The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-03-25
President Cleveland in q Di-
lemma on Seigniorage.
THE SILVER MEN PRESSING HIM.
He Tells Them Plainly He Must Con.
slider the Whole Country.
ting the south, Ask That tho Bill he
Not signed-The House Considerins
the Postofnee Appropriation Bill.

Cieyeiand's private office at the executive
mansion was the center of unusual activ-
ity today. as the leading silver men of con-
gress appeared before him to urge that he
sign the Bland bill. At one time there
were fifteen of them ranged about the pres
iaent and earnestly pleading with MIN.
They had come singiy and In state delega-
tons Representatives Williams. Forman
and Mcdonald, of Illinois, came with Rep
resentatives Martin. Brookshire and Me-
Nagny. of Iowa. and accompanying them
Was a son of ex-Secretary of the Treasury
McCulloch. who came as Western banker
to urge the signing OF the bill. Represent
alive Bryan was there TO urge the desire of
the far North west that the b II be signed.
Representative McMliiin, of the WAYS and
means committee, was just back from q
visit to his state, which satisfied him, he
said. that silver veto meant political dis
aster. Representatives Tucker and Wise,
of Virginia. were there with the Virginia
senator. Mr.. Hun;On. on the same mis-
sion. Representatives Patterson Of Ten
nessse. Wheeler OF Alabama, Carru,h of
Kentucky. Black Of Illinois and Sibley of
Pennsylvania, added to the gathering.
Every one of the callers was an ardent sill
yer man except possibly Mr.. Black, and
he. too. was there 10 urge that the people
of Illinois wanted the bill signed.
The president had q cordial greeting for
the various congressman. and showed
much interest in the various plans pre-
sented. 1t was evident. however. that he
was much worried. and that the strain
was telling upon him. One Congressman
after another was heard. They spoke
with great earnestness.
No effort Vas made to conceal the feel
ing that the existence Of the present ma
jority in congress dapended on the signing
Of the bill. Represe ntative McMiilin said
no Democrat could be elected to congress
in his state who would indorse silver
veto. He was just back from Mississippi,
where. he said, the-most intense feeling
existed In opposition to. veto. Repre-
sentative Bryan OF Nebraska took for his
text the significant fact that the center of
population in the United States was 500
miles west of New York. He said the
Northwestern people. whether right or
wrong, feared the president closed his eyes
TO them and Thought. only of the East.
Mr.. Cleveland iptefrupted to say that
he knew no section, and that he had the
best desire to act for the welfare of the
whole people. East and West alike. Rep
resentatives Mcdonald and Brookshire
voiced the views of Illinois and Indiana.
Then occurred striking scene, which
will long be remembered by those present.
Nh. McCulloch. son of the ex-secretary
and now an Indiana banker. had urged
tha: the Western bankers were not afraid
of An oversupply Of silver. He instanced
his own bank. in which he said there was
a constant call far silver. The metal was
never on hand in quantities greater than
the demand.
At this point President Cleveland framed
q reply to the many pleas. He stood by
the side of his large desk. one hand resting
on it, and spoke to the fifteen or twenty
earnest men before him. He spoke Of his
anxiety to help the congressman and their
people by such action as would be best for
the whole country. 1t was not question
about majorities in congress or OF any
other personal or decentralization. He
told them that they had his sympathy,
and he earnestly wished he was at liberty
to look at the matter aud act solely from
their point OF view. In fact, nothing
would please him more than to leave the
matter to be settled by congress. But
congress had turned il over to him. and
upon him rested the responsibility,
which he could not and would not evade,
The performance of his full duty Obliged
him TO consider not the interests of this
or that section, but the welfare of the
whole people, and that duty he should en-
deavor to discharge to the best of his
ability. To that end he had sought infor-
nation from all sources and heard all in
terests. He intended to take all of the
facts into consideration and to base his
decision upon the conviction that he
should reach as TO the interests of the
whole peole. He spoke feelingly of the
gravity OF the responsibility thus i'm posed
upon him by the differences in various
localities. He pointed out some of the
features urged against the bill. He did
not say they were fatal defects, yet the
tendency of his statement was to show
that he could not yet reconcile himself to
the views the silver men had expressed.
Mr.. Cleveland spoke Tor fully fifteen min.
utes.
When the main body Of congressman
had retired others arrived, and the stream
OF silver pleas continued throughout the
public hours of the president To one of
tEse congressman MI. t4eFeI0nI pDiG ted
out that his main fear was against the
section Of the bill which may cause q run
on the treasury for the redemption Of
treasury notes in gold. An important
criticism advanced by Mr.. Cleveland was
that the phraseoisgy OF the bill was defec-
tive in the judgment of eminent legal au-
thor,ties. The president. pointed out that
the wording o. the section directing the
Coinage OF the seigniorage was such tha.
while it seemed TO authorize SIS. 0.Do 900. Il.
was open 20 the construction that the
amount should he $40, oo0. 0co. While not
stating ,ha, the defect sas fatal. the pre-
siaent seemed TO regard i; as serious
matter in such measure.
The South came strongly 10 the front in
the letters aud kilograms piled upon Mr.
ThurbeT's desk. nearly al praying for =
veto
81. LouTs March GA petition signed
hy all the bankers and trust companies in
tAis city, and by large number OF lead
ing merchants and business men w.s
mailed TO President Cleveland tonight,
urging him 10 veto the se!znin.sys hall