The Forrest City times., 1893-08-18
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ocratic party. It brought, every member of the house to realization that the most serious crisis in the democratic marty since the dissensions of slavery was at hand, and that the division of 1893. like the division of 1884, would be largely on sectional lines.
 In accordance with the programme last night agreed upon, Mir. Wilson, im mediately after the meeting of the house introduced a bill unconditional ly repeating thr Sherman purchasing law, and Mr. Bland, on behalf of tho free-coinage men, followed with resolution providing for the inn mediate consideration of the bill, and allotinc fourteen days of general de bate before q vote should be taken. The resolution of procedure was drawn to especially secure the silver men in their demands for separate votes on free coinage at the various ratios pro- posed, but is so explicit as to call for Gnal vote on the repeating bill at the termination of debate, whether the silver amendments prevail or not.
 The meliminaries of the debate hav- ing been arranged, the great battle was begun, and after speeches by Mcssrs Eavner, of Maryland, and Brown. os Indiana, Hon. Richard P. Bland. of Missouri, was recognized by the speai.cr and made the speech of the day.
 He expressed his regret that num- Der of gentlemen had changed their position on the silver question The gentleman who had just taken his seat (Alr. Brown) had been regarded as one of the most ardent and able advocates of bimetallism. He had retreated from apart of the Chicago platform-from that part of all others that had con tributed to give him a seat in the house. He had turned his face toward the east and his back toward the west. The Sherman law was the only law on the statue books that looked to the use of silver as a money of the country. He knew at the time of its passage that the element that was striving to secure it's passage was the element op- posed to free coinage. He knew at the time that that element would demand its repeal at the first moment 1t saw It's opportunity. The repeal of the Sher- man act had been part of the Chicago platform. Another part had been declaration for the use of both gold and silver as the money for the coun- try. Speaking for the people he repre- sented, he understood that the free coinage of silver in accordance with the platform necessarily repealed the Sherman law. The two laws could not exist together. They were inconslst- ent.
 RECENT LEGISLATION REVIEWED.
 Mir. Bland then reviewed recent sil- yer and financial legislation and con tended that it was an apprehension that the United States would repeal the sherman law which induced the British government to recommend to the government of India the suspen- sion of silver coinage. Why was there being rushed in now, he asked, prop osition to repeal the only law which sustained for the moment at least the value of silver?
 MT. Bland appealed to members to stand by bimetallism and not to opey the commands of the shylocks. France he went on to say, had afforded a medium of exchange for all the world eduring seventy years at ratio of l51z of silver to Of gold. At that ratio France has been able to maintain the parity of the two metals | all over the world. That was proo1 that the United States government Sould do so at the ratio of l6 to |. IT Europe refused to accept that ratio the effect would be to divert from Europe