The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-15
WHERE CLEVELAND STANDS
NO CHANCE FOR FREE COINAGE.
Special to THE MORNING CALL.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14-The silver men
are much more confident of defeating the
unconditional repeal of the Sherman law
than they have ever been before, and there
will be no occasion for surprise if the extra
session will prove useless so far as the
purpose for which it was called together
goes.
The indications still are that an uncon-
ditional repeal will go through the House.
yet this cannot be relied on in view of the
possibilities of change between now and
the time for taking a vote. Ii the men,
bers were compelled to vote on the naked
proposition of repeal or no repeal, without
a chance of amendment or condition,
there is little doubt that the repeal bill
would be passed by very res pectable
majority.
A large number of members. who are
conditional repeal men, argue that they
are pledged by the Democratic national
platform to two propositions, the repeal of
the Sherman law and the maintenance of
bimetallsm. The question of whether
the two things shall be handled in the
same bill is only one of policy. Fearing
that if legislation favorable TO silver were
not attached as condition to the
repeal OF the Sherman law the Presi-
dent might not approve Of silver
legislation, they regard it as policy TO
combine the two, yet they would not feel
warranted in refusing to vote for the re-
peal of the Sherman law unconditlUnally
if an attempt to amend it failed. They
would feel, if confronted with the naked
proposition. that they would have to vote
for repeal, but this is not what they want.
Counting these men in their canvass the
anti-silver men can show up a larger ma
jority for repeal than they can rely on 70
vote with them On the various propositions
that may come up by way of amendment
What they rely on, however, is that
some Of the men who would vote for free
coinage at the ratio Of 16 to 1 viii not vote
for ratio of IS or 20 to l should the first
proposition fail. and that some who are
willing to vote tor Is or 20 will not vote for
16, leaving the silver men divided on the
question Of ratios. There is one POSSIBLE
ty which should not be lost sight of and
that is, when the House comes to vote on
an amendment providing a ratio of 20 to
1t may have strength enough to go through.
Should the 20 to l amendment be
adopted by the House it would be very
apt to go through the Senate. The i'm
preston is growing stronger every day
that unconditional repeal Is impossible in
the Senate. The silver men are strong
numerically in that body and have such
power under the rules that they can make
it practically impossible TO force through
legislation which they are determined
shall not pass.
The Probabilities are that the struggle
there will be very long one, and in this
connection there arises a serious question
as to whether the President would sign a
bill, even TO secure the repeal of the Sher-
man law if it carried with it provision
for free coinage. 1t is said that he is deter
mined to stand by the issue aforementioned
repeal or nothing. and that If a bill should
20 to him providing for the repeal of the
Sherman law and the free coinage Of silver
at 90 to 1, or even at greater ratio, he
would veto it without hesitation. prefer
ring TO rely on the administration of the
present law to relieve il Of some of its evil
features-from his point of yiew-rather
than to have new bill still holding silver
in its present state as a money metal
through the efforts OF this Government
oaly. There is, therefore, the possibility
confronting the country of long agitation
of the question without practical results in
the way Of legislation.