The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-25
FREE COINAGE HELD UP.
THE OPPONENTS OF THE BILL
MAKE a LIVELY FIGHT.

night.
WASHINGTON, March 4-The anti-freg
coinage men developed surprising strength
in the House to-day. It was no less sur
prising to them than to the rest OF tbs
House. All they had hoped to do was &c
postpone final action on the bill They were
astonished when they come within one vote
of killing it, when in fact they had tabled IL
by one majority, and the motion was only
defeated by the vote Of Speaker Crisp, who
when the poll tally clerk handed him the
slip bearing the yeas l4S TO 147
had his name called and tied
siie vote with his quiet mo-
amid the excitement of that exciting hour.
1t was the absent impaired democrats who
b ad been counted on to make the twenty
five majority for the bill who made THIS
success so nearly possible for the Rnti-free
coinage men. They had yielded to the
arguments Of Messrs. Williams, Harter.
Rayner and the Others, who in the debate
30 far excelled the free coinage men. This
momentary success gave the anti-free
coinage men great hope of permanent suc-
cas- and they fought as with new vigor.
DETAILS OF THE BATTLE.
By the associated Press.
WASHINGTON, March 24.-The last legls-
lstive day Of the silver debate opened with
crowded galleries and a full attendance OF
members of the House. The greatest dill
gence has been exerted by the leaders of
both sides for the past three days to secure
She presence Of every member who is not
absent from the city when the hour of
the final vote arrives, and so well have
they succeeded in their efforts that
only the gentlemen who had been
granted leave by the House were absent
when the gavel fell to-day and these are SO
equally divided upon the question that
neither side derived any advantage from
their non-attendance.
HOUR OF THE CRISIS.
Under the notice of Chairman Bland yes.
kerday that he would at 10 o'clock this noon
move the previous question on the bill and
its amendments. two hours yet re-
hnained before the programme, of
opposition and delay, the contem-
plated by Mr.. Tracey and his col
leagues could be inaugurated against final
vote on the passage OF the bill. That such
a programme would be carried out no one
doubted for a moment. Indeed Mr.. Tracey
himself has frankly avowed for the past
three days that his faction would avail
themselves of every. resource afforded by
the rules TO filibuster against the passage
of the BILL and be this morning stated that
be would persist in his filibustering tactics
until he secured a vote onthe substitute bill,
for an international monetary congress and,
until the committee on rules were finally
compelled TO bring in a rule supressing fill
busters by naming the day and hour when
nothing would be in order but the vote on
she passage Of the bill.
Immediately after the reading OF the
Journal the time of the general debate was
extended three hours by the announcement
of Mr.. Bland that he would postpone his
motion for the previous question until 5
O'Clock in order 60 give opportunity for
greater debate. Representative Williams
OF Illinois, democratic member of the COM
mittee on coinage, opened the debate in
favor of the bill.
IN FAVOR OF A SOUND CURRENCY.
II am in favor of a sound currency" said
he, "but one Of sufficient volume to conduct
with ease all the exchanges desired by the
people. believe that the volume of our
money should increase as the volume of
exchengeable products increases. The unit
of value is a creature of the law, and the
power of declaring what shall constitute
the unit of value in the United States is
vested in congress alone. Applause.
Gentlemen talk about 80 cents fiat in the
present silver dollar. / reply that We are
increasing our currency to-day with paper
dollars that have 100 cents Of fat II
France was able for over sixty years
to maintain parity between gold and sill.
yer, l say that the United States, with her
o., DOC, 900 OF people, with her vast resources,
is able to restore to silver coin that conf
dence Of the people which existed before
this government itself destroyed it." He
criticised the present administration for
working against this bill, and said that If il
passed the House he had no doubt that the
administration would exert all its mighty
Influence to force gold to a premium and
create feeling Of trepidation to prevent
1he passage OF the bill by the Senate. Ii
we are to use gold and silver as money we
believe we should have q fixed ratio, but
that could never be done while one wa,
nsed as money and the other as a com
modity. The only fixed value gold has il
ats coin value. Its relative value changes
just as often as an overproduction or under
production OF commodities changes its pur
chasing value.
wIKE ASKS A QUESTION.
docs my colleague hold" inquired Mr.
Wike Of Illinois. that the passage Of thi
bill and the adoption of free coinage in thi
country will have an equal effect upoI
bullion throughout the world without
monetary conferences agreement between
the nations of the sarthp
81 say it will have no effect upon the sill
Vol OhutES Vi Tue WOTlQ ana i SAY
that of the entire product of the world les
than 800, 900, 900 worth would come to oul
mints. / say that the silver coin of Europ,
Is already at par with gold" [Applause.
but bullion is not, b" persisted Mr.. Wike
but the United States is capable of tax
sng care Of the bullion yet uncoined." ZAP.
plause.
In concluding. Mr.. Williams warned thu
republicans that although the democrat
might be now somewhat divided upon th
question, they would be united in Novem
Der on the great issue of the tariff reform
and success would again crown their effort
IN the next campaign. [Applause.l
COCHRAN OPPOSES THE BILL.
In opening his speech in opposition to tn
bill, Mr.. Cochran said that this question
was not sectional one, it was not ques
tion Of the city against the country of thu
banker against the farmer. Applause.
He was thankful that the party to which
he belonged could contain In its ranks al
men who believed in the constitutional sys
tenn Of government, framed by oul
fathers, however, they might diffe
upon economic or other questions of mi no.
importance. The gentleman complimenteC
Chairman BANDS report and the eloquenc
OF his opening speech. He had no patience
with Mr.. Harter, who had said, 81 credi
him (Mr. Bland with gross ignorance a.
the only excuse for his attitude Mr.
Cochran said that while disputing the con
illusions of Mr.. Bland he also desired I,
dispute the statement of Mr.. aarter. |
there has been ignorance displayed