St. Paul daily globe., 1891-10-23
These Subjects Engage the
Attention of Debaters
at Omaha.
Free Coinage for the Amer
lean Product Only Is
IndopSed.
Irrigation, Mineral Lands and
River Improvement Not
Neglected.
Interstate Commerce Law Is
Denounced as a Curse to
the West.


Mississippi congress devoted the morn
ing to the discussion of the following:
That W petition the president and congress
OF The United States to once more attempt TO
bring about the international recognition
ana adjustment OF silver as money, and
should this effort fail. that a limited agree
n.ent be sought with the nations OF the Latin
union. whereby the mints of those nations
may again be opened for the coinage OF
silver.
Resolved, That we petition the president
ana congress to continue, If possible. to COM
piete negotiations with the Spanish Amer
lean nations Tor common currency for this
continent south of the Dominion of Canada.
Senator Warren, of Wyoming; Sena
tor Maginnis, of Montana, and Gov.
Fishback spoke in favor of the resolu-
tion, and Hon. A. +. Hopkins, of Oma-
ha, in opposition.
At the opening of the Afternoon ses-
sion it was announced that the next
meeting of the congress would be held
at New Orleans Feb. % to 26, 1892. III
the silver debate Col. Doniphan, of Mis-
souri,, was the first speaker in favor of
free and unlimited coinage. He did
not believe that European countries
would dump all of their silver
upon the United States. Silver was
worth less in the United States than in
Europe. The silver men were simply
working for the recognition of silver as
a product, and not for protection, as
some of the gold men claimed. Dr..
George Miller. of Omaha, spoke for
The 'sEHonest DolIar.''
of Wyoming. who favored the plan of
fa hi iS t,n1i toH
for the products of the mines of the
United States. Mr.. Clark. of Wyoming,
was for the free coinage of the product,
as he thought that was all congress
would at present concede.
Joseph FiShback. of Arkansas, fol-
lowed i'll favor Of absolute free coinage,
and the debate was closed by Col.
Buchanan, of Colorado, Oh the same
line. He declared that bill for
the free coinage OF American silver
would he a bid for smuggling
Free coinage would not be con
ferring gratuity upon anybody. Sill
yer would not be worth any more after
it was coined than before, except that it
would open up more avenues of useful
ness for the silver products. In reply
to question, the speaker said he would
not be in favor of free coinage without
making it a legal tender. Silver did not
need protection. 1t simply demanded
fair recognition.
EsIhe congress then voted upou the sec
ond minority report. which favored the
calling of an international congress for
the purpose of establishing a universal
ratio of gold and silver values and was
opposed to the free and unlimited coin
age of silver All the states voted
against the section excepting MinnesO-
ia 10 Aal..
gates from Nebraska. The vote stood
20 for and 116 against.
The vote upon the first minority re-
port, which favored free and unlimited
coinage OF all silver offered the United
States mint, was then taken. 1t stood
80 for and 95 against. This left the
majority report just as it had been pre-
Senled.
The vote then occurred upon the ma
Jority report favoring free silver coin
age for the American product only. The
vote stood 102 for and 45 against. The
states voting yes upon the majority re-
Missouri, Nebraska, Is votes; New
Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, 10
votes, and Utah. The states voting
against were: Arkansas, California,
Colorado, Louisiana, minnesota, Mon
tana, Nebraska, votes; Texas, l vote.
The report OF the committee urging
upon congress the practicabiiity and
necessity of encouraging the reclaiming
OF arid lands by means of irrigation
was adopted. a resolution calling upon
congress to protect owners of mineral
lands in the states of Arizona, Utah,
New Mexico, California, Colorado, Ne
vada, Wyoming, Oregon, Idaho, Mon
tana and South Dakota against possible
he n 70 Of roiI
grants was then discussed. The reSolu-
ton was adopted. A resolution fav Or
ing the further improvement of the
Mississippi and Missouri rivers was
then read and adopted.
Interstate Commerce.
An interesting debate arose over the
resolution offered by DIR. Miller, of
Nebraska, declaring that the interstate
commerce law was a hindrance to inter
state commerce and should be repealed.
DIR. Miller supported the resolution and
quoted Gen. McNulta, of Chicago, upon
the failure of the law to furnish relief.
He held that the law had proved to be
all obstruction to free commerce. 1t had
operated against the interests of the
Trans Mississippi eenters OF trade and
had been all injury to both the railway
company and the people.
Dr. Miller Inen referred TO the VlSl0n-
ary scheme TO which people resorted
Tor relief. He said that the people of
Nebraska, for instance, had appealed
from God Almighty to the Nebraska
legislature last winter, but the Almighty
got i'll his work this summer by giving
the state magnificent crop, and the
work of the legislature had faded out of
mind. Dr.. Miller then read a letter
from Hon. j. Sterling Morton, in which
the Sage of Arbor Lodge stated that the
interstate commerce law had proved
itself an impracticable and damaging
experiment.
Col. Gage, of California, said that the
Interstate commerce law had benefited
some of the Eastern commercial CEN
ters, but it had been curse to the trans
Mississippi states. The resolution was
laid over until the next meeting of the
congress.
A resolution was then adopted recon-
mending that Omaha be selected by the
national central committees Of the DEM
ocratle and Republican parties as the
place for holding the national conveu-
tions of the two parties in 1892. After
passing some minor resolutions the con-
greSS adjourned sine die.