Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-02-10

Washington, February 9.-The inter-
est in Congress in the question of an
international monetary conference was
shown to-day by the presence in the
House Committee on Coinage Of many
members to listen to the discussion of
the resolutions before the committee.
Several members of the Committee on
Banking and Currency took part in the
debate. The first speaker was Repre-
sentative Hill, Connecticut Republi-
can, who spoke from a political stand
point. bitterly denouncing the Senate
for attempting to lay trap to ensnare
the Republican party. 1t was an at
tempt, he said, TO bring about the things
which the Republican party voted down
at the last election, the free coinage of
silver and a double standard OF value.
Referring TO Senator Chandler, he
said the proposition was thrust upon
the incoming President by a Senator
who had bitterly and virulently oppos-
ed his nomination, and that that Sena-
tor had been sustained and seconded by
the chairman OF the National Demo-
cratic Committee. THE proposition is
born of mother who loves it not, he
said. More than one-half of its oppo-
nents in the Senate, he added, had been
Republicans while free silver men who
would work to bring it to naught voted
for it. He continued: THE stilted
phrases of a platform dictated by half
mature thought in June should be read
in the blazing light of the November
victory"
No responsibility rested on this Con-
gress in the matter, nor should a DEM
ocratic President be called upon to sign
the resolution. The wishes of gold
Democrats who had been the allies OF
the Republicans. and who had declared
for the single gold standard, Mr.. Hill
said, should be consulted. Other planks
of the St Louis platform, those relat-
ing to Cuba, to immigration and 9TH
ers had been disregarded; why, he ask
ed, should Congress rush to fulfill this
single plank?
This was not the time, these not the
men and this not the proposition which
the st. Louis platform had contempla-
ted. The utterance of that platform
on the money Quetion had been modi-
fed by the subsequent Chicago platform
and alliance OF Republicans and Gold
Democrats.
Representatives Hartman, Of Mon
tan&, and Towne, OF Minnesota, two
boilers from the st. Louis convention,
asked Mr.. Hill several questions.
Mr.. Hill said this government should
not subject itself again to chagrin by
calling another conference which for
eign delegates would attend merely as
a matter of courtesy. Any accomplish
ment must be by diplomatic negotia-
tions with Great Britain.
My understanding of the st. Louis
platform" he continued, lis that it
pledged the party first to the mainte-
nance of the gold standard, and that all
other pledges are subsidiary. This
was in answer to question from Mr..
Hartman as to whether the platform
had not meant the gold standard while
endeavoring to deceive voters into the
understanding that it meant bimetal-
lism.
REPRESENTATIVE Brewster (Rep., n.
" remarked that the bill was trap
by the enemy to put the next President
in a hole.
Representative Fairchilds (Rep., n.
W said that he understood the Senate
bill had been drafted by Senator VOL
colt after conference with Mr.. Nc
Kinley.
let Mr.. Mckinley give his opinion
in his inaugural message" said Mr..
Brewster.
The committee adjourned until Mon