The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-02-15
.BLAND'S SILVER BILL
Measure to Coin Seigniorage Silver
Gaining Ground.
DEBATE IN THE HOUSE
Discretion In the Interest of the
Gold Gamblers.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 0.-The house got
into a tangle today Immediately after
opening over the Bland bill. Yester-
day there was a deadlock over the
seigniorage bill lasting over four hours,
but was finally broken by vote of l76
to 4, the house upon the motion of Mr..
Bland, going into COMMITTEES of the
whole for the consideration of the bill.
Eastern democrats and a great many
of the republicans made determinen
opposition, but Bland was victorious.
Sixteen republicans and all the populists
voted with him while 22 democrats
joined with the republicans in refusing
Co vote.
Today some of the members insisted
that they had been wrongly recorded
and the trouble was renewed.
1t looked at one time as If yesterdays
proceeding, in the committee of the
whole might be vitiated, as it appeared
that Babcock had been recorded as
voting onsthe roll call for going into
not vote which would have broken the
quorum, but Marshall and Sheed were
not recorded as voting, and declared
they voted, which restored the quorum
and tho incident ended.
The house then went into committee
of the whole on Bland's seigniorage
bill. Bland explained In few words
that he never agreed as stated in some
of the public prints to the striking out
of the second section of the bill which
provides for the coinage of all bullion
in the treasury. Aside from the ques-
ton of raising revenue he regarded the
second section as more important than
the first.
"If We are to deal with bullion In the
treasury he said, "let US deal with it
as whole. We have already repealed
the purchasing clause of the Sherman
act. No more bullion will com. into
the treasury, and why should we not
coin what is therel To coin only the
seigniorage 1855 900, ,ooo) would be tant-
amount to declaring that the rest should
remain there as worthless, 1t should be
dedicated to monetary use. As far as
am concerned will never consent to
stop half way"
"What advantage" asked Coombs OF
New York, ''would accure from the
coinage of this bullion when no one
wants IT."
1.-The people want every dollar they
can get, )" replied Bland. "The difficulty
is, there is not money enough in circu
lation."
ais it the intention after the bill
goes into effect" inquired Tracey Of
New York, ''to redeem silver certiA
Gates in gold2"
"Do you understand that silver GER
tificates are redcemable in gold2'
asked Bland in turn. -
81 do.n
"Well,n replied Bland, "the secretar,
of the treasury never held so. Th
secretary has maintained that all tha
was necessary to keep all of our cur
rency at par was to keep greenbacks
par. They are gold obligations an
therefore interconvertihle, and Will
silver certificates can not be redeeme
in gold, greenba cks have never bee
refused for them. This keeps all ou
currency at par. | am speaking no.
from the standpoint of the monometa
ists."
He declared that 1t was only nece
! sary to keep enough gold In the trea
ury to meet foreign exchange. Unde
the Sherman law he insisted that ever
dollar in treasury notes outstandin
;, are redeemable is silver, "and If
= we're secretary of the treasury shoul
, so hold" he added emphatically
would not use my discretion in the |
, terest of the gold gamblers of tn
country. This bill, however," he CO
. tinued, "does not go so far in this 7
= spect as the Sherman bill. 1t only pr
yides that notes having been redeeme
in gold or otherwise, shall not be ]
issued put be destroyed, and the CO
= shall take their place. In other WORD
or the holders will no longer be able
force their redemption again and aga
n in gold"
We MIR. Bland is confident the bill "
ed pass.