The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-02-01
our Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. rs, 1878.

hIbIteu and directed TO cease tHe puICia5o
OF any more bonds for the reduction OF the
principal of the national debt, the same
not being due yet for some eight years,
and that the commi; tee in Congress having
snch matters in charge be instructed to
make no provision 10y appropriation look
ing to the payment OF any money whatever
/ therefor. This resolution Will doubtless
prevail and will have the effect To stop the
payment Of the principal of the public debt
and keep the bulk of money in this country,
which will of ne cesxiiy make money matters
much easier than at present, and guarantee
more circulation of money in this country
to relieve the present mercantile AS well as
labor distress besides which 1t Will pre-
vent John Sherman from Carrying ont any
/ further his erratic financial policy at the
cost TO the people Of the present utter des-
| titption and financial ruin.
! Mr.. Jones' of Florida, addressed the
Senate upon the Matthews silver resolu-
ton, contendiDg that as the constitution
vested Congress with the absolute power
Of regulating the coinage of money. no one
man OF body of men who happened to loan
money to the Government could exact pay
ment of their bonds in any kind of money
except that which was contracted for and
/ as the silver dollar was good enough Tor
/ the bondholders to buy our bonds with, 1t
was good enough for .he Government 10
! redeem he bonds with fIom them; and the
/ time has come when they should be made
/ to take silver or nothing.
! All theweek has been spent in discussions
! on silver except when temporarily interrupt
ed by the regular business, the arguments,
| both pro and con. being directed towards
Mr.. Matthews's silver resolution, the silver
| bill proper of Mr.. Bland having Lot yet
come before the Senate for action.
Mr. Thurman made very able and ear
nest argument in favor of the silver bill,
and doubtless made converts of some few
who were Saveriug. His argument was
/ listened 10 with intense interest 10y all who
were fortunate enough to gain admission.
Every vote is eagerly watched, and when
he announced that lie would give the silver
bill his vote, the news was received with
considerable applause, as Mr.. Thurman is
a new convert. This caused the moneyel
aristocrats to ''look down in the mouth"
as they have been worsted all through the
week by the arguments of the silver men.
AS usual Sunstroke Blaine, i'll his speech
presenting the statue of ex-GOv. King. of
Maine, to the Government, to be placed in
the S:a'uar, Hall, resoried to his low, iu-
sultiug and personally abusive course, and
it really seems as though he cannot open
his mouth without displaying all the char
ac.eristics Of the blackguard. His tauntiug
and cutting illusions to the conduct OF
Massachusetts III the war of 1912 was en-
! tirely uncalled for, and caused both Sen
ators Davis and Hoar to rise and reply in
defense of their State and deny his asser-
tions With considerable emphasis. The
scene was quite exciting, and AS Blaine
| can talk louder and faster than both Of The
! Senators together, he had them a: an ad-
| vantage, although the Senators had much
| the best of the argument.
! IN THE HOUSE
Mr.. Riddle offered a bill 10 reduce taxes,
] such AS internal revenue and tariff, until
! such reduction should equal the amount
which has been paid towards the liquidation
( Of the principal of the public debt 10y John
Sherman and his predeccssors--s self inn
| posed task which was wholly Unauthorized,
as the bonds are not due for many years to
come and the action Of the Secretary ct. al.
] has been the great cause Of the present
distressful condition of the country, as the
funds of the nation have been paid to the
bloated bondholders, thereby deprving the
masses of their use. Another clause of the
bill suspend. the Sinking fuud," which
will prevent the Secretary Of the Treasury
from any further cutting down of TIE pub
lie debt by starving the people.
resolution WAS in circulation in both
Houses, among Senators aud Members,
pledgng the signers to vote for and advo-
cate the resolutions adop ed at the caucus
Of the ''silver men" hereinafter given in
this letter, and many were the signatures
ularity OF the measures of the silver men
and the hearty support given their cause
in both Houses Of Congress-.
The House. like the Senate, spent the
remainder Of the week in unimportant
measures OF both public and private neces-
sity.
. THE SILVER CAUCUS
held by tho advocates of the Bland silver
bill during the past week established reg
ular organized movement to push their
measure through the Senate at an early
, day. Many able speeches were made
among which We note that of Mr.. Buckner,
who went SO far as not only to favor the
repeal of the resumption act and remone-
tization of silver, but strongly advocated
the substituting of paper money direct from
the Z. ) Treasury. and abolishing Nation
al Bank notes. On this last proposition
quite an animated debate sprang up and
9 continued Tor an hour or more. Ben But
q Ter fired off one of those bricks he has had
, in his hat for some time in strong advocacy
OF both of the two first propositions. Nc.
Mahou, Of Ohio. and Townsend, of Illiuois
z were equally bitter in their deuunciatious
: Of the National Banking system, while Mr.
Bragg. of Wisconsin, fully agreed with hi.
, colleagues MIR. Fort, Of Illinois whilst
he was opposed to the National Banks
thought it best not to- hazard the silver
d bill aud the repeal OF the resumption &C,
by interjecting any ne W element--the break
ing up of the National Banks--into tn,
d question, rs it was easier to break bundl,
j. OF sticks by breaking one at time. A.
"A the conclusion of the discussion it wa.
unanimously resolved that the organization
should be confined to the RECOMMENDATION
r OF the silver dollar and the repeal of ,b,
n resumption ac', leaving the National Bank,
n 10 De looked after at some time not in tn,
remote future. The great speech OF ab,
caucus, however, was that of Ben, Butler
,r which occupied twenty-five minutes ant
p contained the most radical suggestions
=. prominent among which was that if tn,
silver bill passed both Houses by a respect
d able majority, and if Mr.. Hayes shouft
10 dare to veto the will Of the people. it woult
Ia become the duty of the lower House to at
!, tach the silver bill and repeal of the re
sumption act on to all app, opriatiCns fo
% money, and then it would have to q,
g. through and become a law, or the bloa,e,
IF oondholders would not get even as mucl
an the interest on their bonds. Aferfur,b
i Ell desultOry remarks the caucus adiourue,