The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-09-13
AGAINST FREE COINAGE
THE SILVER REPEAL BILL
PASSED BY THE HOUSE.

The Vote, Yeas 2iO, Nays Hottie,
16 to 1 Amendment Defeated by
124 Yeas to 226 Nays-More Votes
Against Other Ratios-Intense In
terest In the Closing Scenes.
The fertnight's debate in the House Of
Representatives on the Wilson bill to repeal
the purchasing clause OF the Sherman silver
law ended In the passage of the measure
and the defeat of all the amendments offered
by the friends Of free silver. The House
started voting at noon. The eprogramme was
to vots first on the proposition for free COIN
age at q ratio Of Is to and so on up to 20,
II the preceding ratios were defeated Tho
turn to the Allison-Bland law and finally on
the unconditional repeal OF the purchasing
clause ofthe silver law OF 1890.
When the Speaker commanded order near
ly every seat in the hail was filed, an unmis-
taxable evidence Of the general and indfyid-
usl interest in the matter In hand. Chaplain
Haddaway prayed briefly, and In voice IN
audible at distance OF more than ten feet
from the desk, for an especial gift Of wisdom
question before the House. After the read
ing Of the Journal, Mr.. Weaver On. ~ sp-
peared at the bar OF the House on the arm Of
his colleague, General Tracey, and was
sworn in by the Speaker. +
The resolution contained in the order Of
procedure on the silver question was 70
ported by the clerk, providing for vote frst
upon free coinage OF silver at the present.
ratio Of 16 to l.
Representative Bailey (TexaO asked u, "a
the event Of all the amendments included in J
ho nrda hQiny dQfoofod a N
der to propose an additional amendment
germane to the subject.
Speaker Crisp replied that as at present ad-
vised he would answer no that the order
provides exhaustively all that the House may
consider, but that when the time came for
mally to present the question, the members
from Texas might be heard. 2'E
Representative Mcmillan CTenn.) desired
to offer an amendment providing for the freo
coinage Of the product OF the silver mines Of
the United States but Mr.. Bland (Mo.) OBJ
jected even to having It read, saying that
such o proposition was not free coinage at
all. ....N 49,. tss$i5
The roll was then called upon Mr.. BANDS
amendment to the Wilson bill, providing for
the free coinage Of silver at the ratio OF 18to
1. It resulted yeas 124, nays 226. Messrs.
favor Of free coinage.
The announcement OF the vote was re-
ceived with applause and some surprise at,
the majority against frea coinage, It beingl
nearly double the largest estimate made by,
the AntI-Silver Committee. Mr.. Bland, from
q seat at the extreme left OF the Speaker
smiled grimly as he heard the result, ner-
vously rocking to and fro on his pivot chair.
Mr.. Bland then asked for yea and nay
vote on the question Of free coinage at tho
ratio Of IT to !, and secured 1t. The vote on
Ia
Mr.. Bland then offered the amendment
providing for free coinage at ratio OF 18 to
/, and demanded the yeas and nnys. There
were protests against this and cries Of mo-
but eighty-fye members seconded the re-
quest, and the roll was again called. On this
question the yeas were 103, and nays, 239.
The next amendment was that proyldingi
for free coinage at ratio OF 10 to l. Yeas
and nays wera demanded and ordered. The
roll call showed the following vote: Yeas
104 nays, 23s. sr'
The slight gains made on the higher ratios,l
as shown by the last two votes, was not un-.
expected by some of the leaders, and It was i
the published impression OF these that the
ratio Of 20 to 1, the next amendment offered
by Mr.. Bland, would poll the largest vote re-
corded In favor Of free coinage. The result
Of this roll call was Yeas, 121 nays, 222.
The amendment to- re-enact the Bland-AlA
lison act was then defeated - yeas, 1856 3
nays, alb.
The next and fna. vote was on Mr.. VIII
sons bill to repeal the purchasing clause or
the Sherman silver law. It was passed BY,
240 yeas to ITO nays-a majority OF 100 votes !
The bill was then ensrossed and sent TO
the Senate for action. ~
The story of the days voting Is told in the
shortest and most instructive manner by the
following table: ~