The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-07
ARGUING FOR FREE SILVER.
Senator Teller Holds Hfirror
to the Republicans.
hc Tells Thorn That They are Not ss
Accord With the Popular wiu-Fae
Silver Bullion Purchase Clause Con-
demned-senator Vest Denies Rcspo,r-
sibiiity for Reports that Cicvelnnd.s
Views are Changed

-
In obtaining quorum. At the opening
but fvo Senators were present. In an
hour quorum appeared and Senator
Teller opened the discussion of the
financial bill. He denied collision with
tho Democrats against the force bill
and in favor os free coinage.
There mover was more unfoundsd
Islander than the statement tina. there
had been combination between Re-
publican Senators and Senators on the
other sido who we're opposed to tho
elections bill. He understood that he
would be subject to criticism, because
1T would be said that he was willing to-
place thc question Of dollars and cents
above what the fric ads OF the elections
bill were pleased to call q question of
humanity and of the rights OF indiyid-
uals. II tho elections bill was suoh an
Important question demanding the in
dividuai attention OF the Senate) on the,
LIST of December. it was an equally i'm
portah. question last July, When it was.
laid aside by the friends OF tho measure
in order That the economic question
might be considered.
lie proceeded to criticize itr. Hher-
mans speech. which he declared con-
sisted of nothing bat an assertion as to
what would follow tho passago OF tho
pending bill, aud no declared that Mr.
Sherman.s uttcranccs in regard to the
Bland bill had diSccodited him as a fin
anciai prophet. Ecferring to the ocndi-
tiun OF American farmers, and showing
1T 10 be less prosperous than that OF tho
Farmers OF Franco, MIR. Teller said that
the farmers OF America had made them
selves heard last November to his regret
aud 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 today. They had
not changed their politics. Rus they
had been dissatisfied with tho Rcpub-
lean management OF financial affairs
and, Ton one, he did not wonder ut it.
lie would give heed to what they said
| lie had tried last year TO have the
Sanata iistcn 10 their voice. Iio knew
that they wanted free coinage OF silver.
| ana that they were not afraid of the
| advent Of one. two OF three hundred
millions OF silver dollars any more than
he waA.
Proceeding to tho discussion OF the
section OF the bill providing for the pur--
chase Of twelve million ounces OF silver,
mr.. Teller said that he washed his.
hands of aay responsibility FOR that
lie was not N sympathy with the nropo-
sition. 1t had come from New York
spccuiatora and not from tho silver
States.
The fourth section the two hundred
million dollars ut Two per cent. bonds.
SHction-hc condemned, asserting that
It's etlcct would hc ;tat the Government
would only receive ono hundred and
al al Ia. F.. . No..
Ircd millions by the system OF bond
exchange which is provided in the seq
lois, and instead Of reducing tho public
deb, IL would increase it,
Mr. Morrill, spoke in favor of the
two hundred million dollar bond sec
ton and against FREQ silver. Mr. Vest
argued in favor Of free coinage OF silver,
and replied u Mr.. Morrill's speech The
senator from Vermont, no said. had
spoken OF the Democratic party as hay-
ing lucid intervals" and had said, at
least by implication. that every public
man who favored FREQ coinage was az
Nicted with that sort OF financial lu-
macy. Iictwocn the TWO classes Damo-
crat per 81 and citizens of the United
States who favored free silver coinawn-
the Senators III the Senator from Yer
| mont WAS corrccD were living in very
large lunatic asylum, because tho last
election had developed the fact that
the entire face OF the country was Gov
cred with Democrats and with free
coinage people.
MIR. Vest went on to alludo to tho
statement that he had received q letter
from eN-Prcsidcnt Cleveland recanting
sniuo OF his views on the silver q question,
aud said that that WAS more iigment
of imagination, coming from some
newspaper source and that il had not
the slightest foundation. IIo had never
had I letter from Mr.. Cleveland on the
silver question and had never had more
than one conversation with him on that
subject. All that he (Vest) had ever
said was that he had reason to believe
t:;ut Cleveland had, after further exam
imatlan, modified to somo extent his
opini, n in regard to FREQ coinage OF
silver, but that he had said that Mr..
Cleveland had taken back all that ho
ever stated on that subject was abso-
lntely without foundation. AS to tho
alleged CO mbination between two Demo
! cratic Senators and silver Senators, he
denied It's existence.
The statement that thore had been
any agreement or any understanding to
take up ono bin in order to defeas an
other was absolutely false. lie had
| been always in favor Of FREQ coinage OF
silver, and he had como to tho conolu-
! sion that the time had arrived when tho
election bin, simply and purely q par
tisan measure, should be laid aside in
order that the general demand for finan-
cial legislation to relieve the people
should DO met. AT tho close o: Mr..
Vests remarks tho Senate went into
| executive session, and when the doors
were reopcned it adjourned.
|