The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-13
SESSION OF THE SENATE.
AMENDMENT OF THE POLYGAMY
LAW PROPOSED.

The Conference Report on the De-
pendent Pension Bill Laid Over and
Ordered Printed-Senator Evarts
Opens the Days Debate on Silver.
Senator Vance Favors Unlimited
Coinage.
WASHINGTON, June 12.-In the Senate
this morning Mr.. Edmunds offered reso-
luton, which went over till tomorrow, ap-
pointing Edward K Valentine sergeant-at-
arms of the Senate, to take the office
Jane 80.
Among the bills reported from the COM
mittee and placed on the calendar were two
Senate bills to amend the polygamy law
and ths House legislative, executive and
judicial appropriation bill.
Mr. Davis presented the conference re-
port on the dependent pension bill. In
reply to questions by different senators, Mr.
Davis said that as to dependent parents all
the change made by the bill from
the existing law was that whereas
the existing law required dependency
to exist at the time of the soldiers death,
the pending measure merely required de-
pendence at the time of application; also,
that his present estimate of the probable
cost of the bill was SAL ,00O, 900 or S42 0OO 600
annually, instead of S36,0O0,0 900, when the
bill was first before the Senate. A further
conference. he thought, would be useless.
The report went over and was ordered
printed with the bill, as agreed to by the
conference.
EvARTs ON SILVER.
The Senate silver bill was then taken up,
and MIR. Evarts addressed the Senate. He
said the diverse action of the House and
Senate had narrowed the question substan-
TALLY to free coinage of silver. Opening
the mints of the United States to the
bullion world was step of much gravity,
and which would have wide consequences
whether of good or eviD; step not easily
evaded and almost irretrieveble. With the
difference in ratios Q51S in Europe
and 16 in this country that
measure would be utterly impracticable-
especially if it was desired also to cause
the opening Of the mints abroad to silver.
The proposition to receive silver bullion
over the counter of the treasury and to pay
for it i'll certificates, leaving the transaction
at the will of the owner of the bullion, had
never approved itself to his Judgment. He
remarked it as being a step backward.
Money could never be safely treated as a
commodity. 1t IVES not 30 be treated as
anything but force and propulsion of cir
culation.
vANCE'S VIEWS.
Mr.. Vance next addressed the Senate. He
Senate, any question that had been 80 ably
and thoroughly discussed, or that was of
higher Importance to the people than that
now under consideration. Nothing was
better established, he said, than the fact Of
the necessity of more money for the
progress and prosperity Of the country.
The wealth of the world had increased ten
fold within the last fifty years. The output
of precious metals had kept pace neither
with the growth Of wealth nor of the popu-
lation. In consequence of this deficient cir
culation, the prices of all products were
lower than they ever had been before,
although the prices Of wages had kept up.
owing to labor unions and other causes.
FARMERS THE SUFFERERS.
Those who had suffered most from the
depreciation of silver were the agricultural
classes of the country. The farmers were so
dependent that if there was no aid given in
the way of increasing the circulation
large proportion of them were doomed to
bankruptcy and ruin. The tariff law
had contributed largely to the impoverish-
ment of the farmers by its operating in res
strlctlon of foreign market. The most
insane problem ever produced was the cur
failing of money by demoneizing silver at
time when the wealth and business of the
world had increased ten-fold. In order that
there might be aa misapprehension as to his
position, and that no one should ask on
which side of the question he was, he de-
sired to state that he favored an unlimited
coinage of silver money and the restoration
of silver as it was before it was demone-
tized.
ONLY QUESTION OF COURAGE.
He believed that it was only question of
courage, ana that if the United States made
a beginning in opening the door to the un-
limited coinage of silver the commercial
countries of the world would follow the
example All classes of the community
desired it. The agriculturists desired it.;
and as seven-eighths of the foreign COM
merce of the country was the product of
field and farm, why should not their voice
be heard in the matterl There never had
been greater crime perpetrated against
the American people by legislation (and
that was saying a great deal, for he had
known some infamous crimes of legislatioD)
than robbing them of the value of their
silver money.
MORGAN FAvoRS MORE MONEY.
Mr.. Morgan next addressed the Senate,
particularly in reference to the amendments
reported by tho finance committee. His
position on the subject of free coinage of
silver needed, he said, no definition. Every
ADDRESS which he had made in the Senate
mad been In favor of that proposition, and he
mad had no occasion since then to change
MS attitude on that subject He had felt
then, and still felt, that he was obliged as
senator to furnish the people
OF the United States coins Of
gold and coins of silver without
discrimination between the two. He did
not claim to know much about commerce,
put 1t appeared to him that il the United
states should take the lead in this matter
ana restore silver as a money metal, COM
merce would be stimulated, more abundant
crops would be produced, more abundant
fabrics be turned out in the factories, and
that there would be an increased activity in
the exchanges of those products and COM
modltles. Without concluding his remarks
9lr. Morgan yielded to a motion to ad-
journ.