The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-08-17
READY FOR THE FRAY.
sILvERITEs AND GOLD MEN DEFINING
LINES OF BATTLE.
Each Party Has Decided on It's Plan Of Fight.
ing, and Will Present Bills Cover
ing All Phases Of the
Money Question.

drawn on the nnanclal QueS on, and
before onother day passes the country
will probably be acquainted with the
full plan of procedure. Innumerable
conferences have been held wit the
last three days, most OF them between
self-constituted committees.
A plan has finally evolved to-day
which will likely win the approval of
majority of all elements. The great
question has been, not what
action should be taken on
the financial question, but when
that action is to be taken and
when the country may expect relief
from the present suspense. Tonight
all indications point to a drawn battle
ON the floor of the house without ref
erence of the question to the con-
mittee on coinage, weights and meas
ures. Bland, who will probably be
chairman of that committee, readily
acquiesces in the program to fight the
battle out Cd the floor of the house in
committee of the whole, and in this
arrangement the anti.silver men OF
course readily agree
Two bills on which Is to turn the
discussion on financial questions were
today fully prepared and are ready
for presentation. One is drawn by the
anti silver men, and is brief and to the
point. 1t tersely provides for the un-
conditional repeal of so much of the
act of July ID, 1890, as directs the
monthly purchase of A. 100000 ounces
of silver bullion and issuing of treasury
notes thereon. The measures drawn
by the free coinage people are longer
and are unique in being drawn in a
manner which will develop the great,
est possible strength of the free coin
age element on the floor of the
house. The first portion of the
bill provides that all hold
ers of 800 or more of
silver bullion if standard weight shall
be entitled to have the same coined
into silver dollars at the minis of the
United States. Dollars so coined are
to be legal tender for all debts, dues
and demands, both public and pri-
vate, and any holder of silver dollars
may at his direction deposit the same
in the United States treasury and re-
ceive silver certificates for same.
AS to the number of grains of silver
to be contained in silver dollar the
bill says: THE silver dollar provided
for in this act shall consist of = grains
of standard silver" thus leaving
the rate in blank to
be determined on the floor
of the house. The closing section OF
the bill provides briefly for the repeal
of the Sherman purchasing clause, thus
making free coinage Of silver at the re-
vised ratio to be determined by con
gress condition precedent to the re-
peal of the purchasing act.
The bill drawn by the free coinage
men is regarded by their opponents
as well as by their friends, as the
strongest measure that could be pos
sibly presented by the silver men. II
forces the discussion first on the ques-
tion of wheather the majority OF the
house is in favor of bi-metalisIn. This
being determined, it calls for the judg-
ment of the house on the ratio that
should be established, thus rendering
compromise by practically abandon.
ing the time honored ratio Of
l6 to /. In this way the silver
men an excuse will be given falter.
ing free coinage men for the abandon
ment of their principles, and every bi
metalist will have to meet the issue
fairly or go home to his constituents a:
false to free coinage. If the opponents
of free coinage have numerical strength
they can of course SUCCESSFULLY strike
out every section of the bill relating to
free coinage and leave only the last
section, which provides for the i'm
mediate repeal of the Sherman pur-
chasing clause
The great question still to be deter
mined Is which of the two bills to be
introduced is to have priority of con-
sideration in the house. Numerous
conferences held betwenn free coinage
and tisilver men have been for the
purpose of arriving at an agreement
as to the order of consideration in the
house. To facilitate this it is propos.
ed that in the absence of rules the
house adopt special rule which shall
govern the consideration of the finan'
cial question and permit discussion to
be opened without further delay. The
silver men fear that il the repeal
ing bill is taken up first
free coinage amendments which would
naturally be proposed might, under
strict Interpretation of parliamentary
law. be declared not germane to the
subject under consideration, the main
question being that of repeal. Tt
guard against such ruling and insure
successive votes on all propositions tc
be presented by the silver men, the
latter demand that the bill of the free
coinage men, which also contains q
clause repeating the purchasing act
shall be given priority of consider.
alton, or that a special
rule, which is suggested, shall
explicitly state the various PROPOSE
tions upon which the house shall be
called to vote, thus assuring the free
discussion and fair vote on the free
coinage question.
The points upon which the silver
men insist are that the fullest oppor-
tunity be afforded for discussion, APP
proximately three weeks, and that
separate votes be had upon all the free
coinage propositions, including the
various ratios suggested, ranging from
Is to /, to % to
In conference today the free coin
H.