The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-24
IN THE HOUSE.
Another Day of Silver Debate-Thread-
bare Arguments Brought Out Again.

WASHINGTON City, March 23.-The
chances of compromise on the silver
question in the House, by substituting a
bill providing for an international mon
etary congress, is now admitted to be very
slight, and the advocates of such an action
concede clear majority to the free coin
age bill when vote is reached The op-
pouents of the bill at the conclusion of the
debate will move TO recommit the bill to
the coinage committee. This, it is be-
lieved will be the strongest move the bills
opponents can make, as it will receive the
support of many members who will other
wise feel compelled to support the meas
ure. The galleries of the House were
crowded today. Chairman Bland opened
the debate by giving notice that at 2
O'Clock tomorrow he would demand the
previous question on the silver BILL
Pierce OF Tennessee then spoke, favoring
the measure, saying:
In the discussion of the pending measure, if
did not believe that the unlimited coinage OF
silver was for the best interests OF the people OF
the whole country, should not so warmly sup
port the measure. IL is only by going back to
the past upon this question of bimetalisn that
we can properly understand the great question,
for the question of today is whether we shall
have bimetaiism or monometslism. Going
back TO 1916, beginning with the action of the
great nations 1.-THE world upon the question,
we find great, industrious England prosperous
until she struck down silver and discarded it as
one of her coin metals. The voice of labor
then, as now, was unheeded. The result was that
the next three years witnessed period of de-
preston, distress and suffering hitherto un-
known in Great Britain. This is q matter of his
tory and cannot be eontroverted. After the ex-
lf tka
discovery of gold in California and Australia in
1910 and 1880, labor in every commercial nation
was affected by it. the expansion advanced
wages Is per cent
The spirit dominant to-day among finaneiers
and capitalists throughou. the world is thst a
scarcity of money is a thing to be desired. II
has not been many decades since Chevalier. the
French political economist, laughed at the over
production OF gold along in the Sos and thought
it wise TO adopt noDometalism, with silver. not
gold, as the standard. Germany, in 1857 az.
eepted the teachings of Chevalier by demone-
tizing gold and establishing q single silver
standard. Why? simply because they thought
they were going TO have 100 much money IN the
two metals Limitation OF the currency and
scarcity of money was what the fnansiers and
capitalists wanted. Our opponents tell us that
gold must not be molested: that gold ia tn. opIv
sacred metal; that gold is king. What is it that
gave gold the position it occupies? Legislation
and only by legislation this great wrong can he
righted. [ApplaGse,I
Up 70 the time Of the decentralization of silver
in 1873 the silver dollar was never worth Les.
than 100 cents. When denonetized it was AZ
that time at premium of three and one-haIf
Why did they denonetizs il then9 The saTna
spirit of avarice and greed that struck II dovn
in England dominated this country, and silver
was murdered in the interest OF the great bars
ing and financial Interests Of the country, aai
the agricultural and laho ing people from that
time to this have been paying the profits in thei.
sweat and toll. lApplause.l He cited the speech