Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-02-22
r1Rsr rR1uMpH roR rHR PEOPLE.

EAAQA A&& -
The silver bill may be set down as a
fixed fact, veto or no veto. 1t passed
the house yesterday, as amended in the
senate, By an overwhelming majority.
An attempt to get up a general debate
by having the bill referred to the com
mittee of the whole failed, and an appeal
from the speakers decision was voted
down by a vote Of 222 to Is. Mr.. Alex
ander Il. Stephens then moved to concur
in al the senate amendments, and advt-
Gated the motion. Various gentlemen
made a few remarks, but no regular
speeches we're admissible under the rule
Mr.. Stephens made the concluding re-
marks as follows:
prefer the senate nmendmentin some
respects to the original. | did not like
the free coinage feature in the original
bill. The amendment in that respect |
approve. The other amendments l do
not like, but not q single one Of them is
of such acharacter that | would forfeit
the bill on account Of it. The great OBJ.
jsct which ! had in view, and which |
think a majority Of the house had in
view, is accomplished by this bill. By it
the double standard of value is re-estab
lished in this country, by it the dollar Of
the fathers is restored, by it silver is
again made money. That was the great
object which / have aimed at from the
beginning. The object was not to make
ninety cents q dollar, but to make 4l24
grsins Of silver the equivalent for 100
which was the dollar OF our fathers. II
a majority OF the house hereafter think
it wise to modify the senate amendment
it can easily be done. The bill can be
supplemented in the way which may be
thought right. ] wish to cave what we
have got, aud not 20 hazard that great
principle established in the bill. / shall
vote for all the senate amendments lest
we hazard the great principle established
in the bill. l now ask for the previous
question. wv
Mr.. Hewitt moved to lay the bill aud
amendments upon the table. Rejected
yeas, u; nays, 2O4. The main question
was then ordered by l5l to Al, and the
house proceeded to vote upon the senate
amendments. Tae frat amendment
providing hat silver shall be legal ten.
der except where otherwise expressly
stipulated in The contract, was conerrret
in-l76 to 81, The second amendmen.
was that which strikes out the free coin
age feature OF The house bill and inserts
a provision limiting the coinage Of thu
silver dollar aud providing that any gair
arising from that coinage shall be pair
into the treasury. 1t was concurred il
yeas, 2O3; nays, II. The next vot
wGs on the third amendment, proposin.
an international silver conference. ]
wa agreed to-yess, 1876; nays, II. TIL
next vote was on the fourth senat
amendment, authorizing the issue of Gel
ti6eates in exchange for silver coin. ]
was agreed to without division. TIL
other amendments we're simpl
formal, and we're ~concurrsd in will
out division. The bill now got
to the President for his spprova
Thej closest vote was upon the .hir
amendment, and that passed by a tw.
thirds vote and fourteen TO spare. IL
a matter Of very little consequent
whether the President INDUCES in a We.
or quietly submits to the inevitabl
The silver men in the senate have two
three votes to spare above two.thirGs, al
seem to be gaining ground. The Ne
York Tribune and other anti silver pape
gave up the contest several days 80
and warned the people to aequiesce
this measure lest reputation or sor
greater evil should come. These orga
of the boudholders have great
changed their tone in the last few day
they are shrewd enough to admit t
great revolution which has been wrong
in so short o time and to cease opposi
the resistless current. We shall perha
have fewer lectures about honest NOR
from this source, and hear 70 me
sneers about the debased coin aud I
silver lunatics, the fact becoming evids
that the crop Of such lunatics is too lar
to be handled this year. All the nation
legislation since the war uRtil now
been in the interest Of bondholde
spectators, gigantic corporations q
rings. This is the FIRST check it
received; the first victory for the peop
and the day the silver bill becomes
law should be remembered IS a red let
day in our history. Even from Il
starting point, with favorable legislsti
and q united effort. it will take years
reach a comparative plane Of gene
prosperity. The producing capacity
the country will b. put to it's utmost :
for some years to come TO pay for
Extravaganza and corrup,ions Of the L
len years.