The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-06-12
F1FTY-F1RsT CONGRESS-.
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| WASHINGTON, June 6-The house amend
mendment to the senate bill establishing a
public park in the District of Columbia was
disagreed to. The silver bill was then taken
up.
Senator Plumb made quite long and
strong speech in favor of silver, after whiCe;.
the bill was laid aside. .,
| A message from the president in rela-
ton to the landing OF an armed force from
The revenue cutter McLane at Cedar Keys,
Fla, was presented, read and referred to
1the judiciary committee.
Mr.. Dawes, from the committee on In
DIM affairs, reported resolution which
wal agreed to-eaning on the secretary of
| the\ interior for copies of
communications and correspondence on
| the Subject of intruders on Indian territory
| and foNa report as to what steps had been
taken to\ fulfill obligations with the Choc-
taws and Chickasaws in regard TO prevent
| ing such intrusion.
After executive session the senate ad-
journed.
MOUSE.
Mr.. Lacy of Iowa said the country was
met with contraction of currency. Banks
were calling in circulation. 1t might be
| that the figures would show as much money
| n the United States per capita as there ever
! had been, but there was an absolute short.
age of funds. The pehding bill proposed
! to give the country an Increase to offset the
contraction and even mdre. 1t was prac-
tically free coinage billi The capacity of
minis was 81, 100000. The free coinage of
every dollar of American SILVER would be
about 81 10000 yet this bill Nnroposed to
| give $4,000, 900 year OF legal tender treas
ury notes. 1t was a free coinage measure
because it provided that when SILVER was at
par the minis should be open to free coin
age. The country needed an expansion of
the currency in safe way aid this bill
provided for it.
| Mr., Walker of Massachusetts, spoke
against free coinage. He asserted that the
decentralization of silver was not the
cause of decrease of prices. Prices
had been going down tor hun
dred years. The decentralization of silver
! had not had the slightest appreciable effect
| at the depreciation of prices. More money
meant more misery. Laughter.
. Mr.. Perkins of Kansas-We all love mis-
I cry. [Laughter.] He was going to vote for
| the pending bill because he knew members
of the house from 1886 up to the present
! time, for the purpose of getting back here,
/ had urged and encouraged the people in
| their folly until they had come to such a
! state of mind that something must be done
| or would break the members up. Laugh
ter. 1t was pure politics, that was all
| aboutlt.
Mr.. Blount of Georgia contended that
1 silver characterization cast a blight and
curse over everybody except the capitalists.
| The present contraction of currency was
due to the characterization act of 1878. To
| increase the volume of circulation was the
only way to relieve not only the agricul.
tural interests but every other interest in
| the country.
Mr.. Bland of Missouri inquired whether
| it was in order for him to offer an amend
ment.
The speaker repliedlit was not
Mr.. Bland said he could only protest
against the denial of the right of a member
of the minority to offer an amendment.
The law had been placed upon the minor.
| ity. Why had this been doneP 1t was for
the purpose of passing bill through the
house the effect of which was to demone-
tie silver. The bill was Wall street
scheme and gold bug scheme to change
the ratio between gold and silver. 1t re.
cognized silver bullion according to its
value. Silver was being murdered in the
house of its friends. He especially criti
cized the bullion redemption clause, argu-
ing that it would prevent any appreciable
expansion of currency. 1t would hold out
the temptation to the secretary Of the treas
ury to make millions of dollars out of spec
ulation IN Wall street.
Mr.. Townsend of Colorado said depart
ure from the bimetallic standard had been
the cause of untold misery to the wage
workers and benefited only those in the
enjoyment of fixed incomes payable in
gold. Prosperity would not return and the
downward course of prices would not be
arrested until silver was returned to its
proper place.
Mr.. McRae of Arkansas appealed to the
gentlemen on the other side who believed
III free coinage to restore silver to its proper
pace not step by step, but as it was de-
stroyed, in jump.
The house at 8 o'clock took recess until
s, the evening session to be for general de-
bate ON the silver bill.