Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-15

Can Write Letter to the House if He
Wants to--Earnest Defense of Louisiana
by Mr.. GibsOn-House Committee Again
Pronounces in Favor of Reducing the
Army.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.-After brief dis
cussion, the House joint resolution declaring
that reduction of the tax on distilled spir-
its is inexpedient, passed, yeas 40, nays 9.
Senators Bailey, Conoyer, Davis, of West Vir-
ginia, Dennis, McCrary Merriman, Morgan,
Randolph and Ransom voted in the negative.
Senator Cameron, of Pennsylvania, pre-
sented resolutions of the Pittsburgh chamber
of commerce demonstrating against the pas
sage of law imposing a tax on incomes.
Referred.
Senator Ferry called up the Senate bill to
regulate the compensation of postmasters.
Pending the discussion the morning hour
expired, and consideration was resumed of
the silver bill, and Senator Jones of Nevada
spoke in favor thereof.
He spoke at great length, most of his
speech being devoted to an argument show
ing that silver had not deprecated in value
since it's demonstration, and against the
assertions that the dollar proposed by the
bill is dishonoring the medium of payment
and deprecated coin. He said that silver
since 1873, although discrowned and shorn
of its military function, denied mintage
throughout the entire western world, and de-
graded to the rank of a commodity, instead
of having become less valuable, has never
theless increased, and that both gold and silver
| have gained in purchasing power, and that
silver only seems to have fallen in value be-
cause it has not risen to SO great an extent
as gold. In the face of these patent and
accumulated facts, it is still claimed that sill
yer has deprecated to such a degree that it
would be dishonest to pay debts in it, if it
would legally discharge them.
Mr.. Jones denounced as false the charges
that he has an individual interest to be sub
served by remonetizing silver, and in con-
clusion said: Leaving personal matters
aside, will conclude with brief reference
! to the frantic appeal that comes to us from
certain quarters to rally to the rescue of the
ancient honor of the republic, which it is de-
clared is now held aloft by less than a
dozen States in the Union. It is said that
this nation will lose its high position which it
has maintained for 100 years in the family of
nations, if the pending bill shall pass. 1t is
said that even discussion of a measure to re-
store to the country the power to perform
it's contracts in the terms in which they are
written, has to no inconsiderable intent dis
paraged us in the eyes of the world.
Whence comes the really dangerous as
saults OH the good name of the nation.
| Is it not from certain Members of Congress
who denounce this as pickpocket bill and
as scheme to issue clipped coins, forgetting
that the clippings were stolen from the
pockets of the people and are now found il.
| the pockets of their creditors. And is it no.
from the leading metropolitan and easter.
press, which denounces supporters of tie bill
as swindlers and repudiatols, and declares it.
| self to have the honor of this nation in its
special charge. By what title does any portion
set itself up as being par excellence the
guardians of the honor of the country? That
honor can repose nowhere SO securely as il
the keeping and hearts of the people. There
is its shrine and there alone can it find pro
lection. In what manner and by what meth
DDS has the New York and western press sus
tanned the honor of the nation, of which i
proclaims itself the special guardian. Onl,
by llbels on the character and personal mo
tives of every public man who canno
see the justice of robbing the government
and people by enhancing the value of til,
money in which debts are to be paid by ope1
and shameless appeals to the President t.
make a corrupt use of his patronage to in
bill, by pretension as false as it is humii
ating, that Congress dare not resist the de
crees of organized capital.
He then quoted from the New York I'1yb
une of January 7th, as follows: :. Tn
, President knows that men can be held as tru
to Republican pledges as to finance, if the,
know that their truth will mean favor as t.
appointments
Three days later the same paper said, 9Th
capital of the country is organized at last
and we shall see whether Congress will dar
fly in its face
These newspapers claim to be read largel
in Europe. What impression of our peopl
and our public affairs, and public men,
likely to prevail in Europe, which sees thos
American newspapers in which the majorit
in Congress is daily denounced as made VI
of silver swindlers. regulators and heretics
and in which it is daily represented tina
Congress can be corrupted by the President
patronage, and inundated by the threat
of organized capital. What better is it thai
a roaring farce for editors engaged in thi
) work of defamation to style themselves tn
peculiar champions of the honor of tn
nation.
, The attempt to persuade the President
} use his patronage as a corrupting agenc
seeming to have failed, and Congress by vote
at various times, and in decisive number
: having exhibited determination to fly i
the face Of the organized capital of til
country. The latest movement has been
, defame those who could neither be purchase
: Ir,%i, tod No
dent to buy Senators, these gold organ
' charge that Senators have sought /
sell their votes and we are treated to length
homilies on the decaying morality of tn
body. The same men who day after da
/ have declared that it was the most urge1
: duty of the chief magistrate to trade patron
! age for votes in favor for what is called ho1
}. est money, now shed tears over story
Q their own invention, that the members
l this body have been waiting, watching, hol
8 ing and asking to be bribed. ~
: The New York Times of the 10Th inst. et
e itorially says: ..The United States Sena1
r has funk SO far below the standard wit
e which it was formerly associated that Il
e propositions which we yesterday gave as
s circulation at Washington excite little or n
surprise. There are Senators with SO lit
intelligence and principle that they do n,
n know their own minds in n
9 gard to silver questions, or
little conscience that they are read
= to vote for or against the pending bill. Thu
Il imagine that it is popular provided they r
9 ceive quid pro quo. However, they a
Q willing to run risk of unpopularity, they q
9 ready in short to sell their votes to Il
e President and aid in defeating the bill,
he will only pay their price. It is hint,