The Russellville Democrat., 1888-08-30

department of the government. It IS also true that net one single act of which the people complain was ever passed after the democrats ac- quired control of the house of repre- sentatives. And Mir. Speaker, it is matter to be remembered :o the ey erlasting credit of the democratic party that it encountered and van quished at the first onslaught that gigantic money power to which the republican party has for years been as the plaything to childl The first democratic house In August, 1876, raised the banner of financial re- form by the passage of 2 bill to re- peal the resumption act. Tue repuo. lican vote on the passage of that bill stood "aye" only 9 and "no" 56, or over six to one against the repeal. The democrats voted "no" 29 and faye" 97, more than three to one in it's favor. The bill passed the house by democratic votes, and thus the first battle against the Shylocks was left to be turned agalnst the people by the rer.::.i;..iscan senate which fail ] s.,:: so pass the bill. There the mat ter stood when the great political contest came on in 1876. The re suit of that election returned dem ocratic majority to the house of rep resentatives ~hile the senate is still republican. Those who have ob- served the proceedings since we as sembled will bear witness to the ear nestness of the warfare that has been waged for financial relief. As early as November 5, 1877, we passed the bill to remonetize silver. The repub. licans, driven at last by public sen timent which had twice routed them at the polls, yielded to this measure fair support. They voted-"no"24 and "aye" 6S, not quite three to one. The democrats voted--no 10, aye 97, or nearly ten to one in it's favor. But when this measure to restore the dollar of our fathers was sent by a democratic house to republican senate It was there amended and emasculatcd until it's value was we'll nigh destroyed, and finally vetoed by a republican president. On the 23d of the same month the bill to re- peal the resumption act passed the house. On this repeal the republi- cans voted-aye 2S and no 62, more than three to one against it. The democrats voted-no 29 and aye 104, more than three to one in it's favor. This act was sent to a republican senate, and there Rip Van Wrinkle sleep of seven long months has held 1t fast.
 On the 29th day of April the bill was passed forbidding further retire ment of greenbacks. The democrats voted on this measure--no ', and aye 104; the republicans voted--aye 73, and no 58. Many of them voted with the avowed reason that it would not interfere with the resumption act, and it is equally understood in well inform circles that the repuOll- cans who favored the bill in the sen ate did so upon the same ground. Add to what l have enumerated the bills which have been favorably re- ported at this session by demo. cratic committee. the bill to author. ize the issuing of certificates for sill yer bullion, and the bill to substi tute sreenbacks for bank notes and you have fair epitomi1ed history of tEe financial legislation of the last sixteen years. In giving the status of the political parties, 1 have given the result of my own individual re- searches; l have investigated the subject; I have examined tue Rec ord, and ] speak what l know: