Nevada County picayune., 1892-03-24
McRAE, MILLS, BLAND AND
FREE COINAGE.


YrNE is attempting to create the i'm
preston that Mr.. Mills is opposed to
the free coinage of silver. 1t is
sufficient on this point to say that
Mr.. Bland, the leader on the silver
question and the most enthusiastic
and persistent free coinage man in
Congress, was an ardent supporter
of Mr.. Mills. The distinguished
Texan does not believe it eXpedlent
to make free coinage an issue in the
pending campaign, but declares that
he will vote for it whenever it may
come. There is no ADLER advocate OF
free silver than Roger G. Mills. =
The Guard misrepresents the
PGCAYUNE and msstates the charge
made against Mr.. Mills. The ques-
ton is not whether "he will vote for
it whenever it may come, but that
if he had been elected speaker he in
tended it Should not come.
Mr.. Bland was not an ardent sup
porter Of Mr.. Mills. Under the lash
of the st. Louis Republic, after it
was evident that Mr.. Mills could
not be elected, he did finally vote
for him. The truth is, that Mr..
Bland after calling on Mr.. Mills for
his policy towards silver, made the
same charge that Mr.. McRae has
made and in much stronger terms.
Pending the Speakership contest,
over his own signature in a letter to
the St. Louis Republic, he said that
"the general understanding now Is
that Mr.. Mills, if elected Speaker,
will attempt to so organize the House
as to prevent all efforts to legislate
upon the silver question. Such a
policy is proclaimed by the friends
of Mr.. Mills in all the Eastern jour
nails and strongly limited at by your
able correspondent at Washington. .
For this, Mr.. Bland was roundly
criticized by the Republic, whose
editor then as now assumed to boss
the Democratic party. In answer to
the editorial Of editor Jones, this
same leader of the silver question,
upon whose judgment the Guard APP
pears to be willing to re y, had this
to say Had proceeded without
first calling the attention of Mr..
Mills himself to these statements as
to what would be his policy in organ
izing the committees of the House,
should he be elected Speaker, there
might be a seeming propriety in the
criticisms of the Republic. But l
had called his attention TO them, and
requested as a necessary condition
of my further support of his candi-
dacy, that he give me some assuran-
ces that he was misreprescnted, and
that he designed to pursue no such
policy. This, Mr.. Mills, | regret to
say, did not do, but just the contra
rv." Continuing his letter, Mr..
Bland added: That Mr.. Mills, if
elected Speaker, will organize the
Coinage Committee SO as to prevent
action by the House on the silver
question, have no reason to doubt,
but every reason to believe. If the
Republic will take the trouble to
question Mr.. Mills upon the subject,
as did, | have no doubt the editor
of the Republic will reach the same
conclusion. 1t is the Guard that
does Mr.. Mills injustice, not the
PICAYtNE. While we do not agree
20 his policy upon the silver ques-
ton, we do applaud his courage and
candor in answering Mr.. Bland aud
boldly stating his purpose. In this
way he gave those who did not agree
with him an opportunity to know his
policy, if elected. That his policy
was to constitute the Committee on
Coinage, Weights and Measures as
not to allow a free coinage bill to be
reported, is beyond all question.
This, the Guard in effect admits,
when it says she (Mills) does not
believe il expedent to make free
coinage an issue in the pending cam
paign.
Mr.. McRae knew this as well as
Mr.. Bland, and he was not mistaken
in the present Speaker OF the House.
when he said that he knew that this
Committee would be SO arranged as
TO allow the consideration of a free
coinage bill Such bill has
been favorably reported to the
House, and in the face of the threats
of the Goldites from the East,
special order has been passed pro-
vlding for its consideration. As we
90 to press it is being discussed in