Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-29
POPULIsT BILLS.
Congressman Davis Replies to Con-
gresham PfgOtt.

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Conxressmnn Davis Replies to Con-
gresham Pigott.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
Sir: ! notice in your issue of the oath
instant a review If the populist bills. in
tr"ducrd in the last Congress and this,
taken from 81 eech in the Record by Con-
gresham Pigott of Connecticut. 1 thank
Mr.. Pigotr and The Star for advertising
our bills. as 1t will cause many people to
think of them who otherwise might TO. do
so. 1 wonder, however, that it did not oc-
cur to Mr.. Pigott that the unheard of alb
surdity of his "recapitulation'' might not
throw the laugh onto him rather tnan upon
the populists. Mr.. Plgott tries to show that
the populists desire to flood the country
with more than thirty-ive billions of worth
less paper.
The fact is. these populist bills are near
~ All enlergef cy measures, calculated to
relieve the distress of the country, ard,
the passage OF any enc Of them will render
others unnecessary. For example. my bill
lor toe relief of certain mortgage debtors
would cause an Increase of money up to
40 per capita, including the money now in
circulation, and not including lawful re-
serves In the banks and the United States
treasury. The Increase Of money under
that bill would bring good times; labor
would nnd employment at good prices. and
my bill for the enlistment Of an indus.
trla1 army would not be needed. Neither
Will the two bills of Congressman Glover.
in the last Congress, be needed. and they
would be dropped. That knocks TWENTY-FIVE
and half billions Of dollars out of MIR.
Pigotts footing. The same is practically
Boen and KEN. The passage of any one
or Two OF the important populist bills for
the relief Of the present money famine.
WOULD render ALL or nearly all. of the rest
-
l also discover another little discrep-
ancy In Mr. Pigotts figures. Discussing
my bill for the relief Of certain mortgage
debtors. on page l0.29S, he estimates that
IL would require three and third billions
CT dollars to carry II into effect; but, on
page 1880. In his recapitulation, he calls
the amount ten billions. OF course a little
discrepancy like that Is not much for an
orthodox goldbug when discussing popu-
lists But 1 claim that his first estimate
Is at least a billion too much. The money
In this country is monthly reported by a
democratic secretary, as over one billion
six hundred millions Call it one billion
and third allowing the rest for lawful
reserves in addition to present reserves
not included in the seeretary's estimates
or money. Take this from the three and
a third billions. which Mr.. Pigett first
stated that my bill would require and it
leaves two billions as the entire sum de-
nlanded by the populist bills. 1t Increases
the present circulation to a little over twice
the circulation that we had fifteen years
ago QSI9). when we resumed specie nav
ments With twenty millions less people
tDan We have now. So when we lift Mr.
Pigott off of his wonderful mares nest. we
find 1t full of fuss and feathers" but with
only enc egg. and that not very frightful
one. -..0G -
OF the country. They did not believe that
the repeal OF the silver purchase clause of
the sherman law would do It, and IL has
not. They do rot believe that an endless
mn an he lie
do It, and 1t will not. But an increase, of
money VIII relieve the dist-esses of the
country. IL the lessons of history teach
anything; and there Is no other remedy
The populsts in the last Congress and this
nave offered about q dozen bills in this
Hne-to increase the money ard relieve the
people The passage of any one or two of
these remedial measures will render all the
rest unnecessary. and they will be dropped
So. then. If Mr.. Pigott will deduct some
thrty-three and a half billions of dollars
from his footing up he will have no quar-
rel with the populsts -..-
In closing, let me try the bills OF the two
cid parties by the rule which Mr.. Pigott ap-
plies to popufst bills. Some 5000 bills have
been presented In the House during the
present Congress. mostly by men of the
two old parties. If they should ALL except
the populist bills, become laws what would
be the result? No man can imagine. No
figures could express the situation I think
all will agree that Pandora's box would be
open and bedlam would be rampant.
1t has been estimated that over 1900
bills were introduced in the two Houses
during the first session CT the Fifty-second
Congress, mostly by old party members
and that three and half per cent Of them
became laws The country was almost
ruined. The second session of the Fifty
second Congress did not help things An
extra session. and a long regular session
Of the Fifty-third Congress have been held
No porulist bills of general nature have
been passed, but more old party hills have
become laws. The country is rapidly grow
ing worse Millions Of men are trampins
starving and begging for bread. The loss
es to the country through contraction Of
money. falling prices and enforced idle
ness. are many millions of dollars per day.
to say nothing Of the indescrbable human
suffering the Increase of crimes and sui
cide5 and the dangers to the peace of the
country. The late Senator Plumb, in $780,
estimated the decrease of values in this
country through currency contraction at
three billions Of dollars In twelve months;
and, said the Senator, this contraction has
been going on for ten years" The fact ts
business Is dying. The New York clearings
were fourteen billions Of. dollars less in
1892 than In 1881, with an increase Of fl
teen millions of people; and the clearngs
do not increase. though the poula ton does
These evils cannot be cured by misrep-
resenting and ridiculing porulists. Kinder
sarten statemen must give place to men
who are capable of learning from the les
sons of history. and. Of communicating the
situation. Very respectfully. 80, 70. q