The record-union., 1897-02-17
Tho Senate Bill for an International
Monetary Conference
Discussed Before the House Committee
on Coinage.
Advocates of Free Coinage Fear That
the TleaSure Will be Talked to
Death Before the Present Session
OF Congress is Brought to a Close.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.-Interest in
the Senate bill for an international
monetary conference deepens as the
discussion before the House Committee
on Coinage continues. Half a dozen
members of the House were on hand
TO speak on the measure to-day The
free silver members of the committee
fear the bill may be talked to death
before the session ends.
Quigg of New York announced that
several New York men desired to be
heard before vote was taken, and de-
sired postpOnement.
Wouldn't you like to see it post
poned until March 5th?" asked Hilborn
of California
Quigg admitted that he would be
pleased ct such a result.
Then you are not in favor of carry
ing out the Republican PLATFORM" Hill
born said.
Il merely doubted the expediency of
passing this bill at this time" replied
Quigg.
He added that the New York Con-
gressional delegation was practically
unanimous in its opposition.
Fowler Of the Bank Committee con-
The speech soon drifted into the
channel of free coinage, and Cooper of
Texas and Towne of Minnesota took
part
When Mr.. Fowler came to the ques-
tion Of a conference, he said that fur
ther agitation of the question of bi-
1netallism would keep capital out of the
country. y conference would result
only in an exchange of the opinions of
individuals. The last campaign had
been a clear-cut fight for the gold
standard against free silver.
IF bime etallism is an exploded theory
why did the Republican platform de-
clare for it?" Mr.. Cooper asked.
The party has been evoluting out of
it." said Mr.. Fowler, but unfortu-
nately at St. Louis it left one foot in the
past"
Then Mr.. Towne asked if Mr. Fowler
did not believe that the Republican
party had made a pledge to the Ameri-
can people TO use its best efforts to Sc
cure international bimetallism.
To this Mr.. Fowler replied that he
did not know what bimetallism meant.
Mr.. Towne asked that as the word
bimetallism did not occur in the plat
form, did Mr.. Fowler think that it
pledged the party to secure interna-
tional free coinage of silver?
There was much parrying on this
point, Mr. Fowler insisting that bimet-
allism was an absurdity, and Mr..
Towne declared that if the people
thought the party did not intend to
carry out the platform pledge, they
would sweep the party off the earth
for such Infamous deceit"
Mr.. Quigg then spoke, addressing, as
he said, the Republican members of the
committee. 1t was true that the party
had at St. Louis made a promise to
work for international bimetallism, but
the promise had been impaired or af-
fected by what had gone before and
after these particular words. That
promise should be construed by the
representatives. who had been chosen
by the people on that platform. not by
those whose terms were about to ex-
pire Mr.. Mckinley had already sent a
courier to Europe, whose free silver
views were pronounced, to secure in
formation on the subject. This bill
came from a Senate which had defeated
every Republican measure sent to it in
this Congress. While it was not COM
pulsory on the President, it must have
great weight. No one knew that condi-
tions were favorable TO a bimetallfsm
conference now than at the time Of the
last conference. Information had been
secured by the President through diplo-
matic channels.
There was further discussion, and