Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-24

There being some reason TO doubt Sena-
tor Hilrs position on the silver question.
we have overhauled his record on that
subject. Not that we have ourselves
any doubt that he lis in favor Of putting
gom dollars worth OF silver bullion into
a silver dollar; but because there are
n good many persons who really be-
leve that he is in favor of the free
coinage OF silver at a ratio OF l6 TO /
only sixteen times as much silver as
gold. or course. II is possible that he
has changed his position on this subject;
but IL he has changed IT, he has given
nobody notice Of the fact And as he is
not a. man TO conceal his opinions. we
take IL for granted that he stands now
where he has stood all the time. Here
Is what Mr. Hi said In the United
States Senate less than two years ago:
Free bimetallic coinage executed in
the mints of one nation must be ef-
fectlve internationally by the prevalence
OF its ratio universally. or Il has no rea-
son for existence 1t must be compe-
tent free bimetallic coinage, actually
making our silver in the white dollar
everywhere equivalent TO the gold In the
yellow dollar, and vice versa.
That ought of itself TO settle the ques-
ton. But how stands Mr.. Hill as to
the free coinage of silver by the United
States alone? Most men think that for
this country to provide for the free coin
age Of silver would be 10 adopt a mea-
sure that would cause all the silver here,
If not all in the world to drop down
10 its market price as bullion. on TINS
point MIR. Hill said in the same speech:
Coming at the tail OF thirty years of
like detcstablc finance ii excludes the
present possibility of the United States
alone undertaking independently TO estab-
lish and maintain "A free bimetallc COIN
age. except at the expense OF some IN
crease Of gold bonded debt. which. IN
stead of insuring our future prosperity
by the solid Inauguration OF Tree pi-
metallic coinage. Is now threatened as
another costly sacrifice to staVe OF tne
cumulative per.is of the Sherman law
Moreover, TO free bimetalic coinage ny
international agreement we are now smut
I'D by the action OF both polltlcal parues
in nominating two candidates, ana y! tnc
election Of one. who had previously
SNQWed tneT approval VI
coinage. subject to the condition OF ioi
eign cooperation
This declaration settles the question az
10 how Mr.. Hln stands affected towards
new international b.metallic conference
lie Saws that the United States is smut
mn TO free bimetallc coinage by internal
t,onal agreement" He adds:
81 consider that the people Of the United
States are as much bound by their own
act now to the prior effort for obtaining
foreign cooperation as they are oouhd
by the Joint resolution Of the two parties
together To press forward TO the common
goal -,,,,
If they were not thus bound Mr. Hili
would favor a bimetalic conference. Tor
he sayS
"Niv own personal conviction Is Clear
that with adequate preparatlon feNiSeu
laws. aDd competent administration anu
friendly administration. INDEPENDENT Tree
timetable coinage would be wlthin ule
power OF the United States to eslaoiisT
and maintain: and for my own lar'
should far prefer that solution WIN 10
ertonrIing foreign alliances or aSree
ments' 10 any international arrangement
whatsoever