The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-05-22
THE SILVER BILL.
SPEECH OF SENATOR TELLER
AGAINST THE MEASURE.
DANGER OF DEMONSTRATION.
The House Again in Committee of the
Whole on the Tariff Bill
of Mckinley.
DANGER OF DEMONSTRATION.
FIFTY-FIRsT CONGRESS,
SENATE,

WASHINGTON, May 15.-After routine
business the senate resumed consideration
of the silver bill and Senator Teller contin.
ued his argument in criticism of it. He
believed in free coinage. The bill as pre-
scented would afford no relief. The bill, he
said, was a half way scheme. 1t afforded
no relief whatever except in making spe-
cial market for silver in excess of the pres
ent government demand of $2,000,0O0 a
month, If it was proposed to restore sill
yer it would have to be given its full money
function. There were at least nine men in
theworld calling for silver as against one
man calling for gold. The question now
before the senate was one of vital impor-
lance to the people OF the country. 1t was
question whether the people of the
United States were to continue in advance
ment or to stand still. 1t was question
whether the continual dropping of prices
for fifteen years was to continue to the en-
slavement of men, to the destruction Of
enterprise and to the special destruction of
the debtor class, the greatest and most
numerous class ;sgold will not act as bug
aboo to frighten us from doing our duty.
There is in the country majority of men
who believe that there is righteous and
just demand tor the free coinage of silver,
some of them may be retarded by fear
t4om other quarters. They may be re-
tarded by the fear that we will not be able
to enact free coinage bill into law. My
duty is done when exercise my Judgment
as God has given me power to see my duty,
and not as the executive or anybody else
may see it. propose to do my duty, and
I % hot 4 will n ha
same we will have free country-an act
which will relieve suffering industry, in
crease the opportunity and bring prosperity
not only 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 sill
ver He declared that the persistent de-
fiance of the popular will by the
executive department of the government
for the past seventeen years was one of the
most disgraceful facts in the history of a
zee, representative government. He could
not support the bill as reported by the
finance committee. 1t Disseminated
against silver in leaving to the secretary
of the treasury the right to determine how
much of silver to be purchased should be
coined into money, and as the secretary
held that there was already too much sill
yer already coined, it was sure that with
that discretion given the secretary not
another dollar would be coined The eff
feet would be to repeal the only
law on the statute book requiring
the coinage of silver dollars. The passage
of the bill would be the severest blow to
silver since its demonetization. There was
no provision in it for free coinage OK silver
nor any coinage of silver at all except by
permission of the secretary of the treasury
va word the bill from the finance commit
i, e effectually repealed all laws providing
for compulsory coinage of single dollar of
silver. The whole matter would rest within
the discretion of the secretary of the treas
ury and on his affirmative positive action.
He was not willing to entrust such ire
mendous power to the hands of any living
man. The bill then went over till tomor-
row. After the executive session the SEN
ate adjourned.
Mr.. Mckinley, of Ohio, from the commit
tee ON Rules, reported resolution provid.
ing that hereafter the House shall meet at
IL o'clock, and that after the reading of the
journal and the disposal of conference re-
ports, the House shall go into committee OF
The whole on the tariff bill; that the bill
shall be read through commencing with
paragraph 8, and shall be open to amend
meat on any part of the bill, and that on
Wednesday next, at noon, the bill with
pending amendments shall be reported to
the House.
After long debate the resolution. was
adoped-yeas, 1913, nays 90. The House
thea went into committee of the whole OH
the tariff bill.
The reading of the bill consumed the re-
mainder of the day, and at its conclusion
the committee arose and the House took
recess, the evening session to be for the con
sideration of private pension bills.