St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-07
Mr. Teller Places Dollars and
Cents High Above Mere
Sentiment.
He Believes the Man and the
Hour Demand Financial
Legislation.
Senator Vest Defends Grover
Cleveland Against Repub-
lican Charges.
President Harrison Inclined
to Hedge on the Forsythe
Removal.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-But seven SEN
ators were present at 10 O'Clock, when
the vice president called the senate to
order, and resolution was adopted re-
quesIing the sergeant-at-arms to invite
the absent members to appear at
their own convenience. After the lapse
of three-quarters of an hour quorum
appeared. Morning business having
been concluded, the senate resumed the
consideration of the financial bill, and
was addressed by Mr.. Teller.
For weeks, he said. bill had been
pending before the senate, the import
ance of which he did not underrate, the
benevolent purpose of which he did not
question; yesterday, with full knowl-
edge of all the criticism his action
would bring, with full CONSCIOUSNESS,
however, that he was in the discharge
of his duty. as he saw it, he had voted
to lay that bill aside and take up the
present measure.
He knew when he did that that the
ISLANDERS that had been perpetrated for
the last eight or ten months would be
renewed, (at least outside of this
chamber, and very near to this cham
ber) 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 defeat. In return
for their votes in favor OF free coinage.
SANDER published than this. He under
stood that he would be subject to crti-
ciSm because it would be said that he
WA vIIlipU f0 nlpoQ OJ1Qcfinn Of
Dollars and Gents
above what the friends of the elections
bill were pleased to call question of
humanity and Of the rights or individu-
ais. Mr.. Teller then proceeded to criti-
ciZe Mr.. Sherman's speech, which he
declared consisted of nothing but asser-
tion as to what would follow the pas
sage of the pending bill. The senator
from Ohio had occupied high financial
positions in this country. In certain
sections of the country, where the al
mighty dollar was all powerful, and
where the grossest ignorance existed
upon financial questions, save upon
questions of discount and exchange,
he was financial oracle. There
fore the utterances of the gentleman
fell upon the country with great
weight, not because there was any
thing in his statements or his as
sertions. but because of the accidental
positions he had heretofore occupied
and the reputation he had heretofore
made. The prophecies of the senator
when the Bland bill was under cOnSid-
Grafton had been unfnlfilled; yet the
senator said now, ex cathedra, that it
free silver coinage were adopted, gold
would become commodity, and that
half of the money in the United States
would be wiped out. How did the sem
ator show this, save by simple declara-
ton? The senator had declared that
the country was on gold basis. The
senator had attempted to put the c0un-
try on that basis, but had been unable
to do so. The special pleadings, the
Misrepresentation, the threats Of
Dire Calamity,
had not been sufficient to frighten the
representatives of the people into put
ting the country on gold basis. The
senator had a wonderful facility of be-
ing on all sides of all financial questions.
Referring to the condition of American
farmers, and showing it to be less
prosperous than that of the farmers of
France, Mr.. Teller said that the farm
ers of America bad made themselves
heard last November-tO his regret and
the regret of the senators on his side of
the chamber. They had been found
voting almost unanimously with the
Democratic party. Why? They were
not Democrats to-day. They had not
been dissatisfied with the Republican
management 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 TO have the senate
listen to their voice. He knew that
they wanted free coinage of silver, and
that they were not afraid of the advent
of one, two OF three hundred millions of
silver any more than he was.
IorrifI,s. .MOnologue.
Mr.. Morrill, then addressed the sem
ate. In view of the late financial panic
In New York, and OF rather popular
for some increase Of the cur
point IN order to keep step with the
senators from Colorado and Nevada.
But appetite grew by what it fed upon.
Even some Democratic candidates for
the presidency had "pulled down their
VESTS" and were said to admit some
thing of a progressive appetite. 1t had
not been enough to assent, without
whimper to the purchase of $l2.000,000
worth OF foreign silver, supposed to be
in the hands of speculators; nor to as
sent to the provision for the issue of
treasury notes to the extent of
$3.50, 100000 to purchase silver bull
ion; but it was proposed when
ever the market price of silver
bullion should be dollar or over for
37114 grains OF pure silver that the pur-
chase of silver should cease and that
free coinage of silver should take place.
And yet all these propositions, tipped
with silver, promised (Mr. Morrill, said)
no fnality, but were to 'stretch out to
the crack of DOOM" He was, and ever
had been sincerely and heartily dis.
posed to support any fair and reasona-
market value of silver; but it appeared
TO him that his silver friends were ask
ing too much, and he had to halt before
plunging into ShoreleSs and bottom
less sea.
Cleveland Defended.
Mr.. Vest argued in favor of the free
coinage of silver, and replied to MIR.
Morril's speech. The senator from
Democratic party having '.lucid inter.
svals," and he said, at least by implica-
stion, that every public man who favored
free coinage was afflicted with sort of
financial lunacy. Between the two
sclasses-the Democrats per Sc and the
citizens of the United States who favor
ed free silver coinage-senators Gf the
senator from Vermont were correct
were living in very large lunatic asy-
lum, because the last election had de-
yeloped the fact that the entire face Of
the country was covered with Demo-
Gratis and free coinage people. Mr..