Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-02

further concessions to the Pacific railroads and
In favor OF the government, taking possession
OF them; from Connecticut in favor Of the in
crease OF duties on hats proposed in the Nc
Kinley bill.
AMONG THE BILLS REPORTED
from committees and placed on the calendar
were the following: The senate bill extending
the jurisdiction of the circuit and district
courts Of the United States to the great lakes
and their connecting waters.
The Senate bill to grant the right Of way
through the public lands for irrigation pur
poses.
Mr.. Plumb introduced a bill (prepared by
Mr.. ST. Johns Of New York; for the purchase
of silver to use as lawful money. Referred to
the committee on finance.
oFFENsEs IN INDIAN TERRITORY.
The resolution heretofore offered by Mr..
Spooner calling on the Attorney General for
information as to the practice of the United
States courts at Fort Smith, Ark, and Paris
Texas, in regard to offenses in the Indian ter
rltory, was taken up, discussed and agreed to.
Mr.. Dawes gave notice that he would tomor-
row ask the Senate to consider the fertilization
bill.
THE SILVER BILL
was taken up and MIR. Morrill, addressed the
Senate. There had been Che said) so much in
fation of history in some Of the speeches made
on the bill that 1t would be well for somebody
to puncture it, and he should attempt
to do his humble part in that work.
The debate had been opened by the Senator
from Nevada (ir. Jones) in a splendid speech
in which that Senator had made no argument
in its behalf. He had cut loose from terra frma
and had
SCARED IN THE AIR OF FIAT MONEY.
That Senator was a genus, was magnetic,
and they all liked him-liked even his fables,
in which he was a rival Of La Fontaine. He (Mr.
MorrilD had been in favor of doubling the
amount of silver bullion purchased and had
been, in fact, desirous of doing almost anything
in that direction except abandoning
absolutely and forever the bi-metallic standard
OF money. But the followers of the new silver
gospel were not easily satisfied. They de-
manded the coinage of all the silver at the e1-
pense of the government. They also
wanted the Treasury notes or certificates to
be made .egal tender tor all debts, public and
private. Then they wanted the Treasury re-
serve TO be cut down to ten millions, and the
hundred millions of gold now held for the re-
demption of legal-tender notes to be reduced
to fifty millions.
EFFECTS OF FREE COINAGE DEPICTED.
Finally. rather than anything else. they
wanted free coinage for all the American
silver and for all that might be brought Unto
the United States from Mexico or any other
country. The cost Of coming silver (about
per cent? was to be borne by the
government and the depositors
of silver bullion were to receive all the differ
ence in value between bullion and standard
dollars. That was the feast to which the SEN
ate was invited by the distinguished Senators
from Colorado and Nevada (Teler and jones'.
The wage earners of the United States were to
be counted by millions and were the most
numerous creditor class of the country(a and. he
believed, the largest in amount). 1t was that
class that it was now proposed TO pay off in
cheaper or in deprecated standard money and
to require to pay higberprices for anything they
had too buy. Could there be anything. he
askee, more likely, in all parts of the country,
at an early day, to provoke strikes for higher
wages?
LIKE FREDERICK THE GREAT.
Frederick the Great, in preparing a cam
paign against a neighboring province, had or
dered his minister to prepare proclamation.
The minister did so. beginning with the
phrase .By the grace Of God" .'Strike that
out" said the king; lust say Frederick wants
another province"
So it was with the silver miners of Nevada
and Colorado. They wanted everything about
gold struck out and simply to say I'VE want 40
per cent more profit" Silver would tolerate
no rival near the throne. As to The stories OF
the
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INDEBTEDNESS
Of the country, he (NIr. MorrilO had no faith
in them; and he believed that if the correct
figures could be obtained it would be found
that the Indebtedness per capita was
never less than in 1890. He believed
that by wise and moderate legislation
sufficient amount OF silver might be utilized
and yet bi-metallic standard be maintained.
He did not want to have the United States di-
vorced from the commercial world, but that
was not the policy Of those who had led off in
the debate.
THEIR TRANSPARENT DESIGN
was (only thinly attempted to be concealeD to
60, by single bound to silver standard. If
the country was to have but a single standard
he preferred that that standard should be
gold rather than silver. He would, however,
be glad to see both maintained and with
the expectation that with a very liberal in
crease of silver and with good management on
the part of the Treasury Department, the parity
of value would be preserved--slver advancing
a good deal and gold receding somewhat in
value. As to the obloquy frequently attempted
to be thrown on the Congress of 1873, in con-
nection with the cessation of silver
coinage, there was no reason whatever
in it. because at that time a silver dollar was
worth 8 per cent more than gold dollar. The
depreciation OF silver had been caused not by
that act but partly because Of the demonetiz-
alton of silver in Europe and partly by the in
crease of the silver p production in the world.
SILVER DOLLARS WON'T CIRCULATE.
The United States had been coming silver
dollars at the rate of 1000, 900 q month since
1873 and had tried its best to put
them in circulation. and yet as
result there had been in circulation in Sep
tember. 1889, only $57,374.O00 or $4,6l7. .34s
less than three years before. Mr.. Nor
rill went on to argue against the
proposition to issue legal tender Treasury
notes (in exchange for silver as an
unconstitutional measure. referring to the fact
that Mr.. Chase, as Chief Justice, had 1ike an
other Brutus) sacrificed his own child
(the original legal-tender law) to the
safety of the republic and to the
statement by Charles Sumner (who had gus
tanned that measure) that the extreme medi-
cine Of the constitution should not constitute
its daily food.
CONCLUDING REMARKS.
In conclusion he said that he was not quite
ready (much as he respected and admired the
great ability of the Senators who are pushing
these new and untried theories) to give his con-
sent to them; in defiance Of all the teachings of
Jefferson, Hamilton. Marshall, Story, Benton
and Daniel Webster. It would be a sad day for
the country when the highest authorities on
constitutional questions were no longer needed
HOUSE.
On motion of Mr.. Burrows mich the mo
ton 70 reconsider the vote BY which the