Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-02-10
SILVER PROSPECTS.
A Granger Orator Talks to the
House Committee.
WHITE METAL THE FARMERS HOPE.

The Senate Finance Committee Puts It's
self on Record Against Free Coinage
Carlisle and Allison Unexpectedly Vote
With the Msjority-Several Financial
Bills Reported Adversely, Among Them
PETERS Loan Scheme-The Hatch Com
mittee Hears Some More Talk About
'Futures'-Capital City Items.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1O-The house COM
mittee on coinage weights and measures
continued it's hearings on the silver ques.
ton yesterday. Leonard Rhone of Penn
sylvania, addressed the committee on be-
half of the Legislative committee of the
National Grange. The farmers, he said,
favored free coinage of silver. They be-
ieve an increase in the volume of cur
rency would enhance the value of their
products. Mr.. Rhone presented resolu-
tons adopted by the National Grange in
tvor of free coinage. Owing to the scar
bity of money, he said, the farmer was at
the mercy OF the money lender.
The Farmers in Earnest.
Free coinage he claimed, would remedy
or mitigate this evil He spoke of the al
legged effect of the act of 1873 upon prices,
by the demonstration of silver He said
that it was right and just TO the debtor
and creditor that all money should be
equal in legal tender value, and strongly
protested against the demonstration of
silver. The farmers, he said. were in earn
est in this matter, and if they We're in
error they had been deceived by the Lon
don and Liverpool markets.
A Senate Committee on Record.
The senate finance committee put itself
on record yesterday as TO free coinage. BY
a vote of to the Stewart free coinage
bill was reported adversely. There was
some perfunctory discussion on the meas
ure before vote was taken, and it was de-
cided TO admit the vote of Mcpherson,
who was the only absentee, his preference
on the subject of free coinage being well
known to the con- mittee A motion to re-
port the bill adversely was carried, the
members voting as follows: Ayes-Mor-
rill, Sherman, Allison, Aldrich and His
cock, Republicans, and Mcpherson and
Carlisle, Democrats. Noes-Jones of Ne
vada, Republican: Harris, Vance and
VOORHEES,. Democrats.
Two Votes That Were Unexpected.
The action of Carlisle in voting against
the bill created some surprise among the
members of the committee, ms he had
voted with the majority in the senate last
year OH the passage of Vests free coinage
bill. Allison's vote also caused some sur
prise. His position on the silver ques-
ton was not clearly known and there
were many-ln fact a majority-who be-
heved he was favorable to a free coinage
measure. The vote on the bill had been
taken i'll the committee when Allison
entered the committee room; he was asked
to vote and cast his ballot against report
ing the bill fayOrably.
Stewart VIII Keep Up the Fight.
The bill is now on the calendar of the
senate with an adverse report to bear it
down, but Stewart, its author, will not let
it rest there. At an early day he will call
1t up and attempt to force its passage. The
committee also decided to make adverse
reports on Hiscock's bill to amend and re-
enact the act to prescribe national cur
rency secured by pledge of United States
bonds, and to provide for the circulation
and redemption of the latter, and Kyle's
bill making certain issues of money a full
legal tender in payment of all debts.
Peffer's Bill Is Practically Dead.
A bill introduced by the late Senator
Plumb providing for the retirement of
national bank notes. the free coinage of
silver, and for the promotion of interna-
tiOnal free coinage in silver and PETERS
bills to provide for a loan of money to the
farmers of Indiana and to increase the cir
culating medium by issuing treasury
notes based on gold and silver coin and
bullion, and to amend the coinage laws
accordingly, were also ordered reported
adversely. The bills OF Hiscock, Kyle
and PETER were indefinitely postponed in
the senate