The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-10-31

The silver purchase repeal bill vas
pssssd yesterday without amendment by
tsss senate. The house IL ready to promptly
Substitute IL for the Wilson bill, and the
great measure viii become q law before
tie week is ont. The Democrats may
thank their stars that they we're not fools
enough 20 enact compromise They OBJ
tanned power on q clear promise TO repeal
the Sherman act. They had 3 Democratic
president. Democratic majority In the
house OF ssventy-Gve. 3 Democratic ma
1orisy in the senate OF I've, and neverthe-
less they did not keep their promise, for
the unconditional repeal of the Sherman
act has only been accomplished By the aid
Of The Republicans Of both houses Of con-
srsss. A majority of Democrats in both
houses Of congress voted for the amend
,aent restoring silver purchase and coin
age under tho Bland-AIiison act. and in
the senate nothing but the certainty that
Il would be vetoed by President Cleveland
prevented the Democracy from enacting
compounds.
In the house the Democratic majority
could offer no excuse for voting 10 restore
the bland act, which was only defeated by
the Republican minority, and in the SEN
ne they had no excuse for refusing to
keep the promise OF their platform except
that minority would not let them pass
the bill. This minority was not Repub-
iican minority, for twenty-seven Repub-
iicans were ready at any moment to vote
for unconditional repeal. The minority
that would not let them pass the bili"
was composed of moro than one-half Of
the Democrats In the senate added to the
senators from the mining states and the
ropuiists. There was q majority OF the
senate for unconditional repeal, tor Il
Democrats have professed 10 be repealers:
these added TO the q Republicans made
~. majority Of IL. and yet 80 Democrats
agreed to vote for wretchsd compromise |;
40 extreme inaation measure.
This proposed compromise would have
added $f24. 90, 900 to the currency ia less
than one year. and this 40 time when
there Is sis. 90, o0o OF idle surplus money
In thu banks OF New York city. This
compromise would have increased by IS
per cent. our present treasury opliga-
fions, now resting on ISL 900 600 of gold.
The amount of money In circulation in
the country, other than gold coin and
gold certificates. was reported by the
treasury department on the first day OF tho
present month at si.iss.oi6. 2io Since
then IL has been increased somewhat by
silver purchases aud by tho issue OF ma
sIonal bank notes. To redeem this money
in gold. II redemption should be de-
manded. the treasury holds about ssi 200.
600 in gold. And yet the Democrats
Ia the senate were ready to pass
= compromise that would have swelled
this vast sum redeemable in gold by si24.-
ooQ.o0. This compromise would, II
adopted. have stood for definite abandon
ment of the prlnciple that the majority
rules These facts show what the country
has escaped by getting unconditional re-
peal instead of this imitation act, and
these facts show what the Democratic
party have escaped by not enacting this
compromise. for had they once passed il
the party would have had TO bear the re.
sponsihiiity for IL, even II the president
vetoed L. As il is the country has un-
conditional repeal, thanks 10 the Repub.
lean vote In both houses that enabled a
minority OF the Democrats in both houses
80 defeat the restoration OF the Bland. ALI.
sen act. and thus secure at last uneondl.
tionAi repeal.