The weekly tribune., 1893-08-18
LINE OF BATTLE.
The Silver Men in Magnificent Array
For the Great Contest on
Finance.
Dollars to Doughnnts That the Gold
Bugs Will be Badly
Whipped.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11.-Slowly, but
surely, the lines of battle are being
drawn on the financial question, and be-
fore another day passes the country will
probably be acquainted with the full
plan of procedure. 1t is believed it has
been finally solved in a way which is
likely to win the approval of majority
of all elements. All indications point to
drawn battle on the floor of the house
without reference of the question to the
committee on coinage, weights and meas
ures. Bland readily acquiesces in the
programme to fight the battle out on the
floor of the house in committee of the
whole, and in this agreement the anti
silver men. of course, readily agree.
The two bills on which is to turn all
discussion of the financial question, were
today fully prepared and ready for pre-
sentation. The one drawn by the anti
silver men is brief and to the point. 1t
tersely provides for the unconditional
repeal of so much of the act of July IA,
1880. as directs the monthly purchase of
100000 ounces of silver bullion and is
suing treasury notes thereon. The
measure drawn by the free coinage peO-
pie is longer, and is unique in being
drawn in manner which will develop
the greatest possible strength of the
free coinage element of the house. The
first portion of the bill provides that all
holders of one hundred dollars or more
of silver bullion of standard weight
shall be entitled to have the same coined
into silver dollars at the mints of the
United States; the dollars So coined are
to be legal tender for all debts, dues
and demands, both public and private;
and any holder Of silver dollars may, at
his discretion, deposit the same in the
United States treasury and receive sill
yer certificates for the same. The num-
Der of grains Of silver to be contained
in the standard dollar is to be deter
mined on the floor of the house. The
closing section of the bill provides brief
ly for the repeal of the Sherman pur-
chase clause. 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 |
possibly presented by the silver men,
the question of ratio being left to the |
house. The silver men alege that no
excuse will be given faltering free coin
age men for the abandonment of their
principles
IL the opponents of free coinage have
the numerical strength they can, of
course, successfully strike out every sec
tion of the bill relating to free coinage,
and leave only the last section. which |
provides for the immediate repeal of the
silver purchasing clause The great
question still to be determined is which
Of the two bills is to have priority of
consideration. Silver men fear that if
the repeating bill should be first taken
up free coinage amendments, which
would naturally be proposed, might un-
der strict Interpretation of parliamen-
tary law, be declared not germane to
the subject under consideration, the
main question being that Of repeal. To
guard against such rulings and insure
successive votes on all propositions to be
presented by silver men, the latter de-
mand that the bill of the free coinage
men, which also contains a clause re-
pealing the purchase act, shall be given |
DriOrity of confederation