Newspaper Page Text
LOS ANGELES HERALD. V0L.37.—N0.'117 WORK OF CONGRESS. The Present Week Will Be a Notable One. Important Political Issues on the Programme. The Silver Question to Be Brought to a Focus iv the House.. Tho Majority Report on tbe Bland BUI la a Comprehensive Argument In Behalf of ICnllmited ' Free Coinage. Associated Press Dispatches. Washington, Feb. 14. —There are in dications that this week will be notable in congressional annals as one in which political issues will be made up. Iv the house there may be an alignment of the members on the silver question, and it is the senate there will be defined the economical Dolicy of the Democrats as the sequence of the pro gramme adopted by the majority of the house. The bill providing for public printing and binding, which is the business pend ing in the senate, will probably be at tacked by the section creating the office of Buperintendent of public documents, and indeed the Democratic senators are disposed to question the statements made by a majority of the com mittee to the effect that the entire bill is in the interest of econ omy. Consideration of this measure is expected to occupy several days. The bill to prevent the adulteration and misbranding of food and drugs stands next in the order of measures to be considered, but it is possible that it may be antagonized by the senatorial cade of Claggett vb. Dv Bois. Mr. Vest may call up his bill provid ing for the erection oi public buildings lor postoffices in towns and cities where the receipts exceed $3000 annu ally. The urgent deficiency bill is also to be called up at the first opportunity. It is probable that the subject of ap propriations will be the principal topic of discission in the house this week, unless the silver question is forced to the front. Tomorrow is "suspension" day, and there are several bills on the calendar which their friends be lieve can secure the two-thirds vote necessary for passage. Chairman Wise of the committee on interstate commerce will endeavor to pass the bill to permit railways to give special rateß to commercial travelers. It is tbe intention of the Indian affairs committee to call the Indian appropri ation bill early in the week. Friday will be devoted to private claims, unless the subject of appropri ations should interfere with the ordi nary procedure. The rules committee has several reso lutions before it, and the proceedings of the committee will be of special inter est, in view of the fact that one resolu tion is that introduced by Bland,making the silver bill a special,continuing or der in the house. The silver men are striving to have the order reported at an early day. Should there be much delay in the rules committee, the fight will be precipitated without awaiting action by the rules committee on the request to make the silver Dill a special order. FREE SILVER COINAGE. A Synopsis of the Majority Report on the Bland Bill. Washington, Feb. 14. —The report of the majority of the committee on coin age, weights and measures, recommend ing the passage of the Bland free coin age bill, will be presented in the house tomorrow. It is a long and carefully prepared document. It discusses the various objections against free coinage, showing where, in the opinion of the majority, these objections are ill-found ed, and showing how the free coinage of silver will greatly benefit the country, especially producers. The report begins with an explanation of the bill reported. Free coinage of silver is provided, and it is required that it be of standard fineness to meet the alloy used, alloy being all the expense exacted of depositors of gold. Coin notes may be issued on gold or silver deposited, if demanded, instead of wait ing for coin. The committee raised the maximum denominations of notes for dealing in large transactions and bank exchanges. These notes are legal tender, r eedeemable in coin on demand. The bill provides for the conversion of all gold and Bilver certificates into coin notes, redeemable in either gold or silver at the treasury by the govern ment. The report sayß : "It is contended that the reason we exported silver bullion while our mintß were still open to its free coinage was that our ratio was such that our bullion was worth more, com pared with gold, at European mints than here; and that tbe same result would again follow our ratio remaining at 10 to 1, with the French mints open to free coinage at 15>o to 1. This, it is held, would prevent European nations from again returning to the bimetallic system. To avoid this the committee has provided that our ratio be changed to lb}4 to 1 as soon as France resumes free coinage at that ratio." The report concludes: "The familiar warning that tree coinage would cause ship loads of silver to be brought here and dumped at our mints in exchange for gold, is still urged, but under the proposed law, the ship loads of silver brought by a foreigner would be coined into standard dollars, and these dollars returned to him, but he could not go to the treasury and demand gold for them, as, according to tbe bill, the government can nst its pleasure in paying in gold. He would then ascertain that he had committed a blunder in bringing his sil ver to our mintß where it is worth three cents on the dollar less than at home, and that he loses this three cents and the cost of transportation besides. He cannot buy gold with the money, or gold exchange, unless gold and silver be at par. He will either have to invest the money here or carry it home again. The nations of the old world, seeing this, are predicting calamity, instead of pros perity, as the result of a free coinage law here." The report quotes from the report of ex-Secretary of the Treasury Windom for 18S9, in which the secretary took the position that no danger need be apprehended of a flood of European sil ver. "The truth is," the majority report continues, "that a conspiracy formed in the old world, planned and successfully carried through there and here, was aimed to confine the debt paying medi um of the nations concerned to gold. For this purpose the par of centuries was broken. Gold was decreed to rap idly rise in value, thus adding 50 per cent to the value of credits, enriching creditors, public and private, at the ex pense of the debtor and taxpayers; enormously depressing valueß and the products of labor as compared to notes, bonds and mortgages. The words 'free silver' send a thrill of terror to the promctors of this conspir acy and beneliciaries. They know tbat when this great government throws its weight in the silver balance the world will be again restored to full faith and confidence in the future safety of silver as the money of the world. The old par will return and the two metals, being tied together by the strong ligatures of forty-four states and five territories, with a population of 65,000,000 and 3,000,000 square miles, the greatest peo ple and the greatest metallic power in the world, can never again be disturbed. It is this phase of the issue th ey fear, not the swapping of shiploads of dollars of silver and dollars of gold. It is the restoration of the bimetallic par. It is the skeleton of defeated fraud and ava rice that lurks in the closet of the gold palace that we are called upon to meet in battle on the free coinage question. "No citizen of the United States is compelled by law to swap his gold dol lars for silver dollars, nor is there any law in existence or proposed that com pels the exchange of silver for gold without paying any premium that may at any time exist on gold. "Again, it is said we give the silver miner at our mints a dollar for bullion that costs only 41 cents, hesitating to reflect that the gold miner extracts five ounces a day in gold that we coin into $100, when his day's wages is worth only $3 or $4, thus coining his product that costs but $4 into money of $100. "When the utter inconsistency and fallacy of all other objections to free coinage is shown, we are confronted by the ultimatum that our gold will flee this country at once, contracting our currency to the amount of $686,000,000. The monthly statement of the secretary of the treasury for January, 1892, shows that we have in the treasury gold coin and bullion to the amount of $278,246, --750. The last annual report of the comptroller of the currency, shows gold in banks to the value of $96,558,694, making a total in the treasury and banks of $575,402,554. This amount we have a trustworthy record of as being in the country ; the remainder of the esti mate of $686,000,000 is mere guess work. Of all the objections urged against free coinage, this, in the opinion of the comm ittee, is the only one that de serves serious consideration. That the change proposed in the currency laws, involving the complete restoration of the bimetallic standard—return to the coinage of both metals in equal terms —will cause for a moment some apprehension and probably a disposi tion to hoard gold may be expected, yet any evils that may result must, in the nature of the situation, be transitory. No important change that affects the fiscal system can be made without, in some respects, in the first effects at least, causing some inconvenience or friction somewhere. Yet it will not be contended for this reason, that our laws relating to currency or tariff or other method of taxation need never be altered. The ultimate good to be ob tained is, and always has been, suffi cient argument for amendments. "To restore silver now would not make 80 radical achange affecting our currency laws as the ect demonetizing it. Indeed, demonetizing took place without warning, and at a time when we were looking to the resumption of coin payments and surely needed all the specie possible. "We have approached free coinage gradually. The longer it is delayed the greater the injustice done the people. A few timid people and misers might for the moment hoard gold, but the gold in this country for the most part is held by a class of citizens two shrewd and alive to their own interests to drop gold in the sea or bury it in the ground. We are suffering all the evils, alleged against free coinage by its opponents, without the realization of the many benefits claimed by its friends. "The restoration of silver as a money metal would at once allay all fears of its ultimate remonetization by the nations of the world. It would give confidence in silver as a safe medium of exchange, leaving no pretext whatever for the ap prehensions now indulged in. There could be no hoarding of gold. The stocks of coined silver that would add to the world's money would, in the na ture of things, cheapen gold and render it less burdensome to meet gold con tracts than now." The report then takes up the question of the relation of the silver question to India, for the purpose of showing that silver demonetization operates as a bonus on Indian exports to our disad vantage. It says: "The fact that nearly the whole of our exports of agriculture go to European gold-using countries to be sold in competition there with coun tries on a single silver basis is cited by economic writers to show the disad vantage of the American farmer in such competition. It is claimed and the his tory of prices show that as silver falls as compared to gold, so in about the same ratio the prices of our farm pro ducts fall. To say that silver ie low is tantamount to saying the prices ol cot ton, wheat and other farm exports is depressed. The reason is plain. Coun tries having a silver standard avoid, so far as possible, liquidation of foreign debts in money, for the reason silver is, as compared with gold, depreciated. To settle foreign balances, therefore, in silver, entails a loss of the difference in exchange be tween the value of silver as compared with gold. Hence the silver standard country, India, instead of sending her MONDAY MOBNING, FEISKUARY 16, 1892. money, silver, to pay for balances,sends wheat and cotton ahd other exports which, in her currency, have not lost their value at home or abroad. This system looks as an indirect bonus upon all such exports from silver standard countries. Not so with the American farmer. Free silver is coined only on gold account. We are thus tied to the Bingle gold standard; consequently when gold goes up, as compared to sil ver, wheat, cotton and other exports fall in price. In other words, as silver falls below gold, so also our articles of export trade, especially farm products, fall in price. These facts were clearly brought out in tbe investigation of the British royal commission. "An explanation further is that the farmer in all silver countries, who sells his products for gold in gold using countries, gets gold. If, therefore, wheat is worth a dollar a bushel in London, for a bushel of wheat sold there, the farmer will get a gold dollar. This gold dollar will buy silver enough in the London market to coin into a dollar and a quarter, at our ratio, and more at the ratio of India. Therefore the farmer in silver standard countries really gets a dollar and a quarter for his wheat. The American farmer gets his dollar iv gold, but can not with that gold dollar buy silver for coinage at home, for the rea son that free coinage is denied him, sil ver coinage here being limited to the government account. Free silver coinage would put silver and gold ou a practical parity, thus putting the American farmer on an equality with the Hindoos and other silver-using peo ple. It is beyond doubt that free coin age of silver would thus add at least 12 to 15 per cent to the value of all farm products." The report quotes from an article printed in the past week in a Wall street papei calling attention to the fact that silver and cotton are selling at the lowest prices in history. A telegram from New York, dated February lßt, is also quoted. The telegram related that cotton tumbled the day before, and after noting tbat tbe decline was partly due to the large unused supply, said: "The low price of silver was also a factor in the decline, as England settled with India in silver, and the lower silver goes, the cheaper England can buy in India." Continuing, the report says bread stuffs are doing somewhat better now than cotton, owing to the failure of such crops nearly everywhere except in the United States. This brings the report up to tbe discussion of bullion purchases. "Bullion purchases," it says, "will not restore the parity of the two metals. Bimetallism does not tolerate the idea that one metal, gold, for instance, shall be set up as a standard by which tbe other metal, or silver,shall be purchased or measured. This is gold monometal lism and fixes gold as measuring the metal, or the Bole valuation. Bimetal lism means each metal shall be stand ard with itself. Free coinage of silver means that all silver bullion of 412j4 grains standard, and 381J£ pure silver, shall be worth one dollar in lawful payments. It is bullion that in fact is legally monetized. This beiny so, bullion to the amount oi 412} 2 grains of standard silver is alwayß worth one dollar, because the law so declares. Silver cannot fall below the value the government gives it at the mint, because the mint is an open market for all of it at a fixed price. The same may be said of gold. Yet other countries may make such a demand for gold as to make that metal more valuable than silver. They may in time make such a demand for silver as to put it above gold, but at our mints they remain the same in debt paying power." The report then quotes from a well-known authority to the effect that as the<,people want al ways t9 pay in cheaper money, the de mand under a double standard for the metal which falls off in price, results in raising the value of that metal again and bringing the two together. In conclusion, the majority submit the report made at the last session by Mr. Bartine of Nevada, who, as the leader of the free-coinage Republicans, made a comprehensive, exhaustive and judicial review of tbe silver question in all its details. ENGLISH HiriOMACI WINS. The New Khedive of Egypt Will Be In vested at Cairo. Paris, Feb. 14.—The secretary of the British embassy in Constantinople had an audience with the sultan yesterday, and it is semi officially announced today that the hrman of investiture of the present khedive of Egypt has been pre pared, and that it is worded in the ex act terms of the firman investing the late khedive, Tewfik Pasha. This is regarded as a signal success for English diplomacy, as it defeats the attempts to induce the sultan to insert a firman of instructions to the khedive, reflecting upon English supremacy in Egypt. The sultan preferred to adhere to the old form, in order not to embarrass the khedive. The ceremony of investiture will take place in Cairo in accordance with the desire of England and with the concurrence of the khedive. QUIET IN BRAZIL. Rumors of Revolts Denied by the French Minister. - Paris, Feb. 14. —Colonel Zezedello, newly appointed minister at Rio Janeiro, cables that the rumors of an impending revolt in Brazil are untrue. Since the restoration of legal order in November last, the elements of agita tion have had no existence. The dif ferent states organize their own govern ments, without lear of disorder result ing. The banking question is in a fair way of settlement. No further issues will be authorized. The government has no financial difficulty to contend with, and has obtained a vote of confi dence from congresa. Senhor Lebo will become minister of the interior in place of Senhor Periera, resigned. Hill to Be Invited tp Mississippi. Jackson, Miss., Feb. 14. —Representa- tive Burkett, state Alliance lecturer, will tomorrow introduce in the house a joint resolution inviting Senator Hill to visit the Mississippi capital and deliver an address on auy subject he may choose. A Tempestuous Voyage. Boston, Feb. 14.—The steamer Scan dinavian, arrived from Glasgow, reports a very tempestuous passage and that two valuableTi'orses, destined for breed ing purposes, and consigned to John Belch, St, Paul, died on the passage. PATHETIC ACCIDENT. A Wedding Party Run Over by a Train. The Bridegroom and a Friend of the Bride Killed. ™ • The Bride a Wife and a Widow in One Short Hour. Laborers Swallowed by Quicksand at Seattle—The Father of Chief Jus tice Kenny Dead—Other Coast News. Associated Press Dispatches. West Berkeley, Cal., Feb. 14.—A peculiarly sad accident happened last evening at Poaen station, near here. Francisco Jose Bispo, a rancher at Lafayette, was married at St. Joseph's church, to Conchita Silvester, a Portu guese girl, only 17 years of age. After the ceremony the wedding party walked to Posen statu n to take the local train to the stock yards, where the wedding supper was to be held. While awaiting the train, Bispo walked along the track, carrying hia young nephew, and accompanied by others of the party. Suddenly the overland train,which does not stop at the station, dashed around a curve, through a cut, into the party. Bispo and Mrs. Silva, a friend of the bride, were instantly killed, while the little boy was dangerously wounded. The bride's grief was heartrending. SWALLOWED BY QUICKSAND. Fatal Accident in Sewer Tnnnel at Se attle. Seattle, Wash., Feb. 14.—Three of the men working at the great Lake Union eewer tunnel, in the northern part of this city, were caught by a flush of water from the spring, early this morning while 120 feet from tbe mouth of the tunnel. One of them, Daniel Mc- Lean, was buried six feet under quick sand, and another, Thomas Nelligan, was rescued in an exhausted condition, while a third, Peter Faber, though se verely injured, escaped to the shaft, where, upon being pulled seventy feet to the top, he told tbe story of the accident. Tbe early morning shaft was just preparing to go down to work and were assembled arround the mouth of tjie shaft when Faber came up. They were immediately lowered to rescue Nelligan and McLean. Nelligan was found in the water and sand up to bis neck. He was wedged in as f packed in cement, and it was with ifflculty that he was taken out. Near ly twenty men Were at work looking for WeLStjut'S body, but it was not fonnd till 1 10 o'clock. The place were the spring was struck is 1200 feet beneath the surface, and the men were at work in a sixty foot lead off the main tunnel when the accident occurred. Immediately after the spring was flushed the lead tunnel was flooded with water, and the rescuing party worked in quicksand up to their waists. The tunnel superin tendent pays it was a miracle all three men were not lost. McLean leaves a wife and three children. Judge H. O. Kent ty Dead. Sacramento, Feb. 14.—Judge Henry Oscar Beatty, father of Chief Justice Beatty, died at his home here today at the age of 80 years. He waß born in Washington, Ky., and at an early age removed to Ohio where he was admitted to practice law iv 1836. He married Mies Runyon at Monclover, and two years later returned to Kentucky, where he practiced law until 1851, when he came to Cali fornia and settled in Sacramento. He practiced law here till 1803, when he went to Virginia City, aud the following year was elected chief justice of the Nevada supreme court. He resigned in 1868 and returned to Sacramento, where he has since lived and practiced law up to ten years ago, when his hearing partially failed. The deceased leaves a wife, three daughters, Mrs. Judge Denson, Mrs. Rev. Ward Willis and Mrs. George E. Bates ; also a son, Chief Justice Beatty. He was a man of remarkable intellect which he retained fully up to the moment of his death. Only a Fourth-Class Ship. San Francisco, Feb. 14.—The Pacific Mail steamer Colima, Captain Caverley, returned to port early this morning, af ter a trip to sea to test her speed, in order to decide to which class she shall belong under the postal subsidy laws. The steamer left port about midnight last Friday, and ran down the coast to Pigeon Point, where the test was to be gin. When the steamer was abreast of Point Bur and the race was over it was announced that she had developed a speed of thirteen and three fourths knots. This places her in the fourth class; but had she made a quarter of a knot more she would have been entitled to third-class rating. Her engineers are confident that she would make fourteen knots if given another trial. The Bank of Pitchers. San Francisco, Feb. 14. —The follow ing shows how the pitchers of the Cali fornia baseball league worked last season: Name. l'er cent. Blauvelt 91.9 France 89.9 Hoft'raan 84.1 Cobb 83.9 Young 82.0 Garfield- •■ 82.0 Lookabaugh 81.5 Stephens 81.1 Harper 79.4 Pommers 71.0 Balsz 68 7 Borcbers 61.4 A Scarlet Spook. Carson, Neb., Feb. 14.—Carson is at present troubled with a ghost scare at an old building known as J,he red barn. The last few days 100 or more people have spent the evenings trying to rout the spectre from its quarters. It dresses in scarlet and disappears occasionally into the earth like any other phantom. Many people have seen it, but none have been able to corner it. STORE TALK! £gfc\ Young man, 1 wou ld give JP \ ness for your- est, energetic jL!£Lj ° f y° uin y° u^ Look at us. We laid the foundation of our business in 1870; we started in a small way, and by honest methods we have succeeded. Today we can truthfully say that we have the largest clothing business in Southern California. We are always ahead in everything pertaining to our line. We are the pioneers of fashions in this section, and nothing new escapes our notice. Look at our center show window, with its handsome display of fine clothing for spring and summer wear. These goods are made specially for us by the celebrated Stein, Block Co., whole sale tailors. They are superior in make, style, fit and finish to any other ready-made clothing, and positively equal to custom work. We can fit in all sizes, the regular, the extra long and extra large. Our styles are exclusive and our prices moderate. We are closing out all fall and winter goods at great reduc tions. Nothing reserved. A saving to you of 25 to 30 per cent. 128, 130, 132,134 N. SPRING STREET. WHOLESALE. RETAIL. TOILERS' TROUBLES. Union Labor Discriminated Against on the World's Fair Hull dings.; Pittsburg, Feb. 14.—1t having been reported to "the council of the American Federation of Labor that members of labor unions are discriminated against in employing laborers on the world's fair buildings at Chicago, the council hab instructed President Gompers to write to the chief of the department of construction to abate the evils com plained of. In the event of refusal to do so, Gompers iB empowered to call all the labor organizations affiliated with the federation to consider the advis ability of withdrawing their patronage from the world's fair. Having a suspicion that the Nebraska eight-hour law is being violated, the secretary of the federation haa been in structed to call on the Nebraska trade organizations to furnish certified evi dence as to such violations. If the evi dence tends to show that the law is violated the sum of $200,000 will be ap propriated to prosecute offenders. MEXICAN NOTES. Colonel Hernandez Not Executed Yet. Hard Times Disappearing. City of Mexico, Feb. 14.—The su preme court of military justice has ordered tbe minister of war to have Colonel Hernandez brought here to hear ids appeal. A prominent official here says, con cerning the financial situation: "The bad business from which the country has been suffering, ia disappearing. The drought which prevailed' in a few states did not have ao serious an effect on the federal resources as was feared. With good mafiagement the coming year will be as productive as last." A Tanners' Trust. Philadelphia, Feb. 14.—A morning paper says a combination of English capitalists, through an agent here, is at tempting to form the tanners of the United States into a trust. English tan ners have already formed a syndicate with $5,000,000 capital and desire to form a similar combination among the tanners here, offering as an inducement to allow them to use the new process of tanning by means of a liquid that prac tically eliminates time from the opera tion. In the Sheriffs Hands. Helena, Mont., Feb. 14. —The sheriff took forcible poaeeasion last evening of the atore of Greenhood, Bohn <& Co., who assigned earlier in the day. The action waa tbe result of an attachment obtained by the Merchants' National bank. There is yet no official state ment of the assets and liabilities. It is now believed that the liabilities will reach $300,000. Angry Anarchists. New York, Feb. 14.—At a meeting to day of the New York federation of labor it was reported that the Anarchists of this city will hold a mass meeting Feb ruary 19th to denounce the government of Spain for executing the Anarchists at Xeres. M. De Lesseps Very HI. Paris, Feb. 14. —M. De Leaseps is critically ill, but hiß physicians'deny that his condition ie hopeless. Good.values in Fine Tailoring a Perfect Fit, and a large New Stock at 125 W. Third street. H. A. Getz. FIVE CENTS. DENTAL PARLORS. Bpeclal attention given f> the performance of all dentil operations in the eveuing by the use of a Special System of Hlectrlc Ligtits. All work guaranteed. Prices consistent with First class work. Office Hours—B a.m. lo 5d m. Evening hours. 7 to 10 p.m. DX. J. A. CRONKHITE Dentist, 455 90DTH BROADWAY 1- 20 3m Corner Fifth street- TODAY! TODAY! TODAY I GRAND AUCTION OF ORIENTAL ART GOODS! TURKISH-PERSIAN Rugs, Carpets, Palace Embroideries, Curios, Etc., Direct imported from Turkey, AT 246 SOUTH SPRING ST., TODAY. FEBRUARY 15TH, At 10:30 a. m. and 2:00 p.m. sharp. THIS IS THE FINES? COLLECTION! Do not miss this grand sale; big bargains in Rugs the like yet never offered. No humbug business at this auction. Every article put up sold without reserve. Every person who haa attended my sale can substantiate this fact. MATLOCK & BHD, 2- 0 lot Auctioneers. BETTS <Sc SILENT, Second and Broadway. REAL ESTATE AND LOANS. We offer today : Two valuable business corners on Broadway, close in; prices are right. Handsome new residence on Thirtieth street, neur Fiaueroa. 8 rooms, $5500. t>ox3oi) ft. lot on west side Figueroa, near Adnms street; adjoins handsome residence; a bargain at $4000. Twenty acres in bearing navel oranges, near Duarte, which will pay 20 per cent on price asked This is something choice. We have several good things to offer. list your houses ' for rent" with us, the demand ex ceeds the supply. 2-2 lm QUEEN RESTAURANT, St. Charles Building, 310 N. Main St. This well-known Restaurant has passed into the hands of Nicholas Mercadante, who will hereafter conduct It. Everything neat and attractive. Patrons will be served with the bent the market affords at the most reasonable prices. Give this restaurant a trial and yo« will go nowhere else. 1-31 2m