Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
from our regular Correspondent,
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Il
On rising to address the Senate on
the silver question, Mr.. Sherman said
that he had not intended to discuss the
subject until some practical measure
had been brought forward; because the
bill reported from the Finance COM
mittee was only an uneasy ghost, wan
dering without father, without COM
pass. without guide, with no one to
call for a vote upon 1t, and no one to
demand a solution OF the difficult prob
lem. But as he was compelled to alb
sent himself upon more important bus
iness, he availed himself of the present
opportunity to say something which he
had written. He harangued against
the free coinage idea, and quoted GER
tain figures from government report,
the accuracy Of which was instantly
challenged by Senator Teller. Mr..
Sherman insisted that the figures were
from government report and there
fore must be correct, and wanted to
know what newspaper scrap would be
brought in to cOntrovert what he had
read. Senator Teller still politely in-
sisted that the truth had not been told,
and wanted to correct the statement be-
fore it was made puplic, Mr.. Sherman
however would not yield the floor.
On Thursday Mr.. Mckinley reported
a resolution that the House immediate
ly consider his silver bill, until Satur-
day at 8 p. M, when the previous ques-
ton should be considered as ordered,
forty minutes were given for debate.
Mr.. Blount said that he had no OBJ
lection to the time allowed for debate,
but the chairman of the committee of
coinage, weights and measures would
be allowed to offer all the amendments
that were admissible under the rules of
the House, and that when these were
offered there would be given no oppor-
tunity to the minority to offer any
amendment, or to ask the House to
vote on the free coinage of silver. At
the Republican caucus the other night
there had been much discussion and it
was necessary to whip in the friends of
free silver by this resolution. 1t was
wicked, shameful and an outrage on
the minority. There were many re-
publcans who would vote for free sill
yer but for fear of the president, who
was in accord with the Secretary of the
Treasury, and both in accord with Wall
street. 1t was a humiliating sight to
an American citizen when in the pres
ence of the President, the republicans
were driven to trampling down the
rules of the House. If the majority
and the President yielded to the money
power the masses hereafter would die
tate and enforce legislation.
Mr.. Bland said that there was no
doubt but that large majority of the
IInv1ca 70 hn .1,lsnostal
of silver, and in order to prevent that
fact from appearing on the record, it
was necessary to gag all the democrats
and many of the republicans. Mr..
Williams said that the resolution was
intended to prevent the majority from
legislation, but the slick drivers of the
republican flock easily rounded most
of it up, and gained their point as usu-
ual, 120 yeas, III nays. The passage of
this resolution has thoroughly discour-
aged the free silver men, and they
mean to strive no more for their meas
ure this session but accept the House
bill which will pass, and endeavor, in
vain, to have it amended in respect to
the bullion clause.
This bill, which goes into effect 80
days after its passage, directs the pass
age of $4,5OO,0OO worth of silver every
month, to be paid for by silver bullion
treasury notes, redeemable in coin, and
made legal tender for all debts, pub
lie or private, except where otherwise
stipulated in contract. The Secretary
of the Treasury may redeem them in
silver bullion at the market price, and
may coin such bullion as is needed to
redeem silver notes, but the $4,000, 900
coinage act is repealed. If silver goes
up to par coinage shall be free. Finally
$50, 900, 900 held in the Treasury as re-
demption fund, for the notes of retired |
national banks, is to be turned into the |
general fund.
The business men are now having q |
hearing before the Finance committee
of the Senate, in protest against the in
Justice of the Mckinley bill. Mr.. A. III.
Saxton, of New York, represented the
jobbing hardware trade of the United
States and an investment of$60, 900, 900.
He fully and strongly exposed the mis-
of the cutlery manufacturers
by which they had induced the COM
mittee on ways and means to reduce |
the cutlery rates. He showed by their
own statements and governmental |
statistics that their products have in
creased so per cent. in the last elk years,
instead of largely falling off as was /
claimed; and that impOrtations had de-
creased per cent. That instead of
This profit being 1915, 900 in 1887, as
stated by them, it was 81 900, 900. The
Malt dealers are next in order. @'