The Portland daily press., 1893-07-28
Opinions Of Senator Jones and Con-
gresham Hendrix.
TWO INTERVIEWS UPON FINANCE.
Good Reading For Those Who Wish to
Hear Both sidcs-''The Dollar of the
Contract"-Two Opposite but Candid
Views.
Especial Correspondence
THE SILVER SIDE,

lAPCSiNi
THE SILVER SIDE.
NEW YORK, July Ell saw Senator j.
p. Jones of Nevada this morning and
asked him if in his opinion the purchas-
ing clause of the so called Sherman bill
is likely to be repealed during the com
ing special session. His answer was as
follows:
"You are asking me very hard ques-
ton. What can we tell about the fate
of the bill when all the powers of pat
ronage are against us? Absolutely moth
ing. But of this you may be certain-no
effort will remain unexerted to prevent
the repeal No stone will be left unturn-
ed in the work Of frustrating the outrage
that is proposed by the gold standard
men of the east. No parliamentary ex-
pedient will be neglected. do not like
to speak of the strength of the silver men
in the senate. If faith is kept, I have rea-
son to believe that the repeal of the bill
will be stopped there. have heard
rumors, of course, to the effect that GER
tain well known senators will desert us,
and I have also heard the reason for
their desertion mentioned, but as cannot
believe these rumors true / will not
mention the names of these senators, nor
will enter into details concerning the
alleged reasons for their pending deser-
ton of our cause"
elbow do you think the southern Dem
ocrats will vote on the question of re-
pealF' was my next query.
"Again | must say" was his response,
"that I cannot form an opinion in ad-
vance, but can you not see that we have
them in very close quarters? How can
the repeal of the Sherman bill be passed
without the use Of what is known as the
cloture? It cannot, and they know it,
and they dare not vote to apply it to
us, because in the past when they have
fought against its application they have
called on the silver men for co-opera-
ton, and we have helped them" And
the senator's eyes sparkled, and his
cheeks flushed with excitement.
care you among those who believe
that the clause demonetizing silver in
the law of 1878 was inserted surrep-
titiously?" was my next question.
81 would hardly like to say that" was
his reply, "but this much I will say-that,
although the clause may have been read
by every one voting upon it, for all l.
know, yet I am satisfied that very few
congressman understood what that
clause meant, and I think that Senator
Sherman himself failed to comprehend
Its farreaohing effects"
"Do you think, senator, that the pur-
chase Of silver as authorized by the so
called Sherman law is at the bottom Of
the present financial distress?"
mo, sir" was the response. "But I
want you to emphasize the fact, al
though it is already known to be fact
by all intelligent newspaper readers,
that the silver purchasing law is not
what was demanded by the silver men.
What we wanted then, as all the world
knows, and what we would prefer now
is free coinage Of silver. We have not
the slightest objection to the repeal of
the silver purchasing law, provided
something that will give silver fair
show is put into its place. But the real
cause of the present monetary stringency
ought to be, it seems to me, patent to
every intelligent mind. The term mon
etary stringency itself tells the story.
The trouble is we have not enough
money in the United States to do the
business of the United States. Thepop-
ulation has increased certain
percentage within the past 10 years,
but the amount of money put in
circulation by the United States
government during that time has
not increased in anything like the
same ratio. You personally know what
is the matter in your case-you are short
Of money. am short of money; Smith
and Brown and johnson and everybody
else is short of money. We toll and
sweat and struggle to get enough money
to carry us through today, and we go to
oed at night somewhat relieved because
we have got through today, but in the
morning we awake to find that we are
again short of money and have to go
through the same agonizing experience
again, and SO on indefinitely. Now,
Am one of those who hold that the gov
srnment can make money out of any
Thing. It does make money out of pa
per, and unless you are dead broke you
will have some Of that paper made
money in your pocket now. You much
prefer that paper money to coin, either
gold or silver, for it is more convenient
10 carry. But the single standard man
will say, this paper money is redeem
able in coin To be sure it is, but 1 do
not see why it should not be made re-
deemable in anything, OF everything
wheat, corn or other valuable commod-
ity-and, as everybody knows, be-
Iieve that fiat money pure and
simple would answer every purpose
for which money is made, without any
coin reserve Of any kind, but we do not
ssk that. We ask simply that the faith
Of the nation, which was pledged when
the government authorized the stamping
Of this paper money with the words re