The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-20
So Says Senator Vest Regarding
tho Free Coinage Of the
White Metal.
Impossible to Repeal tho Sherman
act Without Offering Some
Substitute.
Extremists on Roth Sides ihe Question.
He Says, Must Got Together and
Make Concessions.

NEW YonK, Fob. Ex-senator Voat Of Mis-
souri,, who has been in Now York for sew
erhl days, discussing the recent Attemp pt to
repeal the sherman silver law, said: II
have been satisfied from the beginning,
that it would be i'm possible to repeal this
act without Offering a substitute, Fee
coinage men naturally believe In holding
on to what they have. I have for many
years been champion Of FREQ coinage my
self, but with eleven other democrats voted
for Senator Hilps motion to consider the
repeal bill. In that was consistent, for
strenuously opposed the Sherman act whom
1t was introduced in 1890. The Sherman
act. rs said at the time made silver a
commercial commodity. That, In my
opinion. degraded silver. Senator Hill ad-
vocated the repeal without Offering any
thing in place of the act. l suggested that
If the Sherman act be wiped out, the Bland
act. which authorized the coinage per
month of not less than 9. OC0 600 and not more
than 100000 ounces be permitted to re-
main. The senate would not approve of
my suggestion. Over in tho house Bland
insisted on free coinage or nothing. Tho
vote did not surprise me. majority of
both the branches of congress, l believe.
are in favor of unrestricted coinage. do
not regard 1t probable that q further at
tempt will be made this session to repeal
the Sherman act. nor do / think 10 likely
that it can be done next session, except by
the passage of free coinage bill. by q re-
turn to the Bland act or BY a compromise.
l think FREQ coinage bill will be passed
next session unless a compromise can be
had. What embarrassed friends of the re-
peal more than a little was the belief among
hat att 40
sired it. Bland called upon his colleagues
to vote down what he declared was propo-
sition advocated by monev sharks in Wall
street. The moment many congressman,
chiefly from the west, become oon-
vinced that Wall street is behind
measure they begin to fight It, Many
seemed to believe Bland when no chsrao-
terized the street 90 = den of thievss.' >
Then the report got abroad that Henry
Willard was In town threatening the loss of
patronage to those who dared vote against
repeal. l do not believe he uttered any
such threats. Much less do think that II
he did he had authority from the president
elect. The report had some effect, I am
told, on tho votes Of certain members of
the house. As to an extra session to solve
the silver question: do not know than any
advantage would be gained by calling con-
Rress together in March. I do think. how
ever. that not long after the Cleveland ad-
ministration begins some agreement can be
reached whereby the silver question oan be
eliminated from politics and We can 90
ahead and revise the tariff. or course, I
would expect n free coinage bill to be vs-
toed by President Cleveland, unless he OK
periences a radical change in his views.
trem!sts on the other must get together and
make mutual concessions. But it 10 my
opinion that sooner or later free coinage
will have to come"