Evening journal., 1894-03-10
Villas ON BLAND'S BILL.
He Says the Seigniorsge Meas
ure Has Dangerous Features.
SENATE TOvoTE ON IT NEXT WEEK.

District Of Columbia Matters Opponents
OF the Income Tax Urging an Active War.
WAsHNGIoS, March 40 After clearing
the calendar Of number OF bills OF minor
Interest the senate took up the seigniorage
bill. After an agreement between Mr.. Al
lison for the minority and Mr. Harris for
the majority that q vote should be- taken
on the motion lo reconsider at = O'Clock
next wednesday. end ON the final passage
nt the hIll at the s,.ut huui on Thursday,
Mr. Villas addressed the senate iu opposi
tion To he bill His speech was of % irag
mentury description, owing 10 numerous
interruptions.
ln speaking Of the hopelessness Of speak
ing on the silver question he said that one
might as well attempt TO eNpostulate with
prairie ire as to attempt to argue with
those who were determined 10 push this
bin through This bill, shortly stated. was
simply Il proposition to ofer nearly $780,
OOU,OUO OF silver certificates, and force them
Into the currency vi the country in addi-
tion to the large amount already outstaud-
ing, and 90 substitute such volume Of
silver certificates in place of the notes is
sued under the act of 1890 which were to
all intents and purposes greenbacks.
villas and stewart
Many OF the features OF the bill. he CON
tinued, which appeared TO one side to De
particularly dangerous, appeared to the
other to be its chief merit, and il certainly
added TO the alarm which lac felt in regard
| TO this legislation, its purposes and its con
sequences. TO hear from able aud intelh,
gent men the expressed declaration of their
understanding that il was a step-a long
step-toward the substitution of the silver
standard in this country for the gold stand
ard-not the substitution OF bimetallism,
that fatuous will o. the wisp which is al.
ways sent floating before arguments which
favored silver monometallism.
An amusing dialogue occurred between
Senators Villas and Stewart, precipitated
by senator Villas prophecy OF the dire mis-
fortune of silver monometallism and Sena-
tor Stewards query, "Will the senator ex-
plain how this country will be injured by
manufacturing standard money out of sill.
verfn
1T would afford me great pleasure to in
struct the senator on that subject re.
piled Mr.. Villas, but for two reasons. The
first is that it would divert me from my
argument, and the second IS that We're ]
gifted with a tongue Of an angel that in
struction would do him no good whatever. d
Laughter
Mr.. Stewart retorted courteously that
the senator from Wisconsin could not show
any facts 10 prove that any injury which
might come would not he a thousandfold
counter balanced by the benefits which
would follow the striking of the shackle.
from the commerce Of the country.
Mr.. Villas, in his reply, referred TO the
fXity of purpose Of the senator from Ne
J yada To attribute all evils To The demoue
! tization of silver.
My iiXity of purpose retorted Mr.
] Stewart, lis not greater than my abhor
renee of the crimes which have brought
misery to the people-the crime Of 1873 an,
3 the repeal of the Sherman law in the extr
Z, session. Fixity of purpose' lac exclaimed
e 81 was born To abhor crime in any form.
1 Continuing, Mr.. Villas said that he kney
5 OF no necessity for the passage Of the bill
1 The secretary Of the treasury had aske'
: for no such legislation, and indeed It wa
d known that he opposed it.
3 Mr.. Harris Asserts Himself.
d Mr. Aldrich said: "While it is true tina
+ the secretary has not asked for this legis
d lation, understood from the attitude o
7 the senator from Indiana (Voorhees) an,
e Of the senator from Tennessee (HarIisl
|
e committee and in favor Of the bill, tina
II there was request on the part Of the ad
t ministration for the passage of this bill -
did the senator say that he understood
II from me that it was the request of the ad
u ministration that the bin should be passel
Il in order 10 enable the administration &
perform its dutyi" asked Mr. Harris i'm
II pressively.
At IL said that from the fact that the ser
h ator from Indiana and the senator fror
et Tennessee are in favor Of this bill assum
o. ed that the administration desired It to b
n passed, responded Mr.. Aldrich.
u Mr.. Harris said slowly and distinctly
'h 81 have represented on this floor my ow
personal and individual views. l have n
it information from the head Of the admin
o tration or any member of the administrl
l' tion fully as 70 what they wish or do ne
g wish in regard to it. I am representing m
10 own individual views and shall continu
TO represent them until the end of the col
% test"
@ The Executive Session.
nj Mr.. Villas, being permitted TO continu
m said that the secretary Of the treasury, b