The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-14
HAW All s
COINS.
The Troubles that
Came of WiICOX'S
Blunders.
SILVER FIGHT
PRECIPITATED
All Sorts of PiIikia Over the
Hawaiian Redemption
Bill.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18.-For four
years there has been waged with only
sound money and silver forces in the
United States Defeat at the polls in
two national elections, and IN more
than one of the Western States, would
seem to the ordinary observer to have
settled the matter, but even yet there
arises occasions when the silver men
are able to turn a trick. When they
get the chance they take it with all the
more certainty and vehemence. The
last occasion on which they have
showed their power, this time to block
legislation, is in the matter of the bill
to redeem the coinage of Hawaii. AS
matters now stand they will either de-
feat the bill or compel the sound mon
ey men to take back track on some
of the amendments they are proposing
! to have added to it.
The status of the bill was outlined in
the last letter to the Advertiser. 1t
is now in committee waiting for report.
When it is reported there will be no
chance to pass it without either unani-
nous consent or by two-thirds vote
on suspension of rules The bill has
been handled by Attorney Haywood
with consummate skill. 1t was by a
stroke of policy that he was able to
get it into the Senate and through
| that body with the amendment carry
| ing the right of the collector to deposit
funds in the local depository, and so
sent to the House in the form which
! will be of the most benefit to the ISL
ands. Unfortunately there then arose
question which now promises to lay
out the matter.
I While the matter which promises to
block the bill is one of some moment,
/ it would not have arisen had there been
/ the sproper action taken in the House
! when, the bnl first came up, and SO
should the bill fail there the brunt of
the blame must be taken by the dele
gate from the Territory. His position
then gave ground for the opposition
which prevented the bill being put
through by Mr.. Knox.
Soon after the failure of the measure
at that time, Mr.. Hill, of Connecticut,
a member of the committee on curren-
cy, found that the bill would mean
! that the Hawaiian currency would be
redeemed with silver, and the silver Of
! the Island be recoined in the mints in
| the same denominations which were to
! be retired. To this Mr.. Hill, who is a
banker, objected. He based his objec-
| ton on the grounds that there had
| been so much discussion and fighting
on the matter of coinage of silver dol
lars, always resulting in the defeat OF
the silver men, that there should not
| be now another STANDARD dollar author
! ;r,n@ IT, ~ faI, ~ hy. Cot, -
some of his associates, and he at once
announced to Mr.. Knox that he would
move to amend the bill should it ever
come up, so that it would provide that
the Secretary of the Treasury could
recon the silver in any form he de-
sired. This would mean that ii would
go into fractional currency.
I This is point on which the silver
men are still sore. They do not like
the attitude of the Treasury, which is
that there shall be no more standard
dollars coined They insist that there
silver currency and they say that
should the dollars from Hawaii be
taken and replaced with standards, and
| then the dollars so taken, put into
fractional currency, they would witness
the contraction of the standard coins
to the extent of the dollars so redeem
ed. To this silver men object strenu-
ously, and their spokesman, Shaffroth,
of Colorado, has announced that while
he is now in favor of the bill as it was
! first reported. that the amendment of
| Hill will mean that the minority of
the House will fight on it. The Demo-
Gratis have put their case in the hands
of Shaffroth, and they rely on him to
prevent anything which would be infm-
| zeal to the cause of the silver advo-
Gates. So it is that there hovers over
! the Hawaiian bill an element of uncer-
inf IN, Il = n,
belief that the bill will not be allowed
| to get through at this session, owing
/ to the complication.
There is no doubt that the men in
4 authority are anxious to have the cur
rency and coinage of the Islands re-
deemed by silver of the United States.
which Is in their minds the proper
course to pursue in all the insular pos
! sessions of the United States. There is
a fear also that should there be any
! failure to act at this time that there
may be taken some step by spectators
to force the Hawaiian currency to a,
discount on the ground that the gov
eminent has not decided to make it
| good on the face value. This should be
combatted, for should there be failure
at this session there will be no doubt
of the final success of the bill and the
redemption of the money at its face
rather than at it's bullion value
AMUSED BY WILCOX
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 49,
There is much amusement being taken
| by some members of the Senate out
| of the explanation given by Delegate
wilcox as to the reasons for his taking
the position that Hawaiian silver was
not on par with the gold currency
of the United States. Wilcox favors the
bill as it now stands, and is doing all
that he can to secure its passage. But
when the fat was thrown into the fire
at the time he gave his peculiar ex-
| PLANTATION as to the relations of the
| money metals, there was one OF his
senatorial friends who called him to
account for his position. Then it was
| that Wilcox said:
You see, we Hawaiians have moth
ing left to us to show that we ever
were people, and the native Hawaii
ans do not want their money with the
head of the king taken away from
| them"
! But you don't think there can be