Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-11-16

milIariZed the individual and public con-
science with shams. Ii had mdddied all the
springs Of honest thrift and solid enter
prise, had confused and misled the
public Judgement, had sapped the
courage and wisdom of the federal
treasury, and had given immense comfort
to demagogues. Ia conclusion he put four
questions To the gentlemen in charge OF the
bill: First, If he owed a sum of money
which he had promised to pay on the LIST OF
January, 1879. could he send his creditor
formal notice that he would not pay him
and could he then meet honest men up-
vailed? Second, how could the govern
mcnt, without absolute Disgrace now give
to the holder of greenb4ck ISSUED sInes
the 18th of January, 1875, when the gov
eminent pledged itself to redeem them the
l~t of January, 1879, notice that it would
not pay them? Third. could the govern
ment afford to risk even the constructive
lnputstion of dishonesty? Fourth. how
and why was it that every well dressed
gambler. defaulter and inhltionist in the
country loudly applauded the bill to the
echo?
Mr.. Monroe, OF Ohio, quoted from the
St. Louis democratic platform which de-
nOunced the republican party for not hav-
ing taken any steps. toward resumption,
and vet the democratic party had brought
in bill which repealed the only step taken
toward resumption. lie also quoted from
the republican platform showing that party
also in favor OF resumption.
Mr.. Kelly suggested that all republicans
did not stand together upon that
platform, and himself had gone under
high official auspices to Indiana
Ohio and Central Pennsylvania and ex-
presst to every audience he addressed his
Al. Il a r.
republicans, and the views expressed by
Hayes and Wheeler in their letters OF ac-
ceptance, and that was year when Ohio
had been won and not lost.
Mr. MOnrOe-lt would be hard to find a
more favorable TIM for resumption of specie
payment. and il specie payment were not
reached under the present circumstances
the country might well despair of ever
reaching it.
This closed the discussion for to-day.
DEBATE ON THE BILL To REPEAL THE RE-
SUMPTION ACT.
WASHINGTON, Nov. IA. - Mr. Harden
berg, of New jersey. entitled to the floor,
yielded five minutes to Mr.. Chittenden, of
New York. Mr.. ChIttenden said he had
been referred to as a capitalist owning gov
erDment bonds, and therefore a. interested
in this matter. 1t Is more than eight years
since | have been able to hold or own a gov
eminent bond, and parted with the last
share which | own in national bank five
years ago. The question before the House
IS whether the credit, honor, and integrity
Of tho American people shall before all
mankind be sunk into the b0ttomless pit
There never was a discussion in delibera-
tive body in which has been shown. a. in
this dIcus5lOn, 30 much ignorance. 50 much
passion, so much Of that spirit which will
surely destroy the integrity of the nati0n,
50 much that was absolutely wrong, absO-
lutely ruinous and leading onlv to utter
dishOnOr. Applause on the republican
side. The act fixing the date for resump-
tion. he could not but believe to he injudi-
ciOus but the date having been fixed, the
curIency approximating gold in value,
the honor OF the government having
been given that on that date 1t
would fulfil its obligations,-tO crush all
country to its very centre.
Mr.. Bacon, of New York said be was for
resumption, pure and simple. and for the
maintenance Of the resumption act. He
was surprised to see that some of the New
York delegatiOn-One of the states which
stood up for honest mOney-vOtei for the
silver bill. Contraction instead OF inf itlon
was what the country needed. The coun-
try was now in a condition to resume
MI. Cox. of New York asked his colleague
whether the House was going in the line of
resumption or away from 1t when it passed
the BILL and whether the government was
bound to pay bonds only in gold although
they were payable in coin. and whether the
WORD silver was considered outside the
meaning of the word coin.
Mr. Rasnn mazda M iirant replu hut aid
il steps were taken backward in the cues
tion OF resumption no one could tell when
the country would again be in such favor
able condition for resumption.
Mr.. Townsend, of New York, said the
silver bill was not under discussion. Tho
question was what would be tine e.
iect If, after the lst of January
1873, the government paid its bills IN specie.
According to the gentleman from Georgia
(FeltOn) the poor man was entitled to be
paid IN poor currency. 1t that was not
his argument, God only knows what 1t
was. Laughter. They were told they
were running the laboring man and ruin
ing the business man, if they gave him
currency as good as gold. Those who said
so were cheating and deluding tho laborinx
men of the country in the attempt to play
demagogues. Ii the national banks were
to be abolished what would be done with
the thousand million dollars Indebtedness
to those banks, and what were the Door
debtors to do who could not pay at this
time? Would they compel the debter in
his own interest to pay up st once? That
was the veriest nonsense. He himself was
debter. lie was there and understood it
This whole thing was muddle and a farce.
Laughter. lie would vote for bill prop
erly guarded to issue fifty millions OF SIX
yer coin, but he would give the government
the profit of the coinage, and would not
legislate the money into the pockets of
Jones and Sharon, Flood and O'Brien.
Laughter. II q majority OF the House
chose to do it they might put it
under their tongues as a sweet NOR
sci, or put it in their pipes and
smoke it as they pleased. . Laughter
lie would vote for the coinage of silver IL
the interest OF resumption. Resumption
had been discounted. Ali trouble OF COM
ing to it had been gone through. Should
not the government keep Its promises to
its own citizens? III did not who would
be the sufferers? Would it DO the national
banks? Would it be the bondholiersi
On, no the lab0rlng man would have TO
take his money in greenbacks, but the
banks and the bOndhOlders would still get
their interest paid in gold. Ii any one
proposition be was welcome to do 50.
Lsugh liter Men on the;other side wanted
to have Samuel j. Tilden for president. and
yet while Tilden was governor OF New York
he urged upon the legislature the pas
sage of a resumption law. lie Town
-end) had stumped the country against
Tllden, but had never charged him
with being a repudiatOr, There we're three
Or four hundred millions bonds held BY
savings banks, and these savings banks are
the treasures OF the poor. and yet it was
sought to destroy the security By which the
Door man had secured his pittauce for the
evening of his life. Thls attack Upon
everybody and upon nobody reminded him
,f the lrIshmens effort to cut of the branch
If tree. which ds7kened his window
Pa. climbed the tree, got out on the
bough and sawed it eff near the trunk,
letting himself fall with it daughter
81 these democrats were saving of the limb
bet eeh themselves and the tree and that
vas what was the matter. (Laug hter.)
lie dehet the majority of the House. he de-
led the Senate, he dtticd the President to
AIRY back the shadows ON the dial. Re
umptiOn has come within a hair breadth
nc national imports lest year had been
eSs than the exports by 1888 millions This
arrled down gold by some ; per cent. The
rdps oil this year would next year bring
80 millions of dollars from Europe, and
hat would do the rest There Wa an
hundanco of crops in this country, such
: 1t never had before. The cOun-
~ must enjoy this prosperity
4 spite of mistaken politicians. OF political
arpies and OF self styled, " Friends OF the
eoplo. Laughter
MIR. Cox, OF New York, asked Mr.. Town
End whether or not the bill was a step
ward resumption and whether silver was
OF com according 10 the constitution and
hat the public debt could be paid in silver
Mr. Townsend replied that when the
lnds were negotiated. both silver and
old were coin Of the country. lie had no
iubt of the moral and political propriety
paying national bonds and private debts
'ntracted before 1873 with what was the
IN OF the country at the time when those
hts were contracted, but did not favor
inning Z, an ii