The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-08-16
Congress at Work.

AS the result of many conferences
between the friends and opponents of
free coinage of silver in the house, Rep
resentative Wilson of West Virginia
has introduced in that body, on the part
of the anti.silver party, bill for the
unconditional repeal of the purchase
clause of the Sherman act. The agree
ment is that eleven days shall be de-
voted to general debate, the time to be
divided equally between the opposing
parties in the question at issue; that
three days shall then be devoted to the
Offering of substitute measures provid-
ing for free coinage of silver at ratio
to be agreed upon by the silver party, if
the silver people can come to such an
agreement; if not, then vote shall be
taken on the various ratios proposed,
that is, from sixteen to one up to twenty
to one. If these propositions shall be
severally rejected, then an amendment
similar to the Bland law of 1878, limit
luS tuC DulCldSC VI olANOi poiiiOh "bN
the amount of coinage, may be offered.
If all these propositions fail, then the
vote shall be taken on the Wilson bill
providing for unconditional repeal of
the purchase clause of the act of 1890.
Silver has its greatest strength in the
senate. That body in 1890 voted for
the free coinage of silver, and it is be-
J lieved that now there is a preponder-
ance of sentiment in favor of the white
metal. Free coinage numbers among
its senatorial supporters large major
ity of the democratic senators, the pop
ulists, and small minority of republic
cans-the latter embracing only the
senators from what are known as the
silver states. Unconditional repeal of
the purchase clause of the law of 1890,
it is believed, will prevail in the house.
The senate indicates a purpose to COM
promise, to attach conditions to repeal
The Washington Post declares, upon
the authority of Senator Vest, that there
is majority of eight against uncondi-
tional repeal; but Senator Vest is a
rabid free silver man. He has the silver
jaundice, and to his vision all things
may have silver coloring. But Sena-
tor German, the real democratic leader
in the senate, talks of compromise and
party harmony. Mr.. Germans attitude
toward President Cleveland is not en-
tirely friendly, and in his hostility to
the president he has many sympathizers
among the democratic senators. The
sound money republicans are ready to
support the president, but Senator Cor
man, it is reported, objects to an ALI
ance with republicans and secretly con-
spires with those senators who are de-
termined to force free coinage upon the
country. Meantime the president is
at his summer resort by the sea and the
party leadership is in unfriendly hands.
The real battle between gold and silver
is to be fought in the senate, and there
the strength and confidence of the silver
men seem to increase every day.
Circumstances are favoring the silver
advocates. They can cite the fact that
currency-even the silver certificates,
representatives of the governments
stock of the despised metals de-
manding a premium, and the return
tide of gold flowing from Europe has
set in. The silver men in senate and
house are organized, active and agrees
sive, and their cause has behind il that
strongest of incentives to winning
fight, a strong personal interest.
On Monday, Senator Voorhees, intro
duced bill providing for the issuance
to national banks circulating notes to
the full par value of the bonds depos-
tied to secure circulation, provided the
aggregate amount of such notes does
not exceed the amount of capital stock
paid in. This measure has the approval
of Secretary Carlisle, and, as it is a
measure republicans have generally fa-
vored, it is likely to pass the senate.
The passage of this bill would add some
nineteen million dollars to the circulat.
ing medium of the country, and would
afford considerable measure of relief
1t is certain, however, that this measure
will encounter the opposition of the
silver people, as it robs them of one OF
: their strongest arguments-that by the
F repeal of the purchase clause of the
Sherman act the government would be
stripped of its authority to issue more
+ money. So the fight goes on, ant
the country, in its distress, awaits the
end in the house of the dreary two
weeks talk to empty benches, and il
3 the senate the development of its pur
4. poses and indications of it's final action