National Republican., 1888-03-14


Senate yesterday was one granting an In.
crease Of pension to Mrs. Gen. Ward b.
Burnett.
Mr.. Hale called up the resolution offered
by him on the 18th Of December for the
appointment Of special committee to
examine fully into the present condition OF
the civil service in all branches OF the gov
ernment.
Mr.. Cockrell offered an amendment to
extend the Inquiry to the instances of per-
nicious partisan activity Of Republican
officials since the executive order of Presi-
dent Hayes Of Juue, 1877, particularly In
tie presidential elections OF 1880 and 1884.
Mr. Hale said that personally he had no
objection TO the investigation proposed 10
the amendment, but he wished 1t to be dis
tintt from his own proposition, which was
to make clear and distinct investigation
Of what was going on to-day. lie could
not, therefore, consent to the amendment.
He was not, however, opposed to the in
yestiga,ion; he desired II, but 1t should 20
on distinctly by itself
Mr.. IIoar said he could not see the pro.
piiety OF an amendment proposing to In.
vestigate the past. The practical question
was that OF the present observance or VIOLA
ton Of the law.
MIR. Hoar asked Mr.. Cockrell II by his
amendment he wished to plead an "otfset"
Mr.. Cockrell replied that there was no
need Of an offset. But even II the insinu-
ations In the original resolution were true,
they had been thousand fold more than
counterbalarced by preceding adminlstra
tions.
Mr. Dawes Isit justification which the
senator from Missouri wishes 10 pleai
The justification is that somebody else was
just as bad as this reform administration.
Mr. Ccekrell. We don't want any iusti-
fcatiCn. The present administration speaks
for Itself and eau lske care Of Itself before
the people. We simply want tao truth :,
The whole truth, aud nothing bur the
truth, and that is lot what is desired upon
the other side.
Mr.. Dawes. The senator IL resisting Just
exactly that thing He is rot wlliog TO
stand on the merle, but desires to 20 after
something else which may bolster up things
where the merits will fail, IL the admins
tratiou Is desirous Of standing on It's own
merits, the BIT st way is to ascertain what its
merits are, and not what the merits OF
somebody else have been.
Mr.. Cockrell It is fear of the result that
excites the opposition ] anticipated as
much. All that we aek is that The coun.
try may see administrations side by side,
and draw its conclusions from coDparisons
The amendment was defeatf6reSy a
straight party. vote: Y WashinetonI 30.
and the original resol' 'roudsburg. Thp
me sena,e @ 'hen, On hotels at the w w
Senate bill to correct the eGfo men oI ar tLe
act oi Mar. 3, 1887, to determine the'jurls.
diction Sf United States circuit courts aud
to regulate the removal OF caus from
state Courts. Mr.. Wilson stated the object
OF the bill to &c. to correct some twenty.
nine mistakes lin spelling, punctuation,
| &c.) which had crept into i"e.acy. q 1881,
both In its enrolment aud printing (Wnicn
Mr.. Hoar referred to as a mater that had
"coAeie0 Congress with ridiculc'O.
The bill went over without action, and
the Senate proceeded to the consideration
OF Mr.. Beck's bill to provide for the retire.
meDt Of United States legal tender and
national bank notes Of small denomina-
| tioDs ard the issue of coin certitic ites Ia
lieu Of gold certificates, and Mr.. Beck ad-
dressed the Senate In advocacy OF it.
The bill The sald) had been referred to
the finance committee, and had been (last
Tuesday, reported back by bare majority.
He referred to what he said 10 his speech
on the pentien bill as to Mr.. Sherm ans
responsibility for the silver demonetization
| measure.
He said that the measure had been carried
through Congress secretly, and quoted
1
criticised several of Mr.. Sherman's reports
while Secretary Of the Treasury, but ad.
mitted that Mr.. Sherman was one Of the
very ablest men in public life; and twas be-
cause OF bis great ability that he Mr.. Beck
regarded his policy as dangerous to the
great masses Of the people. He made nc
charges against the senator as to repuda
tion or anything wrong; but be though,
that his policy was death to the best In
tereats OF the masses OF the people.
Referring to the efforts OF the national
banks to prevent the coinage Of silver, he
spoke Of those banks as a failure, us nc
longer OF any account, as going down
every day.
He spoke OF Mr.. Edward Atkinson aut
his mission to Europe. Atkinson was, h
said, an able and respectable man, but
doctiinuire and opposed 10 silver. He said
in response to reminder from Mr.. Hoar
that he knew the present administration
had sent Mr., Atkinson TO Europe aud tha
was one OF the things that he (Mr. Beck
complained Of.
Mr.. Sherman said that, as matter o
course, he would not undertake to reply Il
the argument of the senator from Kentuck
on the silver question, but he would repl.
briefly to one or two matters Of II persona
character which the senator from Kentuck,
felt justified In Juggling into the contto
versy. That senator had never found hin
(Mr. SheIman) dodgIg responsibility o
tvading an issue. Tic senator's answer to
day to what he (Mr. Sherman) had salt
when he last spoke on the subject was lam
be answered it? By going to the recort
ard seeing whether tue demonetiz alton Law
was put through In secret way? Not a
all, but by quoting speeches made on Til
stump or In the Senate, aud grossly misap
plying them.
the original Senate records, to show tha
Guessed, fully considered, submitted t
public opinion In every form inside of Con
gress and outside. 1t was not a bill OF his dc
visiDg. He had never seen ituntil 1t wa
sent to him as chairman OF the financ
committee by the Secretary OF the Treas
ury. 1t did not become law for thre
years afterward, and in the meantime 1t ha
debated over and over again.
Copies OF the bill had been sent arount
inviting criticism; and one OF its provision
was that the silver coin should consist OF
dollar (of 3s4 grsins), half dollar. q quar-
ter dollar, and q dime, and that euch silve
coin should be legal tender in any on
payment for all sums not exceeding 81
That was the Identical form 10 which tina
section appeared in the last bill as 1t cam
from the House to the Senate. That par
ticular section appeared throughout tn
whole history Of the bill from the beginning
to the end. The House had insisted on re
ducing the weight of the silver dollar to 3s
grains, or just the exact equivalent OF wv
half dollars, thus making the silver dolla
practically minor or su uosidiary coin. 81
that, In the original bill the old silver dola
had been dropped, and In It's place a mino
or subsidiary coin substituted.
From that time (April, 1S70) till the pas
sage OF the law OF February, 1873, tina
provision had stood In the law, had bee
printed over and over again In both houses
And yet members Of Congress had bee
quoted as saying that they did not kno,y