Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-01-13
NATIONS CAPITAL.
Senator Allen Addresses Senate
on The Financial Bill.
SanltoR Platt GiTE Ioues Of Callil6 Up
Copyright BID.
House Resumes the Dlscussion on the
Army Appropriation hui.

WAsHixGroS, Jan. l2.-In the Senate,
Frye offered . resolution which was sgreed
to, calling on the secretary OF the treasury
for copies of all the reports by Special
Agent Get and Assistant Special Agent
Murray on the condition of Affairs in the
seal islands Of Alaska.
Dawes offered Q resolution which was
sgreed to, calling on the secretary of the
interior for information concerning the
leases of Indian lands in eeveralty on the
Omaha reservation and the surrender Of its
occupation to the white people.
The Senate at ? O'Clock resumed the con-
alteration Of the finance bill, Allen being
entitled TO the floor.
Plat said at the very frat opportunity
after the finance bill was disposed Of he
would ask the Senate to consider the copy.
right bill.
Paddock gave notice that without regard
to the copyright bill or any other bill be
would At the first opportunity ask the Senate
to take up the pure food bill.
Plat complained that when he gave no.
tice he would move to take up the copy
right bill, the senator from .Nebfaska said
he proposed to take up the pure food bill.
Plumb charged Plat with having shown
q greater interest in the bill to give to 4
clerk in the war department decoration
that was given in only four instances be-
fore Washington, Grant, Sherman. Sheri-
dam than in the copy right bill.
Platt thought Plumb allowed his feelings
(on account of his defeat on the bill in
question: to run away with his judgment.
He (Plait) could not have moved this morn.
ing TO take up the copyright bill. as
motion to reconsider the record bill had
been called Up by the Senator himself
Plumb-You asked me to have the
motion taken up. and now all agreements
are broken in relation to matters hereafter
as to the order of business.
Platt-Atter gave notice that would
move to take up the copyright bill, the
Senator accedsd to the request which I had
made previously to take up the bill, which
has been disguised this morning.
Allen addressed the Senate in advocacy
TO Stewards amendment. The world at
large. he said, had seen fit to adopt, with
few exceptions, TO double the standard gold
and silver, and had through centuries,
built up financial structures upon it, and
the silver today represented about one-half
of the worlds supply of money and half
its value, or about 50 600, 900, ,000, ,OO0. If
silver was robbed of its money function
and converted into mere commodity it would
become practically worthless; half value of
Of the worlds assets would be extracted,
transferred to and swallowed up in the re-
mainining metal in order to double it's
monetary power. Not ,single reason, he
asserted, could be advanced for striking
down or discriminating against silver that
would be equally applicable to gold, IL 1t
had received like arbitrary and unlawful
treatment in the last 20 or 80 years at the
hands of governments, combinations of
capitalists and owners of credits. He be- |
lieved that the full restoration of silver
ought to come, and inevitably must come.
Until it did come the intervening period
would be ore of fluctuations and disturb
ances in business, Industrial and property
of the world. .
Berry said he would vote for Stewards
amendment, with the understanding that it |
provided for free coinage of silver and
placed silver Gin all respects in regard to |
the right Of coinage ard the right to be
used as money! on equality with gold at a
rate fixed by law. One of the strongest
reasons thst induced him to support the
amendment was in the hope and belief Of
the free coinage of silver that would ena-
BILE the mor,gsged cursed people of the
South and West to discharge their obiiga- |
tons and rid homes from mortgages that
weighed them down with less labor, less
toll and q much smaller amount of cotton,
wheat and corn than would now require
He would not vote for the section provid- |
ing for the issue of additional bonds, the
purpose of which was to continue the ex-
isteDce of the national banks. He believed
the national banks had been a curse to the
country, and the sooner they disappeared
the better. If any system could be devised
by which legal tender treasury notes could
be substituted for national bank notes,
he would gladly vote for it. The
issue Of free coinage silver. Berry
continued, was here to stay. 1t
it PASSED the Senate. and the Speaker
throttled it in the House "a, alleged he
would it would only delay it until next
session, when he had not doubt but it
would pass both houses. If the President
should veto the bill, the people would elect
President in 1892 who would not veto it.
No man could as he believed, be elected
President by either party who would not
plant himself squarely on q platform in
favor Of free coinage of silver. Cockreil
made an argument in favor Of the amend
ment which was simply, he said, p,opo-
sition for free coinage of silver, snd for re-
storation Of silver to all monetary functions
The beneficiaries Of the single gold stand
were the wealthy classes, those living on
fixed incomes, who had money invested in
national, State, municipal and other securi-
ties. The persons inju by the adoption
of the single gold standsrd, which appreci-
ated the purchasing power Of money and
deprecated the property of all others,
we're the toiling millions of producers of
the worlds products.
Allison TOOK the floor and the bill was
laid aside.
After 3 short executive session the Sem
ate 6 10 o'clock adjourned.