Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1892-12-23
THE COMING SILVER FIGHT.

OSI 1tIH has the lOlloNIfS euICOIJst
on 1.-The Coming Silver Fight"
On Wednesday Senator Hill intro
duced bill to repeal the whole O
the Sherman law so far as it relates
to the purchase of silver.
On the same day Representative
Williams submitted to a House COM
mittee bill repeating the purchase
clauses, but leaving in force those
that provide for reissue of legal
tender (silver-purchase) notes when
received at the Treasury, so that
there may not be any contraction of
the currency. Senator Hill, as all
his public utterances show, believes
in the free coinage of silver Mr.
Williams does not believe in any sill
yer coinage at all. They are agreed
only upon the one point, that the
purchase of silver under the Sher-
man act is wrong in principal and
mischievous in effect.
This fairly represents the situa-
tiou in Congress. There is no longer
any hope of a practical outcome to
the Brussels Conference. There is a
new disposition to grapple with the
question as an American problem.
There is a general conviction that
the Sherman law is a failure and
general desire to get rid of it. But
there is no agreement or prospect of
agreement upon any affirmative pol
icy.
The free silver men are convinced
that all experiments in restricted
coinage are delusive and disappoint-
ing compromises which make prom
ises TO the ear and break them to the
helrt. The anti-sllver men are con-
WINGED that such compromises
carry with them all the dangers of
free coinage with an ineffective brake
upon the wheels.
1t seems inevitable that out of thi
situation there shall come this w
ter direct issue between free coin
age and no coinage at all. In such
a fight no one can wv tell where
men VIII stand. Nc man can con
fidently predict the result, because
there is no record upon which to base
calculations.
Senator Hill wants to sponge the
slate clean in order that decree
IF free bimetallic coinage may be
written thereon. Mr.. Williams
wants to sponge it clean in order
hat it may stay clean.
The silver fight of last Spring af-
cards no basis of calculation as to
he result. Bourke Cochran was
me of the most efficient leaders on
he anti silver side then, but in the
cry act of opposing the bill then
'ending he declared himself in favor
f free bimetallic coinage, and OPP
,osed to the measure at issue only
ecause it provided for something
lse instead. How largely the half
{ the House which defeated action
hen was made up of men holding
his opinion it is impossible to say
ow. On the other hand it is
qually impossible to say how many
f the men who favored last years
would hesitate in face of
n international rejection of bimetal-
SIN, to vote for free coinage here.
The Democrats are pledged to the
epeal of the Sherman purchase act.
But some of them want one thing
Instituted for it and some another,
lille some want simple repeal with
othiny at all to take the vacant
lace. As for the Republicans, they
ant to put the Democracy in
ole, and beyond that they do not
now what they want. Stewart and
Their representatives of mining
amps will oppose repeal unless it is
oupled with coinage legislation. {
land will oppose it unless it carries
it'll it provision for the coinage Of
/ least S4. $780, 600 a month. The
are very busy of course.
hey are devising all manner of !
themes to satisfy both sides, but
hey get far less patient hearing than {
itherto. Men on both sides seem 1
ow to realize that upon this ques-
on there IS an ''irrepressible con- 7
let, 4" and that, like the old one be- )
ween freedom and slavery, it is in
Apable of solution by compromise.
he issue is likely to be joined either
/ this Congress or the next, proba-