The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-15
Republicans Largely Opposed 10 Silver, M
the Vote Shows-TIie Election 1911
Comes Up.


III the great north, that it WAS doubtful TO
his mind, whether for a half century there
had been presidential election in this
country that expressed the deliberate and
intelligent Judgment of the whole body of
the American people. The election
bill tended to deal with one part of
this great evil to which he alluded.
but II was an imperfect impartial
and incomplete remedy. Violence is bad,
but fraud is no better. and it was more
dangerous because 1t was more insidious,
There could be no safety and no stable and
pernanent peace in this country and under
this government until it was just az safe
for black republican to vote in Mississippi
as it was for white democrat to vote in
Kansas. The second evil to which he had
adverted was the tyrrany Of combined, con-
centrAted, centralized, constituencies and
incorporated capital-and the people were
considering that great problem. At the
beginning Of the second century the Ameri-
can people had become profoundly con-
vinccd that the ballot was not the panacea
for the evils of society; that it has not
abolished poverty nor diminished injustice;
they had discovered that political equality
did not result in social fraternity; that un-
der democracy the concentration of greater
power in fewer hands WAS more possible
than under monarchy. Geo. Washington,
the first president of the republic, had when
he died in 1883 the largest private fortune
in the United States. All his belongings
reached the sum total of between
5000 CQD, and $500, 900. That was less than a
d.- L u
wealth and numbers in the United States
has had no precedent in the building up of
nations. The people of the United States
now perform one-third of the worlds min
ing, one-fourth of its manufacturing; one
fifth of its farming, and possesses one
sixth of it's accumulated wealth.
He had read in the morning papers Sher.
mans speech, considerable part of which
was devoted to the defense of millionaires.
The people had suddenly awakened to a
conception of the fact that the bulk of the
property of the country WAS passing into
the hands of those the senator from Ohio
called by euphemism the peculators of the
country. These men had no politics but
plumber, and no principle but the spoilation
of the human race. 1t was no wonder that
the laboring and agricultural classes of this
country had at last awakened, and the spec
ulators must take warning.
Referring to the late election he said it
was neither republican defeat nor dem
cratic victory. It was great uprising, in
dependent of, and superior to, both politi
cal parties. 1t was a crisis that might
become a catastrophe. He attributed the
depression of the country i'll great meas
ure to the demonstration act of 1873. He
had not the slightest doubt that the great
majority of the people, irrespective of
party. we're in favor of free coinage of sill
yer and had been for the past fifteen years.
Warnings and admonltions were plenty in
this debate, but he would say to those who
were arraying themselves against the delib-
erately expressed Judgment of the Ameri-
can people, that there would come Il time
when the people would not oe trifed with
on this subject and the political power of
the nation transferred from circumference
to center, and the people of that center
unanimously demanding free coinage of
SILVER 1t was for that reason that he
should cordially support the amendment OF
the senator from Nevada. Ingalls, spoke
for little oyer two hours. AS he took his
seat he was heartily applauded as we'll from
the floor as from the densely crowded gal
leres.
Jones, of Nevada, next addressed the SEN
ate i'll favor of Stewards amendment. The
senator's might RS well make up their
minds that the time was fast approaching
when the question of the world would be
what is the money of the United States?'
and when the effort of the world would be
to obtain some of that money wherewith to
nav the United States for the balance of
trade which they would owe us. II believe
it to be tue privilege and destiny of this
republic to solve the great problem of II
perfect money, the riddle which the sphinx
of civilization is forever putting to nations.
As in the case of the enigmas of old, failure
to solve the enigma means to bo de-
stroyed."
Debate then continued under the three
minute rule. German offered as an amend
ment to the proposition presented by Sher-
| man on the 18th inst, providing for the I'M
position of coinage charge on foreign
silver. After debate German withdrew the
amendment for the present. Sherman
offered an amendment adding to the words
making treasury certificates legal tender,
the words except where otherwise express
ly stipulated in the contrast" He subse-
quently withdrew the amendment. Finally
discussion on Stewards amendment closed,
and the senate proceeded to vote on it. 1t
was agreed to. yeas forty.two, nays thirty,
as follows