Evening star., 1897-02-26
THE HOUSE,


A question of privilege over a minor mat
ter between Mr.. Miles of Maryland and
Mr.. Hopkins of Illinois occupied the at
tention of the House for short time to-
day.
This was the first of the six days at the
close of the session which motions
could hs entertained to suspend the rules
by t~otthrds vote, and the Speaker
recognized Mr.. C. W. Stone PaD to move
the passage of the Senate bill providing for
an inter national monetary conference look
ing to an International agreement for the
free coinage of gold and silver
Mr.. Quigg On y demanded second.
lMr.sStnne's Explanation.
one hours debate on a side was allowed
Mr.. stone took the floor and explained the
bill. He said 1t was idle to discuss the
questions involved in the bill. They had
been discussed on every stump in the last
campaign. -
Its purpese was to promote and advance
the scheme of international limctallism
the only safe bmetallism and the b!metal-
ism TO which his party was pledged The
United States would not go to the other
great commercial nations a suppliant 1t
would demand as a matter of common
interest the consideration of this great
problem which now confronted the world
Upon the theory that there was a prob
ability that the scheme might be sue
ceSSful and to carry out a distinct promise
made to the American people he asked
for the passage of the bill. In reply to
question he said the House amendments
were added to give the bill greater effi-
cheney.
Mr.. McCreary KyD, who was a mem
Der of the last international conference
gave hearty support to the bill He said
he had confidence that the incoming Pres
dent would discharge the duties IMPOSED
upon him by the bill He favored inter-
national bimetallism and was anxious that
the new administration should have an op-
portunity to redeem Its pledges. The pas
sage of this bill in the Senate by an al
mcst unanimous vote and Its prospective
passage with but few dissenting votes
proved .conclusively that the people and
their repre- sentatives We're opposed to the
gold standard and in favor of genuine
himetallism. He expressed the opinion that
Mr.. Mckinley received hundreds of thou
sands of votes of people who believed the
country could reach bimetalIism with less
danger through international bmetailsm
than by the Independent action of this
country.
DID you not say upon your return from
Brussels. inquired Mr.. Cox (Tenn.) that
the difficulty Of reaching an interna tionaI
agreement lay with England. What rea-
son have YOU for believing England will
change her positlon?''
the greatest creditor nation She has had
the gold standard since lSl6. and she will
never agree until the countries of conti-
mental Europe force her to. But senti-
ment favorable to bmetallism is growing
in England Nine of the present minis
ters members OF the BimetalIic
League" Mr.. McCreary SAID that at any
future conference the American represen-
tatives should have the power to enter
into and sign an agl cement.
Mr.. Hartmun's Stnta.,,cnt
Mr.. Hartman (Mont) stated tilz position
OF the silver republicans. They would vote
for this bill. he said but they desired to
disavow any belief that an international
conference would result In ANYTHING tan
g1ble and to register their protest against
refusal to adopt Independent bimetallis,n
as un-American, hrmilating and degrad-
ing.
Mr.. McRae (Arls) voiced the position of
the silver democrats.
They believed silver should be remone-
ttzed. IT IT could be done by international
bimetaliisn, they would not place a stone
in its asat1i But he had no faith in the
schemee III the. republicans irisd and fail
ed, as lle believed they would. they would
be releaatea four years from now to the
Oblivion which would swallow up the Cieve-
land administration
Mr.. Cooper Cfex) said he would support
the bilh bnt he believed an International
'iSieeitiSn. ~. a WHO -tne-WlSp, an at
tempt 70 do indirectly what should be done
directly!
Mr.: aa,sE Denounced the Bill.
Mr., cSqisg.lN.Y.) DENOUNCED the monetary
conferJr ce abill. Ha DECLARED the battle in
the lase' catApagn was for the gold stan
dard, and Va won on that issue.
Mr.. Hepburn Qowa. rcpudiated Mr..
Quigg's. intsJpretat.on of the St Louis plat
form In fierce speech. and Mr. Johnson
und) appealed to the republicans to have
the COTTAGE of their conviction ana yots
down THIS proposition.
Messrs. Dingley ard Grosvenor closed the
debate in the House on the monetary CON
ference bill with speeches In favor of the
measure