Evening star., 1897-02-09
MONETARY. ENCE
The Bill Discussed Before the House Com
mittee on Coinage.
Representatfve Hill Speaks I'm Oppo-
by silver Members of Committee.

The interest in Congress in the question
of an international monetary conference
vas shown today by the presence in the
House committee on coinage OF many men,
bers to listen to the discr ssion of the res
olutions before the committee. Several
members of the committee on banking and
currency took part in the debate The first
speaker was Representative Hin a Con-
recticut republican, who spoke from a po-
litical standpoint, bitterly denouncing the
Senate for attempting to lay trap to en-
snare the republican party. 1t was an at
temr,, 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 PROPOSE
ton was thrust upon the incoming Presi-
dent By senator who had bitterly and
vrulently opposed his nomination, and
that that senator had been sustained and
seconded by the chairman of the national
democratic committee. 1.-The proposition is
born of a mother who loves it not" he said.
More than one-half of It's opponents in the
Senate, he added, had been republicans,
while free silver men who would work to
bring it to naught voted for it. He CON
dictated by half mature thought IN June
should be read in the blazing light of the
November victory No responsibility rest
ed on this Congress in the matter nor
should a democratic President be called
upon to sign the resolution.
The wishes of gold democrats who had
teen 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 re-
latins to Cuba. to immigration and others,
had been disregarded. Why, he asked,
should Congress rush to fulfill this single
f1tn
the men and this not the proposition which
the st. Louis platform had con lemplated
The utterances of shat platform on the
mo.ey question had hter modified by the
subsequent Chicago platform and alliance
of republicans and gold democrats.
Representatives Hartman of Montana
and Iowne 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 foreign delegates
would attend merely as matter of cour-
tesy. ANY accomplishment must be by
diplomatic negotiations, with Great Britain
My understanding Of the st. Louis plat
form, he continued, -'is that it pledged
the party first to the maintenance of the
gold standard ard that all other pledges
are subsidiary" This was in answer to a
question from Mr. Hartman to whether
the platform had not meant the gold stand
ard while endeavorinG to deceive voters
into the Understanding that it meant BIZ
metallsm. H..
Representative Brewster On. " remark
ed that the bill was a trap by the enemy
to put the next President in hole
Representative FafrchiId On " said that
he understood the Senate bill had been
drafted by Senator Wolcott after confer
ence with Mr.. Mckinley.
Let Mr.. Mckinley give his opinion in
his inaugural message,r said Mr.. Brewster
The committee adjourned till Monday.