National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-02-20

The morning business in the House occu
pied only a few minutes yesterday, after
which the House went into committee of
the whole Mr.. Hatch, Of Missouri, in the
chair on the private calendar.
On the first bill on the calendar Mr.. Scott.
Of Pennsylvania, offered verbal amend
mcnt and then proceeded to deliyera speech
no the silver question.
lie prefaced his speech by expressing his
regret that gentlemen representing his own
political faith had seen proper to anticipate
Their party opponents In their criticisms OF
the first Democratic President and Secre.
tary of the Treasury who had occupied
those positions in the past twenty-five
years. And he desired further to say, In
justice &c to large majority ofthe gentleman
represent their party In both branches Of
Congress, that he did not believe they would
so iaI ignore facts as TO intimate that ''the
organizations OF wealth have succeeded In
alarming the President and Secretary of
the Treasury, as they have done in several
previous administrations
lhe charge had been made that the Sec
retary OF the Treasury was inmical to silver
Tor the reason, II was alleged, that he had
not paid out silver in the treasury for the
retirement OF government bonds. The
Eoyernmcntp provided three grades Of money,
all oil equal purchasing power in the
market. To maintain this equality was
one OF the duties of the Secretary of the
treasury. The Treasury Department had
not Disseminated against silver, us II would
have done had such policy been pursued
but, on the contrary, the Secretary had en-
deavorec to uphold 1t by refusing TO arbl-
trarily compel those who did not want It
to take 1t, and for which there was no law.
In 1879 Congress had passed law which
practical experience had since demonstrated
was In violation of economic principles,
And now, because these gentlemen, charged
under the law with the duty of CARRYING ont
this ltopian financial idea, realized that IL
was impossible for them to accomplish ali
mat was intended, although having faith
tully executed the provisions of the law,
they were held responsible by the authors
oi the act OF 1879 for the want of confidence
on the part of the people in and the non.
circulation of this coin.
lie declared that If there be In circulation
good dollar and poor dollar, the rich
man VIII always get the good dollar and the
poor man the poor dollar. If public policy
required that all dollars should be poor In
order to rob the creditor class of our people
IN favor OF the dollar, he appealed to this
mouse 10 IN some way protect the man who
earned his bread and supported his family
ny his daily labor, and when he asked for
bread not to give him stone. How this
could be done in any better way than by
giving the rich and poor alike good dollar,
he did not know; but protect, in Gods
name, the poor The rich man could take
care ol himself: lie needed no sympathy,
nor was he entitled to any.
Mr. Scott then went into q discussion as
10 what true money really consisted of, and
In so doing confined himself TO metallic
money, leaving out Of the question paper
money, whether fiat or redeemabe I'm coin,
Mr., Geddes, Of Ohio, protested against
the private bill day being consumed In
discussion Of the silver question. He op-
posed the amendment offered by Mr. Scott,
that the claim should be paid I'm silver
cohtending that II was not consistent for
The gold men TO say that the bonds should
De paid IN gold and the poor mans claim IN.
silver The only business Of this country was
not failroading and bondholdng. The Door
man mad some rights which should be recop-
hiZeu, and he proposed to vindlcate the
payment OF war claims as against the nav |
ment OF the bonds Of the country He was |
then proceeding to make speech Ia favor |
OF silver coinage when he was interr,Inted |
by Mr.. Reed, of Maine who sugrestci hat
Mr.. Geddes was guilty Of the same neon
sistency with which he charged the gentle. |
man from pennsylvania. Why take up any
more time with financial speeches. Tho |
majority of the House was entirely dissatis. |
ned with the time taken up already.
Mr. Geddes. | suppose you were, because |
you have only heard the gold side
Mr.. Reed, ] am as dissatisfied with the |
time being taken up on that side as on the |
other.
Mr. Geddes then started once more upon |
his speech when he was interrupted by Mr.. |
Reed with the point of order that lhe was |
not speaking to the amendment.
Mr. Geddes inquired why Mr.. Reed had |
not made that point against the gentleman |
from Pennsylvania.
Mr. Reed replied that he had not done |
that gentleman the honor OF listening 10 |
his speech, and therefore could not tell |
whether he had spoken to the amendment
Or not. lie raised the point OF order, moi
IN any inyidiousness to the gentleman from
Ohio or the proposition he advanced bnt
le wished an adjudication OF the dues.
lion.
The chair stated that he did not think
hat the gentleman was addressing himself
o the amendment, and hoped that he would
proceed TO do so.
Mr.. Morrison, Of Illinois, while he depre-
ated this character of discussion, could see