Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-09-01
Sound Money Triumphant.
The House Passes the silver Purchase
Repeal Bill by a Sweeping Majority.

The free silver men met an overwhelm-
ing defeat in the House of Representatives
Monday, when the bill for the repeal of the
purchasing clause of the Sherman act was
passed by vote of 240 to ITO. There had
been no doubt that vote for repeal would
be carried, but majority of such proper
tions had not been anticipated by even the
most sanguine sound money men.
The attendance of spectators showed the
popular interest felt in the great struggle.
In spite of the hot, sitting atmosphere the
| galleries were packed, long before the hour
of opening, and the dense crowd kept their
seats through all the long roll-calls until
the final vote was declared at $3.50. The
seats of the members were filled as they
rarely are filled. In the final vote, of the
total membership of the House, which is
3 40, all except six answered to their names.
I Two will never answer to human roll call.
Enochs of Ohio and Chapman of Michigan
are dead. Of the remaining four two were
| i'll in their beds and two were absent from
the city and paired, one of them because of
disabling accident. There never has
been such full vote in the history of the
American Congress. The work was done
rapidly. The special order of business,
agreed upon three weeks before, when the
debate began, was taken up as soon as the
formal opening proceedings were over.
Less than one-half the usual time was con-
sumed on each roll-call, showing what may
be accomplished when the members attend
to the business for which they are elected
and paid.
When the result of the first vote, that on
the amendment providing for free coinage
at the existing ratio of 16 to l, was made
known by the speaker, the dismay of
Bland's followers was plainly to be seen,
while surprise and delight struggled for
the mastery on the cOuntenances of their
opponents. thrill ran through the
crowded galleries as the spectators realized
the significance of the great and unexpect-
ed victory for honest money. The vote
stood 124 yeas to 226 nays, and the anti
silver men cheered and congratulated one
another The affirmative votes were cast
by 13 Republicans and III Democrats and
| Populists, and the negative votes by 10
Republicans and 116 Democrats. The Re-
publican majority against free coinage was
81 and the Democratic majority was only
six.
| The amendment providing for free silver
coinage at ratio of II to 1 was rejected
by vote of 100 to 240;- that for free coin
age at ratio of Is to by vote of 102 to
232, and that for free coinage at a ratio of
10 to by vote of 1O5 yeas to 237 nays.
| The vote on the next and last ratio pro-
! posed, 20 to l, was watched with interest,
as the free silver men hoped to draw heav-
| lily from the Republicans. They were
doomed to disappointment the amend
ment being rejected, by vote of 119 yeas
to 222 nays, 105 of the latter being cast by
Republicans and 1T by Democrats and
| POpulists. Then came the vote on the
restoration of the Bland lazy of 1878, which
was beaten 213 to 1876.
There is no doubt that the attack of the ad-
ministration on change of ratios through
the letter of Secretary Carlisle, claiming
that the cost of recoinage of the outstanding
silver dollars, in the event of a change of
ratio, would be 1900 900, had a very
serious effect upon the movement for
change. On the ratio vote the Populists
were consistent. They voted for the 16 to
l, and voted against any other change of
ratio.
A comparison of seven separate votes
taken shows that at no time did the anti
silver men have less than II clear majority.
Their greatest strength was shown on the
II to l amendment, when the vote stood
100 to 240, an anti-silver majority of 140.
On the final passage of the bill the antis
mustered the same strength as this, but
owing to a desperate rally of the silver men
their majority was cut down to 1870.
The Wilson bill thus passed provides
that:
$50 much of the act approved July IA,
| 1890, as directs the secretary of the treas
ury to purchase from time to time silver
bullion to the aggregate amount of 4,50O,-
600 ounces or so much thereof as may be
offered in each month at the market price
thereof, not exceeding 81 for 371i grains
of pure silver, and to issue in payment for
such purchase Treasury notes of the United
States, be, and the same is, hereby repealed.
But this repeal shall not impair, nor in any
manner affect, the legal tender quality of the
standard silver dollars heretofore coined:
and the faith and credit of the United
States are hereby pledged to maintain the
parity of the gold and silver coin of the
United States at the present legal ratio, or
such other ratio as may be established by
| law"
Every New England member of whatever
party, voted every time for sound money.
They all voted against every proposition
for free coinage on whatever ratio, and
against the Bland bill. They all voted for
unconditional repeal.
The story of the days voting is told in
the shortest and most instructive manner
by the following table:
Yeas Nays. Maj'ity
6to1 I2 296 102
| II to1 100 24O 14O
| IS to l03 239 1876
l II 70