, 1891-01-07
SILVER SPEECHES.
Teller's Strong Talk for the
Free Coinage Of Silver.
He Has No Sympathy With
White Metal Spectators.
Morrill, Thinks the Silver Men
Want Too Much.


bill was taken up and Teller spoke in
favor of it. He said be supposed tie
ISLANDERS that bad been perpetrated Tor
the last eight or ten months would be re-
newed, (at least outside of this chamberl
to the effect that the frien6s of the free
coinage OF silver had entered into. an al
lance with the opponents OF the elections
bill for its defeat, in return for their
votes in favor Of free coinage. There
never was a more uufounded lander pub
hshed than this. Teller proceeded to
c~ritiuise Sherman's speech, which he de
clared consisted of nothing but the asser
ton as to what would follow the passage
of the pendiug bill. The senator from
Ohio had declared that the country was
on a gold basis. The senator had at
tempted to put the country on that basis,
but had beeL unable TO do so. The sens
tor had the wonderful faculty of being on
all sides OF all financial questions. he
ferriuR t. the condition OF the American
farmers, aud shO wing 1t to be les pros
porous than that OF the farmers OF France.
Teller said the farmers OF America
made the times thus hard last November,
TO his regret and the regret OF the sen
ators on his side OF the chamber. They
had been found voting, almost unanl-
mously. with the Democratic party.
Why? They had not changed their poll
tics But they had been dissatisfied with
the Republican management of financial
Affairs, an tor me. he did not wonder at
1t He had tried last year to have the
senat. list "a to their voice. He knew
they waited fr e coinage Of silver. Pro-
ceediug 10 dlrcuss the section oi the bill
providing Tor the purchase of $40. DOC. 900
worth of silver. Teller said he washed his
hands of any responsibility for that. He
had no interest or SYMPATHY with the men
who sprculited ia silver. He denied any
knowledge of the alleged silver pool The
pending bill was not brought forward in
the interest," ut the silver states. Ii the
twelve millipns of silver we're in
the hands of the miners of Colo
RADIO there would not have been
any anxiety to buy il up bur It was in the
hands OF th- political and financial circles
in New York, and thar was the reason
why there was so much anxiety about il
in cerfain quarters The prup, sition had
come irum New York and not from the
silver states. They were Indifferent about
it, and they were Indifferent to the price
of silver as a single question. They had
some INT rest. of cour-e. in putting up the
price of gold or any other commodity
which they produced. but their great in
terest in the QUESTION was that silver
should BE- used a monty
He opposed the fourth section OF the
bill. which provides for the issue of
500, 000. 900 in 2 per cent bonds. 1t
was. Teller asserted, in the interest OF two
classes only-the silv.r spectators of
New York an1 the bankers OF the cOun-
try. II abs lutely ignored the people of
the United States aud their demands for
more money He alluded to the silver
act of the lasl session as a mere make
shit, and 5 I'd there was but one sure
method, and thai was the free coinage oil
silver.
Sherman said he would at some future
time reply TO SOME of reller's observations,
but he did not care TO do so now.
Morrill, then addressed the senate. In
view Of the late financial panic in New
York, aud of thu rather popular demand
for some Increase OF the currency. he had
been willing TO stretch a point in order to
keep It p with the senators from Colorado
and Nevada. But the appetite grew by
what it fed upon. IL had not been
enough to assent, without a whimper, to
the purchase of $l2,0O0,0u0 worth of
foreign silver, supIo se 4 to be In the hands
OF speculators; nor to assent TO the pro-
vision for the issue of treasury notes to
the extent of $lSO,000, 900 to purchase
silver bullion; but it vas proposed when
eyer the market price of silver bull
ion should be 81 or over for 1921
grains of pure silver that the purchase OF
silver should cease aud that the free coin
age OF silver should take place, and yet
IL. ..--n s.w.l ~ nl-,-
promised. Morrill, said, no f~inality. bur
were to stretch ont to the crack OF
DOOM He was, and ever had been,
sincerely and heartily disposed 10 support
auv far and reasonable measure tending
to advance the market value of silver, but
it appeared t. him hat bi4 silver friends
were asking too much. aud lie had to halt
before ~plunginR into the shorcless and
~bottomless sea. Que of the mort potent
instrumentalities in the march of c%iviliza-
ton was an honest and unalterable stand
ard of money.
Vest argued in favor of the free coin
age of silver. He replied to Morrill,, and
in the course Of his remarks. alluded to
the statement that he had received a let
ter from ex-President Cleveland recautlng
some of his views on the silver question,
as not having the slightest foundation.
All that he (Vest) had ever sail was that
he had reason to b leve Cleveland had.
after further examination. modified. to
some extent his opinion in regard to the
free coinage Of silver AS t. the alleged
combination bttween the Democratic sen
ators and the silver senators, he denied
its existence.
At the close uf Vests remarks. the
senate went into executive session and
soon adjourned