The advocate., 1892-04-06

it9 passage &B IL was ~ "@o
true there was dOleful sound came up from the
caverns OF the bullion brokers and the saloons
OF the associated banks. Their cashiers and
rents were soon on the ground, and persuaded
the Senate, with but little delibeTatiOn, to
maDgle and destroy what It had cost the House
months to digest, consider and pass They fell
upon the bill in hot haste, and so dlsGgured and
dtformed 1t that Its very father would not know
It. Instead Of being beneficial measure, 1t Is
now positively mlschieVOuS. 1t has all the bad
qualities which ItS enemies charged on the
original bill, and none Of its benefits It now
creates money and by fts very terms dec ares II
deprecidtGd currency. IL makes VEO classes
Of m0ney-One for the banks and the brokers' and
one for the people. 1t discriminateS between
the rights Of different classes Of creditors, allow
Ing the rich capitalists to demand gold, and
compelling the ordinary lender OF money on In
dlvidual security to receive notes which the gov
ernment had rurpOSely deprecated.
But now comes the main clause. All classes
Of people shall take these notes at par for every
article Of trade or commerce, unless they have
money enough to buy United States bonds, and
then they shall be paid In gold. Who is that
favored class? The banks and brokers and no
body else. They have already $25,OOOOOO Of
state debt, ana their commissioners would soon
take all the rest that might be issued. But how
Is this gold to be raised? The duties and the
public lands are to be paid for In United States
notes, and they or bonds are to be
put up at auction to get coin for
these very brokers who would furnish
the coin to pay themselves by getting 20 per
cent. discount on the notes thus bought.
The second exception, providing
for the payment Of duties on inn
ports In gold, was added by the
House in order to relieve the gov
ernment Of the necessity Of "going
into the street every six months to
sell bonds at the market. price" to Sc
cure gold with which to pay this in
terest. This amendment simply
shifted the difficulty to the importer
of foreign goods, and compelled him
to sell greenbscks "at the market
price" for gold with which to pay
duties" and Of course the premium
paid for gold was added to the cost
of the goods and became an addition
al burden to the people who were not
included in the benefcisries Of the
exception clause, but were compelled
to receive the purp0sely deprecated
paper currency Of the government.
Mr.. Stevens continued:
have proposed an amendment to the Senate
amendment upon the principle Of legitimate par
llamentary rules, that you may make as pala
table az you can-an amendment which you dc
not like-befOre the vote is taken upon It. MY
amendment Is offered for the purpose Of curing
Q little the evils and hardships OF the Origina
amendment OF the Senate. And though 1t ma!
be adopted, shall vote against the whole al
amended. My amendment Is to except from tht
operation OF the legal-tender clause the Officers
} and soldiers Of the army and navy and those wht
supply them with provisions, and thus put then
: on the same footing with the government credit
Ors who hold the bonds. l hope they viii no
be thought less merit0rious than the none.
changers. l trust It win be adopted aS al
amendment to tha Senate amendment, so that
this perniClOus system is to be adopted, Il tn
beauty Of the original bill is to be impaired
those who are lighting our battles, and the wild
ows and children Of those who are lying In thei
graves in every part Of the country, killed in de
tense OF the government, may be placed upon nj
worse footing than those who hold the bends o
the government and the coin Of the country.
But the soldiers and sailors and thu
widows and orphans of those who
} were slain were not to be thus placet
nnon an onnalikv with the monay