Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-16
CONGRESSIONAL.
Argument on the Silver Bill Resumed ia the
Senate-House Proceedings.
Ii. CONGRESS.
SENATE.


SENATE.
WASHINGTON, May I5.-After routine
business the senate resumed oousidera-
ton of the silver bill, and MIR. Teller
continued his argument in criticism of it.
He believed in the free coinage bill
as presented would afford no relief. Tue
bill, he said, was halfway scheme. 1t
afforded no relief whatever, except in
making a special market for silver in eX
cess of the present government demand
of two millions a month. If it was pro-
posed to restore silver it would have to
be given its full money function. There
were at least nine men IN the world calling
for silver as against one man calling for
gold. The question now before the sem
ate was one of vital interest to the peo-
pie of the country. It was question
whether the people of the United States
were to continue in advancement
or to stand still. 1t was
question whether the continual dropping
of prices for fifteen years was to con-
tinue to the enslavem ent of men, to the
destruction of enterprise and TO the
special destruction of the debtor class,
the greatest and most numerous class.
Gold will not go. That is q buga-
boo to brighten us from doing
our duty. There is in the body
majority of men who believe that there
is righteous and just demand for COIN
age of silver; some of them may be re-
tarded by fear from other quarters.
They may be retarted by fear that we
will not be able to enact the free
coinage bill INTO q law. Ny duty
is done when 1 exercise my judgment
here as God has given me power TO
see my duty, not as the executive or as
anybody elsa may see it. l propose to
do my duty, and I believe that if every
senator will do the same we will have
free coinage act, an act which will re-
lieve the suffering industry, increase OPP
Portunity and bring prosperity, not to
farmers alone, but to every class OF men
desiring the good will of the legislative
mind
Mr.. Coke next addressed the senate in
favor of free and unlimited coinage of
silver. He declared that the persistent
defiance of the popular bill by the exec
utive department of the government for
the past seventeen years was one of the
most remarkable facts in history
of a free representative government. He
could not support the bill as reported
from tina finance committee. 1t dis
eliminated against silver in leaving to
the secretary of the treasury the right to
determine how much of the silver
to be purchased should be coined in
to money, and, as the secretary
held that there was already too much
silver coined, it was sure that with that
discretion in the secretary not another
dollar would be coined. The effect of
ha hn fO
only law on the statue book requiring
coinage of silver dollars. The pas
sage of the bill would prove the severest
blow to silver since its characterization in
1878. There was no provision in it for
the free coinage of silver, nor for any
coinage of silver at all except by permits
sion of the secretary of the treasury. In
q word the bill from the finance COM
mittee effectually repealed all laws
providing for compulsory coinage of
q single dollar of silver. The whole
matter would rest within the discretion
of the secretary of the treasury, and on
his affirmative, positive action. He was
not willing to intrust such tremendous
power to the hands of any living man.
The bill then went over till tomorrow.
After executive session, the senate ad-
joprned.
HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, May 15.-Mr. Nc
Kinley of Ohio, from the COM
mittee on rules, reported q resolution
that hereafter the house shall meet at IL
o CLOCK; that after the reading of the
journal and disposal of conference re-
ports the house shall go into commit
tee of the whole on the tariff bill;
that the bill shall be read through, COM
mencing with paragraph Ill, and shall
be open to amendment on any part of the
bill following paragraph no, and that on
Wednesday next at noon the bill with
pending amendments shall be reported
to the house. After long debate the
resolution was adopted-yeas, 1913;
nays, 50.
The house then went into committee of
the whole on the tariff bill.
The reading of the bill consumed the
remainder of the day, and at its conclu-
sion the committee rose and the house
took recess, the evening session to be
for the consideration of private pension
bills.
The house at its evening session passed
1S9 private pension bills, and then ad-
journed. ~