The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-07
FREE COINAGE ON DECK.
TELLER OPENS THE DEBATE FOR
THE SILVER MEN.

Teller Explains Els Vote to Lay
Aside the Force Bill-The Fact That
it Was Side-tracked for the Tariff
Bill Recalled.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6,-Messrs. Edmunds,
Dixon, Washburn, Hale, German and
Faulkner were the only senators present
this morning when the vice president
called the Senate to order at 10 o'clock.
After the prayer aud before the read ing
of the Journal Mr.. Edmunds rose
and sarcastically suggesting that it was
proper to give the gentlemen who lived in
distant portions of the city an opportunity
to appear and attend to their legislative
duties, moved a recess for thirty minutes
But seventeen senators responded to their
names on Mr.. Edmunds' motion, which,
however, was defeated, and a call of the
Senate was entered upon.
LITTLE MORE SARCASM.
No quorum appearing on the call, Mr..
Edmunds offered and the Senate adopted a
resolution requesting the sergeant-at-arms
to invite the absent members to appear at
their own convenience After lapse Of
three-quarters of an hour quorum ap-
pCakC0s 0uu bue VI yesterday
ceedings was read and approved.
The morning business having been con-
cluded, the Senate resumed consideration of
the financial bill, and was addressed by Mr..
Teller.
For weeks, Mr. Teller said, a bill had been
pending before the Senate, the importaucs;of
which he did not underrate, the benevolent
purpose Of which he did not question;
yet yesterday, with full knowledge of all
the criticism his action would bring,
with full consciousness, however, that he
it, he had voted to lay that bill aside and
take up the present measure. lie knew that
when he did that the slander that had
been perpetrated for the last
eight or ten months would be re-
newed lat least outside of this
chamber-and very near to this chamber)
to the effect that the friends of free coinage
OF silver had entered into an alliance with
the opponents of the elections bill for its de-
feat i'll return for their votes in favor of
free coinage.
sLANDER IGNORED.
During his public life he had never re-
piled to SANDER against him in the public
press, nor in ehis forum, nor anywhere else
He had left his course in life to answer all
attacks upon him. But there were times
in every mans life when the ordinary
course might be departed from with pro-
priety; and there never was a more
unfounded SANDER published than
the statement that there had
been combination between the
republican senators and the senators on the
other side who were opposed to the elections
bill. He understood that he would be SUBJ
ject to criticism. because 1t world be- said
that he was willing to place question Of
dollars and cents above what the friends Of
the election bill were pleased to call the
question of humanity and of the rights of
individuals
THE TARIFF BILLS PRECEDENCE.
Ii the elections bill was such an import
ant question demanding the undivided at
tention of the Senate) on Dec. l, it was an
equally important question last July when
it was laid aside by the friends of the measure
in order that an economic question might
be considered. He did not underrate the
Importance Of the economic question. Pro-
lection Of American manufacturers, Of
American labor, was one Of the tenets Of
the Republican party. Believing, as he
had done, that the question
was one of paramount import
ance, he had voted to lay aside
the elections bill in order to take up the
economic question. He did not wish any
body to take his remarks as an apology for
himself or his colleagues for their action in
voting to take up the financial bill. They
would answer to their constituents, to the
people and to their consciences for their
course.
SHERMAN's SPEECH CRITICISED.
MIR. Teller then proceeded to criticise Mr..
Sherman's speech. which he declared con-
sisted of nothing but an assertion as to what
would follow the passage of the pending
bill, and he declared that Mr.. Sherman's
utterances in regard to the Bland bill had
discredited him as a financial prophet.
Referring to the condition of the Ameri-
can farmers and 8 owing it to be less pros
porous than that of the farmers of Fl ance,
Mr.. Teller said that the farmers If America
had made themselves heard last November.
To his regret, and to the regret of the sena-
tors on his side of the chamber, they bad
been found voting almost unanimously
with the Democratic party. Why? They
were not democrats to>day. They had not
changed their politics, but they had been
dissatisfied with the republican manage
ment of financial affairs And, for one, he
did not wonder at it. He would give heed
to what they said. He had tried. last year,
60 have the Senate listen to their voice. He
knew that they wanted free coinage of S l.
yer, and that they were not afraid of the
advent Of one, two or three hundred millions
of silver any more than be was.
THE PURCHASE PROVISION.
Proceeding TO the discussion of tho section
of the bill providing for the purchase of
twelve millions of silver, Mr.. Teller said
that he washed his hands of any RESPONSE
biiity for that. He was not in sympathy
with the proposition. 1t had come from
New York SPECTATORS and not from the
silver states. The fourth section
the $200.000,000 of per cent bonds
section-he condemned, asserting that
its effect would be that the government
would only receive Sl50,000. 000 for these
5000, ,OCO, 900, by system of bond exchange,
which is provided in the section, and in
stead OF reducing the public debt it would
increase it.
Mr.. Morrill, spoke in favor of the $200-
COO, 900 bond section and against the free
silver coinage proposition.
VEST ARGUES FOR FIRE COINAGE.
Mr.. Vest argued in favor of free coinage
of silver, and replied to Mr.. Morrill's
speech. The senator from Vermont, he
said, mad spoken of the Democratic party
having '1ucid intervals and had said, at
least by implication, that every public man
who favored free coinage was afflicted
with sort of financial lunacy. Between
the two classes, the democrats per SO,
and the citizens of the United States who
favored free silver ooinage-the senators
Gf the senator from Vermont were correcH