The Portland daily press., 1890-05-23
TO BUILD OR NOT TO BUILD.
Question Of Interest at KIttery Dis
cussed in the Senate.
Woman SuffraRIsts score a Point
In a House Committee.
The River and Harbor BIlI-other
News from the Capital.

WASHINGTON, May 22.-The Senate today
took up the silver bill and Mr. Daniels spoke
in favor of silver currency. The currency,
he said. was congested in the treasury, a
hundred millions being held to redeem an
other portion that was, like itself, legal ten
der, while thirty millions were lent out to
bankers without interest. Taxation was ex-
cessive and worse than useless burden,
bringing asurplus into.the.treasury and stim-
ulating extravaganza to get it out. The
public debt had been put in such anomalous
relations to the laws that the government
appeared on one side of the sales counter
boosting up the price of the bonds far beyond
their par value and on the other side, 1t paid
them before maturity at exorbitant rates.
Gold and silver money. were welded by ma
ture. They were readily measurable, read
lily stamped and coined, both limited in
quantity and each the product of labor Be-
fore jury of all civil and enlightened na-
tions throughout the centuries, the case of
gold and silver has been heard and with one
voice, the nations answered that to gold and
silver belonged the royal attributes of mon
ey. The free coinage of silver would bring
gold into the country. Everything assimi-
lated with its kind the world over. Money
was the most social, assimilative and procre-
ative of all material things. American sill
yer had drawn gold to the United States. In
1873, when the United States had no silver
money, 5000 900 in gold was in the coun-
try. Even partially restored silver proved
such a magnet to capital that the country
millions of silver and between six and seven
hundred millions of gold: If free coinage of
silver were established, America would glad
den the heart of humanity by giving to the
laborer larger price for his product.
The silver bill was laid aside without ac-
tl0n. and the naval qnprnnriafinn hill 70
up. Mr.. Dawes opposed the amendment
which strikes out of the bill the appropria-
tion of $4,000 fer repairs to the dry dock at
the Boston Navy Yard. The Boston navy
country, granite structure which has cost
an immense sum Of money. 1t had been in
excellent repair upsuo recently and required
only the small sum of $50. 900 to put in good
condition. Mr.. Hoar spoke against the
amendment
Mr.. Hale, in charge of the bill, said he
would he would not oppose the views of the
senators from Massachusetts, but there
were several amendments, both in reference
to the Boston Navy Yard and the Ports
tion OF reopening navy yards already closed.
MI. Blair opposed the amendment in rela-
latl0n to the Portsmouth Navy Yark, strik-
ing out the appropriation of $4,000 for re-
constructing the buildings destroyed by fire.
since the beginning Of the war
and upwards of six millions
had been expended there. The best
wooden ships ever built for the navy were
built there. There were many wooden ves-
sells now In the navy and they were sent
there for repairs.
Mr.. Allison, chairman of the committee on
appropriations, stated the desire of the COM
mittee was to leave in allegiance the question
OF where the one navy yard ON the eastern
coast was to be located. That was matter
for the committee of naval affairs. He
doubted II 1t was good policy to reconstruct
those buildings and supply them with
machinery until that question was settled.
Mr.. Hale thought both amendments ought
to be agreed to and the Boston and Ports
mouth navy yards put on the same footing.
Mr.. German, believing that unless the
amendment reported by The committee as to
the Portsmouth navy yard was adopted,
Congress would be practically entering on
new scheme to increase the navy yards. He
as to the Boston navy yard stood on differ
ent footing, and he would vote against it,
The dry dock there ought to be repaired.
Mr.. Hawley replied to criticisms upon the
system of using navy yards for public pur-
poses instead of having the work done in
private shops. He said the right policy was
being followed by the government. Private
parties were encouraged to build ships OF
war and the essential parts of great guns.
At the same time the government was quite
wisely putting some of its own yards in con-
dition SO they could also build some of the
ships.
The Senate adjourned without action.