Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1894-03-29
Washington Letter

hOM OUh NcI VI LAX \JoNF t|Si oNNENA'
WARRINGTON. d. c.. March 20, 1894.
There Is little or no speculation today
concerning what will be the fate of the
Bland coinage bill. Near y everybody
has settled down to the belief that it will
be vetoed, and the delay is accounted
for, according to those who 80 believe,
by President Clevelands desire to pre-
pare an elaborate veto message, explain
ing that he is not actuated by animosity
to the use Of silver as money. Although
this belief has no more definite fOun da-
than guess work it is 80 strongly shared
by the silver men that they are already
arranging their programme IN antlclpa'
ton Of the veto. 1t is not probable that
any attempt will be made to pass the
bill over veto, but veto will be at
once followed by the report of the
Bland free coinage bill by the House
committee on coinage, and by the offer.
ing Of free coinage bill in the Senate
as an amendment to the tariff bill. A
veto will make the adoption of such an
amendment by the senate COMPARE
lively easy matter, as 1t would be sup
ported by many republicans who would
not vote for free coinage as a separate
measure. The fear of that amendment
has caused more than one democrat not
favorable to silver to ask Mr. Cleveland
either to sign the Bland bill or allow it
to become law without his signature,
and there are still a few who have hopes
of his doing the last. Although Mr..
Cleveland has until Thursday to act on
the bill there are reasons for the belieI
that he will announce his intentions at
the cabinet meeting tomorrow. Satur.
day members of the cabinet expressed
ignorance of what would be done, but
several of them limited veto rather
strongly.
The Hatch anti-option bill, as re-
vlsed, received the votes of twelve out
of the fourteen members of the House
committee on Agriculture who were
present when it was ordered to be favor
ably reported. The bill now provides
that dealers in "option" and futures
shall pay special tax Of $l2 year and
shall give $4,000 bond. and that all
contracts made shall have internal rey.
enue stamps attached as follows: for
every ten thousand pounds of cotton,
hops, pork, lard or bacon, dried or salt.
ed meats, and every one thousand bush
els of wheat, corn, rye, oats and barley,
one cent, and for every bill o. sale ter
mlnating a contract two cents. For
every contract settled in any other way
than by the actual delivery of the arti-
Giles the bill provides the following
practically prohibitory tax : one cent
for every pound Of cotton, hops, pork,
lard, bacon or plckled or sailed meat;
three cents for every bushel of wheat
and two cents for every bushel OF corn,
oats, rye and barley. The bill will be
bitterly opposed, but its passage by the
House is generally conceded. The Sen.
ate is where the fate of the bill will be
decided, and it's action is doubtful.
Coxey's army is something between a
puzzle and a joke to the average Con.
gresham, and it is talked about consid.
cradle, but not seriously. 1t is puzzling
several congressman who know Coxey
to be shlewd business man to account
for his connection with the army, but
none OF them think the army will ever
get here, although Coxey may come
with a few followers who have the
money to pay their own expenses.
There is danger that the Chinese
question may be reopened in Congress
and tina. there will be a repetition Of