would
subvert the orderly, constitutional ideas of
government and who would turn those help
less people who always suffered most when
orderly government was attacked, over to
the mere discretion of Congress He was
happy to know that there was no urgent de-
maud for such bill in the State of Illinois.
The effect OF the bill, should it become a
law, would be to drive spectators out Of
the business and to give to large capitalists
a monopoly in dealings in farm products.
The effect would be to diminish purchases,
to drive out competition and to leave the
field of business to the men who wer@ so
tiercely demanding the passage Of the pend
ing bill.