The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1885-03-12
Congressman M1lllken and the Silver
Question,

stood; that question not being the issue on the
passage of the sundry civil appropriation bill,
though Sam Randall SO construed it after the
vote was taken and was rebuked by Mr.. Mill
ken and others for so doing. We quote from
the Congressional Record as follows:
Mr.. Millikcn. desire to say voted against
the former proposition, not upon the ground
stated by the gentleman from Penns ylvana
Mr. RandallI on the silver question, but be-
cause | am opposed to passing an appropria-
ton bill III this way under suspension of the
rules, and upon the ground SO succinctly stated
Just now by the gentleman from New York
Mr. Potter. There are some things in this
bill which believe should not become the law,
and there are many things not in the bill which,
in my judgment, should be there. believe it
is unjust TO the country. | believe it is un ust
to the members of the House that the Com
mittee on Appropriations should hold back
bill like this until the close of the session and
then give the members of this House no oppor-
tunty to examine and discuss the different
items in the bill
The following are the remarks of Mr.. Potter
referred to by Mr.. Miken:
Mr.. Potter. Mr.. Speaker, desire to protest
against this method of passing under suspen-
sion of the rules general appropriation bills car
rying such amounts as this bill carries. If there
Is any matter upon which the care and vigilance
OF individual members of the House should be
exercised under their responsibility to their
constituents, it is upon the items of a bill like
this. We are not sent here to waste our time
in frivolous di>putations upon unimpOrtant
matters or 10 vote for public buildings in adj
vance of the need for them, and hen when the
last hours of the session come to excuse our
selves from scrutiniZing the items of such bills
as this in order that they may pass under
pension of the rules on the ground of want of
time. after time has been wantOnly consumed
and wasted. ! claim, sir, that it is the duty of
this House to sit here, if need be, day and night
and to go through with each and every one of
these appropriation bills, discussing and under
standing the items.
Why, sir, here is bill carrying So. 100000.
1t is question of So 900, 900 Of taxation. This
money must all be taken bv taxation from our
constituents throughout the country. How are
we to justify ourselves to them or to the coun-
try in the future if we repeat and confirm and
make permanent AS practice in legislation
that bills like this are to be passed upon IN com
mlttee and practically IN subcommittee, the
body of the committee knowing nothing of the
items, and then are to be brought in here and
voted in sot,do For one, sir. whatever others
may do, shall never vote in favor of passing
an appropriation bill of this kind under suspen-
sion of the rules.
In his letter Mr.. M1lliken says: 1.-The way the
>undry civil bill was sought to lie put through
the House and finally was put through-that is
under suspension of the rules, without debate
or amendment-was an outrage. The bill con-
tanned many vicious provisions, among which
was an appropriation of 100000 more to be
fooled away in the New Orleans Exposition,
and an authorization to sell at auction the Ken
hebec Arsenal at Augusta. This is a valuable
property, the nearest arsenal to New Bruins
wick, and it costs but little over 81 POO per year
TO maintain it. | do not believe the Govern
meHt would realize enough from an auction
sale to pay for the iron fence which surrounds
it. For this bill which blindy appropriated
$4,000 900, with all lis vicious provisions, |
would not vote at all, even to keep up appear
ances on the silver question, or for any other
reason"
\ vote was taken on resolution of Mr.. Ran
daIi'S which would have allowed three hours
debate upon the silver clause of the bill and one
hour on the clause relating to the \. o. Expo
sltiOn. Mr. Reed. who also objected to the pas
sage of the bill without debate. thought debate
on these clauses better than none, and so
voted aye on Mr.. Randall'> proposition, as did
MeSsrs. Boutele and Dingley, Mr.. Miliken
but was unable to obtain unanimous consent to
strike out the line relating to the sale of the
kennebec Arsenal, and also opposed the appro-
priation for the New Orleans Exposition. On
the final passage of the bill Mr. BoueIe voled
yea, Mes>r>. Dingley and Milliken nav-Mr
Reed not voting.
This silver coinage question is an important
an, he baS a lad Vii.
tons on the subject which are shared. we be-
lieve, by great majority of the Republicans
of this State and country. The folly of coming
50 cent silver dollars to fill the vaults of the
Treasury and sub-treasuries must be apparent
to Every one. The only benefit from their COIN
age is derived by the owners of silver mines,
who years ago. to the personal knowledge of
the writer, established lobby in Washington
to promote their interests, and which has no
doubt been maintained there to this dav.
That the coinage of this silver dollar should be
suspended, temporarily at least, will hardly be
seriously questioned; while the evil that may
result from its coinage was clearly set forth by
MIR. sherman in a speech delivered in the United
States Senate Feb. 26, in which he said:
All BUSINESS JURISDICTIONS IN the | nlteu States,
both foreign and domestic, are now based pom
the gold dollar, weighing 25.S grains of stand
ard gold.
The silver dollar, worth in market value $50
III gold. l. maintained at par in god bv a limit
TO liz Issue, and its receipt into the Treasury for
all debts, public and private. The market val
ue Of silver bullion has been slowly and stead-
~ derlihlng since the passage of the act provid-
lhg Tor The coinage of the standard dollar. No
serious fleet has thus far beer caused by the
widening difference between tie two standards
of value. but it is manifest that if the result of
this difference should lead to the large eXporta-
non and boarding Of gold the sole standard Of
value would in time be based upon the market
value of the silver bullion in the standard dol
lar Already the occasional expectation of gold
Is one OF the causes of financial stringency. BY
IA law As lmmovable As fate, the gold dollar de-
monetized. would then be quoted at premium.
and all current business transactions would be
based upon a silver standard alone.
What would be the effect of this? The i'm
mediate effect would be a contraction of the
currency so sharp and abrupt as to extend its
shock to every village in the country. Gold is
now held here in such vast sums that it might
not at once be exported, but it would be hoard
cd and sold only at premium, while the vol
ume Of silver and paper money redeemable in
silver being insufficient to meet the current
wants Of business would be used for the pay
ment of all labor, but its purchasing power
would gradually decline until it reached the
level OF us market value measured by god-il-
Illustrated by what occurred in 1S77-'79. This de-
preclated currency would then take the place of
boarded gold and gold certificates, and vet be
insufficient for the wants of business
We would then have a monometallic curren-
cy composed of silver alone as the standard
value Of United States notes and bank notes
and another standard of value. Gold coin and
certificates based upon such coin would be
quoted at Il premium. The iaborer will receive
his hire IN the deprecated coin. The capitaist
would >tipulate for gold. AL foreign commerce
would be based upon gold. The pound sterling
would be quoted at $5.56 instead of $4S4 All
domestic exchanges would vary according to
the kind of coin used In payment. In regions
where the silver dollar is so greatly favored bv
popular opinion they would be paid in such
dollars and be cheated in the purchasing power
of their dollar. The mysteries of exchange which
have been the bases of nearly all the financial
fallacies of mankind will lead them to sell their
productions al gold prices and buy their sup
plies at silver prices, and the bankers and brok-
ers-the middlemen who can see at a glance
the chance of a profit-will make the difference.
outcry for the redemption of the standard dol
lars in gold just as we now have for the re-
demption of the trade-doar
Payson Tucker, Vice President and General
Manager of the Maine Central Railroad, having
invited complaints against the road with view
to their amicabe adjustment, we hope Belfast
will present her grievance, that of running mix