The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-03-20
The Seioniora9e Bill.


The sci@niorage bill passed the senate
Thursday by a decisive majority. Both
in the house and in the senate some of
the democrats. who have been induced
To misrepresent their party by opposing
substitute legislation for the Sherman
law. made haste TO set themselves right
rs far as they could by voting for the
Bland bill There are a few cuckoos
In both houses who voted against the
bill in order to emphasize the fact that
they are really and truly the disciples
of John Sherman But the attitude Of
these men had no effect on the measure.
The bill has now passed congress, and
now goes to the president with the prac-
ideally unanimous endorsement of the
democrats
1t is thought by some that Mr. Clcvc-
land will veto the bill, but the situation
may be best described by saying that it
Is not known definitely whether he Will
veto the measure or approveAit He has
made no declaration on the subject. ON
the other hand. MIR Carlisle, who has
surrendered body and brccches to John
Shcrmaus ruinous financial schemes,
Is known TO he opposed 10 the measure
Mr.. Clcvcland's attitude has been
somewhat of Il puzzle to the patronage
press The fact that he has made no
definite announcement on the subject
has left them hanging in the air. The
patronage hcelcrS have not considered
the scignioraGc bill on its merits. They
have not bothered themselves 10 inquire
whether it conforms To the democratic
policy, or whether ii will tend to relieve
the present situation by over SO little.
or whether il will prevent another issue
of bonds. They have not concerned
themselves with these things at all. They
have not even discussed these things.
In point of fact all the patronage heel
ers want To know is how Mr. Cleveland
regards the bill If it is the best meas
ure in the world, they are opposed TO it
If Mr. Cleveland is. If it is the worst,
they are for it if Mr. Cleveland is. They
have eliminated the platform, the party
and the people, and are ready 10 turn
their pop-guns against all combined
whenever they are given the wink. Only
the other day a patronage organ that re-
cciycS its policy straight from the cabi-
net. declared that democrats ought to
desert their platform in favor of a linn
tied coinage of silver because Mr.. Cleve-
land believes in Il limited coinage of
silver.
The truth is, the patronage hcelcrs
don't know that Mr. Cleveland is in favor
of even Il limited coinage of silver. The
Bland-Allison act provided for limited
coinage of silver and he was opposed to
that. The seigniorage bill which the sen
ate passed yesterday provides for Il linn
ited coinage of silver. 1t is said that
the capacity of our minis is little more
than 100000 of silver dollars year
so that several years would elapse before
the terms of the seigniorage bill could
be complied with. We shall soon See
therefore, whether NIr. Cleveland is in
favor even of Il very limited coinage Of
silver. or whether the restless and anX-
ious patronage heelers have merely i'll
vented the position for him.
The seigniorage bill can hardly be
called Il silver measure ut all, though
it deals with that metal. 1t is merely
intended to give the people the use of
money that is now lying idle in the
treasury Such relief as it may give to
the present tension of affairs will hardly
be perceptble, but it will tend to pre-
vent another issue of gold-bearing
bonds. The whole purpose of the
bill is 10 provide the treasury with funds
sufficient TO prevent another increase
of taxation. The measure provides for