The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-01-06
YESTERDAYS BATTLE IN THE SENATE.
Tactics Which Brought silver UP
and Put Elections Down.
Mr.. Hoar's Efforts Useless With
Harris In the Chair.
The silver Amendment Roughly
Handled by Senator Sherman.

WASHINGTON, January When the elec-
tions bill came up in the Senate today. Mr..
George resumed the floor 10 continue the
speech commenced by him last Wednesday.
Mr.. Stewart moved 10 take up the Senate
bill to provide against the contraction Of the
currency. MIR. George said he would yield
for that motion.
Mr.. Hoar appeared taken by surprise and
asked Mr. George whether that Senator had
abandoned the floor.
Mr.. George said he did not intend to do
that but merely yielded to have a motion
made. He could claim the floor. he said, If
the motion did not prevail. While Mr..
George was saying this, he was being
prompted and encouraged by the Democratic
Senators In his neighb0rhOOd.
Mr.. Hoar-"I wish TO submit to the Sena-
tor from Mississippi whether, In his judg-
ment. after the arrangement we have
made -"
Mr.. Gorman-"I make the point Of order
that the question is not debatable."
The presiding officer Mr.. Harrisl III
formed Mr.. Hoar that the question he sug-
gested was not now presented. When IL
was presented, the chair would deal with 1t.
He meant as TO the right OF the Senator from
Mississippi to occupy the floor at another
Mr. Hoar-"That Is not the question /
was suggesting. | was asking the Senator
from MISSISSIPPI whether -
Mr.. German insisted on his point OF order
that on motion to proceed to the cOnsidera-
tion of a bill, debate was not In order.
Mr.. HOar-"DO understand that the SEN
ator from Mississippi considers himself at
liberty to yield to this motion after the ar
rangement between him and me%
Mr.. George-"What was that7"
W. AZ ha -
order"
The presiding offcer-"The point of order
Is well taken."
Mr.. George-'I ask unanimous consent to
make an inquiry of the Senator from Massa-
Several Democratic senators-"Ob, no;
object"
The presiding officer-"rhe chair will en-
tertaiD no proposition that amounts to, or
tends to. debate. The question is: VIII the
Senate proceed to the consideration of the
bill to provide against the contraction of the
currency ?"
The vote was taken by yeas and nays and
the motion agreed to as follows:
Yeas-Bate, Berry, Blackburn. Butler. Call,
Carlisle, Cockrel, Coke, Daniel, Eustis, Faulkner,
Gibson, G rman, Gray, Ha ris, Jones Of Arssn.
sas, Jones OF Nevada, Kenna. Nc onnell, Nor
gan; Pasco. Pugh: Ransom. Reagan. shoup, stan
washburn. Wilson Of Maryland, Wolcott-s4
Nays-Aldrich, Allen. Allison Cameron, Casey,
Gu % %iom, DAVIS, Dixon Dolph, Edmunds, Eyarts,
son, Mitchell, Mo rill, rlatt, Plumb. Power.
Quay, sanders, Sawyer, Sherman, Spooner, stock.
bridge, Wilson OF Iowa-29.
The announcement OF the result was re-
ceived with indications of surprise aud dis
appointment on the Republican side and
with no corresponding signs Of undue ela-
tton on the Democratic side. The financial bill
was read by the clerk and Mr.. Stewart
moved to amend by adding the following:
TI,N.
for the operations OF the mint. may deposit the
me IN amounts OF value not less than one hun
dred dollars, at ans mint of the UniIed states 10
be formed into standard dollars or bars for his
beneht without charge: At said owners optio !,
be may receive therefor an equivalent Of such
som ara dosrs n treasury notes. OF the same
qualities as the notes p divided for by the act ap-
proved July IL, lS9 and entitled can act direct
lug the purchase OF silver bullion ana the issue of
treasury notes thereon aud for other purposes"
and alt such treasury notes issued under the pro-
vi ions Of this act shall be legal tendec for their
nominal amount IN payment Uf all debts, public
aud private. and sha | be receivable for customs
taxes and all public dues, and when so received
may be reissued in the me manner and to the
same extent as other treasury notes.
Mr.. Stewart said that his amendment
would remOnetize silver and place 1t where
it had been before excluded from the mints
OF the United States and Europe.
n Mr.. Sherman said this sudden and upex.
pected change obscene and the introduction
of new topic of d, bate should not allow the
evolutionary measure now proposed Mr.
Stewarts amendme1tl to pass without the
serious and sober attention of every Sena-
tor. The fact that there had been an unex-
pected detection In the Republican party
would not relieve the minority of this body
from its responsibility IL 1t supported that
measure. He appealed to the sober sense of
responsibility on the Democratic side against
the measure, which he regarded as revolu-
ti0nary and dangerous, and the effect of
which, II 1t should become law, would be
more destructive than any measure proposed
Tor years. The amendment offered by the
Sena tor from Nevada would change entirely
the whole basis of valuation Of all property
In the United StaLes, would demonetize half
the money of the country 0he gold) and
would degrade the other half (the silver) to a
low level. Its effect would be to diminish
the volume of circulation. The very me-
ment such measure becomes law the
unit OF value wonld be 81 grains Of silver
bullion. Ii the friends of silver had only pa
tlence and would wait until the element of
tine acted on the silver law of last session
the policy of the United States and French
governments, toRether with Il use of silver
In the South American states, would lit
up silver again to- gold
standard and that would give them gold val
ue for their silver. If they now rejected the
gold standard aud set up silver standard
alone, the result would be that the market
value Of silver would 20 lower and lower.
surprise. He did not think the people Of
the United States desired to have this mat
ter treated as an immaterial question. II
the ordinary course of business had been
allowed tn deal with the mass Of silver aud
have 4,500,000 ounces of silver purchased
monthly, the price would have slowly en-
HANGED until, In a few years, it might have
reached gold. But speculation had entered
into 1t and an undue advance in the price of
silver forced by combination until 1t had
a. nd
silver came upon tue market, suddenly the
price had fallen to 100. showing that
the rise and fall had not taken place
In the natural course of business
but as the effect of a struggle between bulls
and bears. IRE amendment offered by the
Senator from Nevada was measure, In his
own judgment, that would put the country
back TO precisely where 1t had been before
the Ie'umptIon of spe lie payment.
The Senate adjourned at $40, Mr.. Teller
having the floor.
Mr.. Mcconnell Sworn In.