The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-07-29

Lively Debate in the House on Mr..
Morrison's Surplus Money
Resolution.
The Financial Record of the Present Ad-
ministration Shown Upby
Mr.. Mckinley.
Congressional proceedings.l


olution, coming as it did from the Demo-
cratic majority in one branch of the Gov
eminent addressed to Democratic Execu-
tive in control of another branch, was, to
say the least, exceptional and remarkable.
1t was n proposition coming from the ma
jority of the Committee on Ways and
Means which was in political accord with
the President of the United States, and un-
doubleday would receive the approval of
the majority on the other side of the cham
Der. 1t was proposition to compel the
President of the United States and the Sec
rotary of the Treasury to do that which they
had always had the power to do; to do that
which they now had authority to do under
Section of the act of March 3, 1881. Yet
in sixteen months of Democratic admins
tration that administration had called but
sos, 200, 900 of Government bonds for re-
demption. IL leaves outstanding $40, 900
900 of the per cents extended, now known
as the 3 per cents, which are redeemable mt
the pleasure of the Government.
In view of the record of the
Democratic party, III view of Its
declarations in platforms and on the
public rostrum in favor of the distribution
of the surplus in the payment of Govern
ment bonds, in view of its frequent charac-
terization of the Republican party as dis
y
III view of the record made by its own adj
ministration, it was not surprising that n
majority of the Committee on Ways and
Means, under the leadership of one wing
of the Democratic party, should insist that
the President of the United States and the
Secretary of the Treasury should keep
pledges which had been made to the party.
This action was more suggestive when
gentlemen took into consideration the rec
ord which the Republican party had made
on this question. Since the conclusion OF
the war the Republican administration had
paid off 81 200, 100000 of public indebted
ness. 1t was not surprising that, looking
Mt the record of the Republican party and
looking mt the record of the first sixteen
months of the Democratic administration,
the two wings of the Democratic party
should flap together and demand that the
President shall pay out some of the surplus
on the bonds of the country. Laughter.
In 1881, with surplus of 800, 900, 900, a
Republican Secretary of the Treasury had
called in Sl21 100000 in Government
bonds. In 1882, with surplus of $780,
600, 900, Republican Secretary had called
in Sl73, 100000 of bonds. In 1888, with a
surplus of 1914 900, 600. Republican Sec
rotary had called in $50 900, 900; and in
1884, so, OO0, 900. The Republican party
has uNtTuptu III tuc last lOuI NcdIS NlDO.-
600. 900 every sixteen months. While in
the past sixteen months the Democratic
party has made a record of but S5S, 200, 900.
Why did not the administration of Grover
Cleveland pay ont the balance in the treas
ury on the public debt? Some gentleman
on the other side, in the confidence of the
administration, ought to explain why the
Secretary did not exercise the discretion
given him by law. He (Mr. Mckinley be-
lieved it to be wise discretion to permit
the officer charged with the administration
of the fiscal affairs of the Government to
call bonds or withhold call of bonds
when the condition of the public treasury
permitted or demanded the one or the
other. Therefore, unless the amendment
he had offered was adopted, he would feel
constrained to cast negative vote upon
the resolution. OF course, Republicans
could not prevent the Democratic party
from voting want of confidence in
its own administration. They could
could not prevent it from voting vote of
condemnation upon the President and his
Secretary. That was what the resolution
meant. Think of it. A Republican Sec
rotary of the Treasury presided over the
fiscal affairs of the Government from 1879
TO 1855. During that time the Democratic
party controlled the House for four years.
| The Republican Secretary of the Treasury
exercised his discretion, and a House with
a larger Democratic majority than the
present one never thought of taking that
discretion away from him.
Mr.. Morrison-The gentleman is mis-
taken.
Mr.. McKinley-Did you ever pass reso-
luton compelling the Secretary of the
! Treasury to pay out the surplus!
Mr.. Morrison-I introduced n Joint reso-
luton, and sent it to the Committee on
Ways and Means, and it never got out of
the committee.
Mr.. McKinley-Exactly. Laughter.
Mr.. Morrison-And | offered it in the
House, and had the support of the gentle
man from Pennsylvania Mr. Randall, and
we were kept from passing it by point of
order from that side of the House. APP
plause from the Democratic side.
Mr.. McKinley-But you never passed it..
! You had control of the Committee on Rules.
! You could have fixed time for considera-
ton, as you did now. You had a larger
majority than you have now. Whatever
YOU may have done in committee, or at
tempted to do on the floor of the House,
| one thing is certain, you never did adopt Il
resolution taking that discretion from Re-
publican President and Secretary.
Mr.. Morrison-I was prevented by the CO.
operation of Democrats with that side of
| the House.
Mr.. McKinley-That is, the two wings Of
the Democratic party were not in harmony
ut that time laughter, and one wing, with
the aid of Republicans, prevented you from
taking the statutory discretion away from
the Secretary. But now when you have n
President and the Secretary of the Treasury,
both wings of the Democratic party unite
in denouncing them for not calling in the
bonds and absorbing the surplus. Laugh
ter. 1t is not to be wondered at. The
campaign of 1884 was waged and won on
the howl all over the country that the Re-
publican party had 5000, 700 of idle sur
| plus in the Treasury, and would not pay
their honest debts. Governor Hendricks
stated that all over the West. / have no
doubt that my Greenback friend from Iowa
| (Weaver) said it all over his State. / know
that the distinguished gentleman from
! Pennsylvania (RandalD, in his famous
speech at Nashville. when he was making
| his triumphal tariff march through the
| South from Atlanta to the sea laughter +,
carving the banner of protection-I know
that he said there was $500 200, 200 of sur
plus in the public treasury, and that the
administration of Grover Cleveland would
take it out and pay the Government debts