The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-21
FORCE BILL HISTORY.
TELLER TNLLS OF HIS STAND ON
THR MEAsURB.

He Chsracterizes 1t as the Most In
famous Bill That Ever Passed the
Threshold OF the Doors of the SEN
ate-He Made No Trade for the Sake
of Silver.
WASHINGTON, April 20.-In the course Of
his speech In the Senate to-day Senator Tel
Ter devoted some tune in describing the cir
cumstances that iattend the passage of the
bullion purchase law of 1890 under which
the treasury is now purchasing 4.5OO, 900
ounces OF silver monthly, and
In conclL ding upon that topic
said: THAT brings me to
another question. My attention has been
called recently to some public utterances in
reference to which l desire to make state
ment There came from the House Of Rep
resentatives Of the last congress bill which
has been commonly dubbed the force bill. ;
1t was an election law. l was a member of
the majority Of the committee to which it
was referred. Without my vote that bill
could not have got to the Senate. l con-
sented that it might be reported, but
reserved to myself the right to move and
amend to it and to propose any modifica,
AZ
would not receive my vote. Nearly two
years have since elapsed. l have read that
bill with care and attention more than
twenty times. have read it in the light of
calm consideration, aud | now repeat that,
if it were presented to me now, with the al
Tentative OF party support or party dismis-
sal, l should not vote for the bill.
MOST INFAMOUS OF MEASURES.
"a more Infamous bill, in my judg-
Sha IL -
the doors of the Senate. Avowedly
In the interest of good government,
it was instigated, in my Judgment,
by men whose interest it was TO prevent
free expression OF the will of the voters at
the polls. l have no time now to speak Of
it in detail. was at that time laboring
under disability of voice, which
to say here now that my attitude
on that bill had no relation or connection
directly, remotely or otherwise with the
question of silver. There is not a member
who stood with me On the silver question
who will not bear me out when 1 say that
the statement that we contracted with the
senators on the other side of the chamber
for their support TO the free coinage bill,
on the ground that we would vote against
the force bill, is absolutely untrue and
without the slightest foundation. II that
story had not been repeated Gd 1dtLSednl
would not add what l now add: l only re-
peat what the late distinguished senator
from Kansas (Mr. Plumb did say in this
Senate, that the opponents of silver in this
chamber entered into negotiation Some Of
| them at least with senator's on the other
| side of the chamber, aud proposed 20 them
! that il they would side-track free coinage
| the others would side~track the election bill
| The late lamented senator from Kansas
| made that statement"
THE DEATH OF THE BILL.
Mr.. Teller went on to speak of the tariff
bill which came before the senate while the
election bill was pending aud displaced it.
The election bill had thus, he said. come to
an untimely end, greatly, he thought, to the
satisfaction Of oven the republican senators,
as we'll as OF the American public at large.
Once more he came to the political aspect Of
the question and said: What is to be the
position OF the Republican party at
the next presidential election2 Are
we to have another misleading
plank in the platform that shall mean one
thing on the stump and another in the
executive administration do not anticl-
pate turning my back upon the Republican
party because | do not anticipate that the
Republican party is to be party of the
gold standard. But If the signs OF the times
mean anything; if the efforts that are now
being made TO repeal the aot OF 1890 and TO
leave us without legislation touching silver
mean anything, they meau that there is to
be an effort made at the Minneapolis
convention to place the Republican party
In antagonism to silver.
MAKES COLORADO DOUBTFUL.
"But if anything can be gathered by the
present condition of Colorado, 10 will be
very unsafe for the Republican party to
attempt to put US on a gold platform at
Minneapolis. 1t will be very unsafe for the
Republican party $50 far. at least, as that
state is concerned to go in any way against
our utterauces heretofore on the silver ques-
tion. There has been no congress when the
votes Of n evada and Colorado on this floor
we're not needed to make this body a
republican body. And l want to say now
to this Senate (and l am saying it SO that
1t may reach the American public and may
reach the leaders Of the Republican party,
do not say 1t in the excitement of the hour,
1 say 1t in cool and calm deliberation,
weighing we'll my words, that If the Repub-
lican party stands sor gold standard the
four silver producing states will not here
after be able to actin CO operation with the