The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-05-17
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, MAY u, 1Sot


ceased to notice published misrepre-
sentations concerning himself or the
Treasury department., but he had to
smile when the story reached Wash
in4ton that the popuists were making
campaign material out of the alleged
alarm of Treasury officials at the pur-
chase of gold bullion from western
miners by the syndicate which pur-
chased the last issue of bonds. This
silly story went on to say that it was
the purpose of the syndicate to make
a corner in gold and after the price
had been forced up to make raid
on the gold in the Treasury and force
another big issue of bonds to replen-
ish it. There never was a more rdi-
culous story conducted upon a basis
partially true. 1t has been well known
that the syndicate mentioned has been
buying gold from western miners for
the last two months, but it has also
been equally we'll known that it was
bought in order that the syndicate
might live up to its contract with the
government which called for the turn
ing Of SO much gold into the Treasury
within certain period. There has
been no alarm on the part Of the
Treasury officials simply because there
has been nothing to be alarmed about.
The reason why the gold was bought
from the western miners was that the
premium at which it could be bought
was less than it cost to ship it from
Europe, thus making its purchase over
here profitable to the syndicate. The
contract with the syndicate stipulates
that one half the gold paid into the
Treasury for the bonds shall come from
Europe and the contract has up up to
this time been kept to the letter. The
| last payments will not be due until
next October.
Ex-senator Butler, of South Caro-
lima, who made many warm friends
during his eighteen years service in
the Senate, left Washington, with his
family, this week, for his home. He
says he is now out Of politics and does
not again expect to take an active
part, but those who know him best
say it will be simply an impossibiity
to keep him quiet when there is fight
ing going on.
Many shrewd observers believe that
with more prosperous times there will
come a radical change in the senti-
ments Of majority of those who now
advocate the free coinage of silver be.
cause they believe almost any change
must be for the better. For instance,
two democrats from widely separated
states-Judge Montgomery, of Mich,
and Judge Berry, OF Ga.,-who hap
pened to be in Washington this week,
thus diagnosed the silver case in their
respective states: Judge Montgomery
said think the Republicans Of
Michigan are fully as much divided
on the silver question as the democrats.
Some of the most influential men in
the republican party out there are
thoroughly imbued with the free silver
sentiment. My own belief is that we
have seen the maximum agitation on
that subject. | do not think it will
be factor in the Presidential election
next year, and do not expect either of
the great parties to make any declara-
ton as to silver coinage, afirmatlvely
or negatively" Judge Berry says {;
{" 1t looks to me as though great
portion of the southern people had
gone crazy on silver. l guess they
will get over it in time and will wake
up some day to a realization of the
folly of such a policy. OF all the
people in the U. S. the southerners
ought to stand most inflexibly in favor
of sound currency. They don't
mine an ounce of silver and their
chief product, cotton, is valued on a
gold basis on the other side of the
| Atlantic. At present the silverites
are bowling with the same fervor that
the disciples of the old greenback
doctrine displayed, but year from
now under the quieting influence of
better times their ardor may be abat-
ed and the movement may die out as
completely as the fiat money craze
did"
The completed model of the eques
trian statue of Gen Winfield Scott
Hancock was exhibited to day to a
number OF prominent people, in the
studio of Mr.. H. J. Ellicott, the
sculptor selected by the Commits
sloner charged by Congress with the
duty of experimenting the making and
erection of the statue. The mode
made an excellent impression or
those who saw it, the likeness in face
and figure of Gen. Hancock being
specially commented upon.
President Cleveland is uncertain as
to when he will leave Washington foI
the summer. He would like to go tt
Gray Gables when Mrs. Cleveland
and the children go, which will be ii
the neighborhood of the first of June