The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-20
BLAND'S BILL IN THE SCALE.
The President Carefully Weighing
the Pros and Cons.


He Will Either Veto or Sign the Meas
ure and Won't Allow IT TO Become a
Law by Nou-action-R umors That
He May Sign It on Condition That no
More Silver Legislation VIII be
Sought During His Term.
Washington. March lQ-The Bland
seiEniorage bin reached the white house
al 2:30 O'Clock to-day. lust about five
minutes after the President had gone
driving with Mrs Cleveland. RepreSen-
tative Pearson. of Ohio, who had went to
the trouble Of taking the bill in person to
the white house, was much disappointed,
as he mad hoped to put in a good word for
the measure in delivering it into the
hands of the executive. He had
voted against the free coinage bill,
and felt that his recommendation would,
therefore, have weight. The President
will have until the afternoon of March %
70 veto the bill, otherwise at that time it
will become law without his action. There
is every reason to believe. however, that
he will dispose of it one way or another
without delay. Both he and Secretary
Carlisle have been overrun with senate
rial and congressional callers, urging the
signing Of the bill.
AN APPEAL TO CARLISLE.
The full democratic majority of the
coinage weights and measures committee
of the House, in a body, called on Secre-
tary Carlisle to-day at the treasury and
urged him to advise the President To sign
the bill. as a measure Of financial relief
and party expediency Among those who
aal1a1 Won a. tho 81 hD
last fall voted for the repeal of the Sher-
man law They based their argument on
the ground that the Democratic
party in its national platform had
promised financial relief to the
people Of the country; that the present
measure was a step in that direction;
that the bill Will, if carried into law,
while not as much as the silver people
desired, at least afford some relief and
show to their constituents that the dem
ocratic administration at Washington was
not unfriendly 10 silver; and that In no
way would the measure seriously or in
juriously affect the financial prosperity
Of the country.
CLEVELAND INVESTIGATING.
The President is giving to this question
Of silver the most careful and thorough
investigation. He IS now and has been
for the past two or three days occupied
most of his time in reading the speeches
made in the House and in the Senate in
favor of the seigniorage silver bill
in obtaining also information from the
treasury department as to the proba-
Bile effect upon the finances of
increasing the silver circulation
of the country to the extent Of S55, 900 OOO
is informing himself from the
best writers on finance as
to the relation OF silver to gold the
condition of gold countries as compared
To silver countries, and, in word, is Civ
ing the whole subject as complete investi-
cation as is possible for him TO make 1t
is stated on semi-odicial authority that
the President viii either sign or veto the
coinage bill, and that he will not permit
it to become law by the lapse of time.
MAY MAKE A COMPROMISE.
His Investigations have progressed so
far that the assertion is made in admins
trative circles that if the President can
be assured that the signing of the present
seigniorage bill win put an end to silver
legislation during his present term, he
VIII sign it; but unless such assurances
are received he is inclined to veto it, Such
assurances, it was said al the treasury
department this afternoon, have been
made To the Secretary of the Treasury by
prominent and influential members
Of the House committee on coinage,
weights and measures. They have stated
III bAANAA blilNldl capacity DIS ultlll DtES OF
this committee that if the President will
sign the present bill no free coinage
measure. by whOmsoever introduced in
the House of Representatives, viii ever
get out Of the committee on coinage.
weights, and measures, tins session. They
do this as a concession to the President
in return for his deferring his own con
yictions to the preponderant sentiment of
the Democratic party.
PROTEST. PROM pArrrHFopr
Baltimore, Nd. March 19.-The Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Association
has sent the following telegram to Presi-
dent Cleveland in protest against the
Bland seigniorage bill
The members Of the Merchants and Manu-
facturers' Association, at "a meeting held this
day, respectfully but earnestly petition Won
10 veto the bin known as the Bland silver
selgnlorage bill. The resolutions will be sent
you by mail tomorrow.
JOHN r BLAND Secretary