Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-16
THE SILVER BILL
FIELD Day IN THE UNITED STATES
SENATE,

1nent Adopted--Other Amendments De-
feated--Voting and Discussion Still In Pro-
gress--House Spends the Day Discussing
Southern War Claims--Bayard Taylor
Nominated Minister to Germany.
Senate.
WASHINGTON, Feb. Ex-senator Voorhees, called
up the resolution submitted by him yesterday
in regard to inquiring as to the issue of bonds
by certain railroads, predicated upon conditional
grants of lands of Indians of the Indian terri
tory.
Senator Dorsey submitted an amendment,
directing inquiry to be enlarged as to the expe-
diency of extending the territorial form Of gov
eminent order to all parts of the country where
the same does not now exist, and whether the
rights of life and property can be properly
maintained without such territorial organiza-
tion. After brief discussion the subject was
laid over till next week.
Senator Window, from the committee on
railroads, reported, with amendments, the
Senate bill to authorize the Sioux Falls railroad
company to extend it's road into the Territory
of Dakota to the village of Sioux Falls. Placed
the calendar.
Senator Mcmillan prese nted a petition of
State officers of Minnesota, asking an appro-
of the North. Referred.
Senator Armstrong presented petition of
The Merchants Exchange of ST. Louis in favor
of the passage of the bill to compel the Union
Pacific railroad to comply with certain laws Of
Congress in regard to pro-rating with branch
roads. Referred.
A number of bills and petitions of no public
Importance were presented and consideration
resumed of the silver bill and Senator Ingalls,
spoke in favor thereof
He quoted from the speech of Hon. John
Sherman, delivered in the Senate, to the effect
that single standard of gold was American
idea, and said the statement was void of truth.
The original American idea was a single stand
ard of silver. He spoke at length as to the his
tory of gold and silver money and said gold
the most cowardly and treacherous of all
metals. 1t had no friend OF ally that it did
not later betray. No nation ever
fought great by the aid of gold. When
the battle had been secured and peace restored,
gold staggered to the front again, and claimed
the fruits of victory. Silver the money of
the people. 1t was the money of wages and of
retail. 1t entered into minute reserves of
traffic, and if it retired at the approach of
danger, or from inferior currency, it still re-
manned at home ready to reappear again and do
it's work.
Referring to resumption of specie payments,
he said there was not coin enough in existence
to meet in fact thousandeth part of the COM
mercial transactions of the world, and specie
payment never would be resumed. In fact the
American people were not particularly welded
to coin money. They believed coin and
paper were created by law and had precisely
the value that the government issuing them
declared they should possess. If the United
States contracted to pay the bonds in gold
they must do it even though the people lost
everything in the attempt to do SO, but he
claimed no such contract had been made. Sill
yer was a legal tender when the debt was con-
tracted.
The Senator from Wisconsin, Howe, in his
argument on the bill few days ago. said that
it was not the East against the West, and he
was right but it was the East against the West
and South combined. 1t was the who
owned the public debt against those who were
to pay it if it ever should be paid at all. The
bonds of this country were exempt from taxa
ton and they bore none of the burdens of soci-
city. The West ane South in asking for the
passage Of this bill were asking less than they
would ever ask again. In conclusion, he
ferred to the people of the West and their la
hors, and said when he reflected upon the bur
dens they bore he astonished at their mod
Grafton.
Senator Allison. in charge of the bill, took
the floor to close the debate. He explained at
length the provisions of the bill reported
from the Senate finance committee and made
an able argument in support thereof. In clos
ing, he said this demand for reconciliation of
nate in the West or in the Mississippi valley for
the purpose of securing cheaper circulating
medium, but has the appreciation of the best
minds and bankers of all the civilized coun-
tries, and is just now exciting as deep an in
terest in other countries as our own. Nor does
this demand originate in petty malice
toward the public creditor. That ques-
ton is of minor Importance and
insignificant compared with the great
interests of all the people Of all the civilized
States. Those who favor this measure do not
propose to violate any promise, or to tarnish or
to impair the public credit, but rather desire to
establish it upon enduring foundations by in
creasing our ability to pay according to pro mise
the heavy public burdens which now weigh us
down. Loss Of confidence, loss of security and
loss of employment pervades every section and
every class. A present for these evils is
beyond legislative control. The effect of this
legislation will probably be to remove the APP
prehensions that now exist in the public mind
that prices are to continue to fall compared
with gold.
Senator Lamar said-Mr President, having
already expressed my deliberate opinion at
some length upon this very important measure
now under consideration, l shall not tresspass
on the attention Of the Senate further. How
ever, have another duty to perform, very
painful one admit but one which is none
the less clear. hold in my hand certain reso-
buttons of the Legislature of Mississippi which
ask to be read. Mr.. Lamar then sent to the
clerks desk and had read the resolutions of the
Mississippi Legislature instructing their
Senators to vote for the silver bill.
Senator Lamar continuing, said: Mr.. Presi-
dent-Between these resolutions and my con-
victions there is great gulf cannot pass. OF
my love to the State of Mississippi I will not
speak. My life alone can tell it. My graft
tude for all the honor her people have done me-
no words can express. am best proving it by
doing to-day what think their true interests
o,,1 hair ha to 6n I'm
my life in that State it has been my privilege
to assist in the education of more than one
generation of her youth, to have given impulse
to wave after wave of young manhood that has
passed into the troubled of her social and
political life. Upon them [ have always en-
better than falsehood, honesty better than
policy, courage better than cowardice. To-day
my lessons comfort me. To-day l must be
true or false, honest or cunning, faithful or
unfalthful to my people. Even in this hour of
their legislative displeasure and disapprobation
I canuot vote as these resolutions direct. can
not and will not shirk the responsibility which
my position imposes. My duty as see it, 1 will
do. will vote against this bill. When that
is done my responsibility is ended. My reasons
for my vote shall be given to my people. Then
it will do for them to determine if adherence
to my honest convictions, has disqualified me
from representing them, whether difference of
opinion upon difficult and complicated sub
ject, to which have given patient, long con-
tinued, conscientious study, to which have
brought entire honesty and singleness of pur-
pose, and upon which have spent whatever
ability God has given me, is now to separate
us; whether this difference is to override that
complete union Of thought, sympathy and
hope, which all others, and as l believe
more important subjects bound us together.
Before them must stand or fall. But be their
present decision what it may, the time is not
Cor or mt fho>yx