Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-22
To-Day in the House.

To day in the National House OF Repre-
sentatives is to come up for consideration
the report OF the Committee on Coinage,
Weights, aud Measures. in favor OF the
passage of q bill providing for the free
coinage Of silver. IL is probable that
this bill will not be fully discussed in the
House Of Representatives, but Will Dc
forced to Q vote, or that a vote VIII De
taken this week with the consent OF the
opponents as well ss the friends OF the
measure. Certainly there is no good rea-
son for allowing the silver question TO OBJ
struct for weeks the way to the considera-
ton of moro pressing business. There is
not a member of the House of Representa-
tives who can by any possibility advance a
new argument either for or against
the measure. II has been presented
in every form in which 1T could
be shown. II has had all its merits.set
forth and all the objections to 1t arrayed
in solid phalsnx. 1t has figured as an enc
nv 10 the human race, and as benefac-
tor TO all mankind. Ii has been discussed
by men whose whole stock In trade con
sists of gabble about an "eighty-cents dol
lar.p "a we'll as by men who are not
ashamed to contend that the mere fiat OF
the United States Government, unsup-
ported by that of other nations, could
make greenbacks equal in value TO gold
1t has been denounced as financial mon
ster. and eulogized as remedy for oil the
political evils under which this country IS
now suffering. 1t has divided the states
men Of this country into advocates ana
enemies of free coinage. As able men are
arrayed under the banner of monometal-
ism as under the banner of bimetaliisn.
Politico-economic platitudes have been
quoted as freely upon one side as upon the
other.
Besides all these considerations is the
fact that the President is pledged to veto a
free-coinage bill if one ever reaches hlin'
But one will probably never reach him.
A message vetoing such bill would con-
stitute good political capital for the Demo-
Gratis. The President knows this to be So
and will assuredly govern himself accord
ingly. If he could have the free-conage
hill la,d upon the table until after the
Minneapolis convention had made It's
nomination, and he should fail TO be the
nominee. he would certainly thus dispose
of n But he will not be accommodated
IN this matter. Ii is possible, however,
chat he may have influence enough In the
Senate to induce the silver senators be-
longing TO the Republican party to defeat
the bill or IN some way slde-traek IL SO
that he will not be forced either TO sign 1t
or veto it. The Republicans have ma
iority IN the Senate without the aid OF the
monometallist Democratic senators. and
therefore will be strong enough, with the
assistance of such Democrats, to defeat
the silver bill-that is, If the monometal-
lists of the two parties desire to do 1t and
dare to do it.
But how as TO the Democrats in Con-
cress? Well, we have often explained
I" the situation" as it appears TO us. Inc
democrats in Congress will not be called
unon to formulate the Democratic creed
of 1892. They will vote as they please
upon the silver question. On the other
hand. the Chicago convention will con-
strnct the platform of the whole Demo
cratic party for the campaign which Is so
near at hand. THE situation is such
that that body will be constrained to side
track the bill for the free coinage OF silver
and leave that measure TO the tender
mercies of the next President and the
next Congress. The present Congress will
end with the beginning of the term of the
next President. So that the side-tracking
of the silver question is, in other words,
the postponement of that measure until
after the 4th of March. 1898. But it may
mean the permanent defeat of free coinage
il we elect as President Of the United
States a man who is pledged to veto that
measure. or. which is the same thing, one
known TO be so hostile to il that he can
not consistently do otherwise than veto it.