Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-05-20
NATIONS CAPITAL.
The Silver Bill Still Before the
Senate.
1he Bdmunds Anti -Polysamy Law
eustainsd BY the Supreme Court.

wAsH1xsros, Nay l9-Dawes presented
Z femonstrance against the Mckinney bill
from the joboeFs and retailers of domestic
and foreign dry goods in his district
Hale from the committee on approT ria
tons reported back the annual appropria.
ton bill and gave notice that be would asi
the Senate to take it up st an early day.
He argued against free coinage Of silver
- something that would stop the coinage
Of gold.
The silver bill WAS taken up and Dolph
addressed the Senate. He said ttst what
be had said in regard to the free coinage Of
silver did not Of course apply to the free
coinage under the International agreement
establishing the ratio between gold and sil-
yer. There never had been IN hour when
the United States government had not fav-
ored bi-metallism. National bi-metallism
was i'm practicable. The only way to secure
both metals ~ coins was to have inter-
national agreement with the principal
countries of Europe for the establishment
of such International ratio - would secure
the free coinage Of both me tails in mints of
those countries and the United States. 1t
10 not possible for the United States alone
TO control by legislaiion the relative value
Of gold and silver. The United States WAS
either to remain with the countries that had
gold standard or join with those that had
silver standard.
At the close Of Dolph's speech Teller
criticized some points of it. He said it
would not do for that Senator, or any other
Senator, to say with JUNCTION that be was
for . double standard or for silver, and
then favor measures absolutely destructive
of silver as m,ney. He (Teller) did not
propose that the country should be deceived
into believing that the proposition which
came from the finance committee meant
silver at all. On the contrary he asserted
that it meant single gold standard.
Aldrich asked Teller whether he pro-
posed, in the issue of silver money, to dis
locate the purity Of gold and silver. Teller
replied that the Senator from Rhode Island
knew that he did not want . silver basis,
and that he did want . double standard
He repeated that il but one metal money
could be used. the interest Of the people
WAS that the metal should be silver. and not
gold. He wanted the double standard. He
wanted to put gold and silver on a parity,
and in order to do that gold had to be
brought down from the point to which it
appreciated by vicious legislation, or in
other words, the products Of the country
had to be brought up. He knew it was
dangerous to critcise the financial eolicy of
the country, and that republican Senators
who did so were apt to be considered not
sound, politically. He repeiled the idea
that the silver coins of Europe would be
sent to this country if free silver coinage
was established. and argued that none of
the European nations could think of reduc-
ing their silver circulations.
Nit hell expressed his thorough dissent
from the views expressed by his colleague
(Dolph). The democratic and republican
State conventions of Oregon recently ex-
pre- ssed themselves unanimously in favor
Of free and limited coinage of silver. He
believed the resolutions of these conven-
tions voiced the sentiment, almost univer-
sally, Of the people of his State.
On motion of Wilson Of Iowa, ordered
that the Senate bill subjecting imported
liquors to the provisions of the laws of the
several States be taked u tomorrow after
the routine morning business.
After brief executive session the Sen
ate at &. 25 adjourned.