, 1891-01-06
THE FORCE BILL FIRED
Senators Decide to Consider the
Financial Measure.
Eight Republicans Vote With
the Democrats.
Sherman DenOunces Stewards
Amendment.



WASHINGTON, Jan. 5.-The election
bill was taken up, George resumiug the
floor to continue his speech commenced
last Wednesday.
Stewart moved to take up the senate
bill to provide against contracting the cur.
rency.
George said he would yield for that mo
ton.
Hoar appeared surprised and asked
George whether he abandoned the floor.
George said he merely yielded to have
the motion made.
Hoar tried to say somt thing more, but
German insisted that the question was not
debatable.
Hoar persisted. but German seemed
resolved to allow no discussion of the sub
iect and insisted on his point of order
that on motion TO proceed to the oonsid-
GRAFTON OF a bill debate is not in order.
HORDE L understand that the sena
tor from Mississippi considers himself at
liberty to yield to this motion after the ar
rangement between him and me?
Geor0e-Wh hat was that2
Gormau-I insist upon the mint of or
der.
The presiding officer MIR Harris)-
The point is well taken.
George-I ask unanimous consent tn
make an inquiry of the senator from Mass
achusetts.
Several Democrat tic senators objected,
The Presiding Oficer-The chair will
entertain no proposition that amounts to
or tends to debate. The question is, will
the senate proceed to the consideration OF
the bill to provide against a contraction OF
the currency.
The vote was taken by yeas and nays,
and the motion agreed to-yess 81. nays
%. Jones Of Nevada. Mcconnell, Shoup.
stanford. Stewart, Teller, Washburn and
Wolcott voted yea with the Democrats.
The announcement of the result was re-
ceived with indications of surprise and dis
appointment on the Republican side Of the
chamber. The elections bill having been
thus displaced and the financial bill taken
up. the latter was read by the clerk, and
Stewart moved to amend 1t by adding his
free coinage provision. He argued in
support of the amendment, which, be
SAID, would remonetize silver and place it
back where 1t had been before it was ex
cluded from the minis Of the United
States and Europe.
Sherman said the sudden and unex-
pected change of scene and the introduce
ton OF a new topic of debate should not
allow the revolutionary measure now pro
posed (Stewart's amendment 10 pass
without the serious and sober attention of
every senator. The fact that there had
been an unexpected detection from the
nepuoiivaa eersg could not. relieve the
minority of this body from its responsi-
bility if it supported that measure. He
appealed to the sober sense of RESPONSE
bllity on the Democratic side of the
chamber against the measure, which he
REGARDED as revolutionary and dangerous,
and the effect of which Of it should be-
come a law, would be more destructive
than that of I'M measure proposed for
years. If the friends of silver had only
patience and would wait until tho element
session, the policy of the United
government, together with the use
of silver in the South American
states. would lift up silver again to the
gold standard, and that would give them
a gold value for their silver. Sherman
wen on 10 say hat the silver act of the
last session, ~suspending the coinage OF
silver dollars, tended constantly to advance
the price OF silver bullion, and he had no
doubt that if speculation had not entered
the arena, and if the ordinary course OF
business had been allowed to deal with
the mass of silver and to have 4,5U0, 600
ounces oil silver purchased monthly, the
price would have been slowly enhanced
until. in a few years, it might have
reached gold. But speculation entered
and the advance in the price of silver had
been forced by the combination until il
had gone up to ITO, and then, as more
and more silver came upon the market,
suddenly the rrice had fallen to 100,
showing that the rise and fall had no
taken place in the natural course o.
business, but as the effect of {
struggle between the bulls and bears. II,
s%ympathized with the views of the presi
dent and Of the secretary of the treasury
INT the general feeling OF the Republican
senators that the best measure of relic.
would be the purchase of the IL. 900, COX
ounces of silver on the market. and TIE
first section OF the bill had made provision
for that. The finance committee pro
posed to take off that load from the silver
market and put it up at its market pric,
and Their let the law Of the last session
take its course.
Stewart replied to Sherman argumcn.
and insisted that it was not the silve,
man, but the gold ring that had tam
pered with the standard in demonetizinl
silver.
Reagan also advocated Stewards amend
ment, Adjourned.