Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-03-24
SILENCE is GOLDEN,
But It's Not Gold They're After Now,
They Want Silver,
so THEY TALK AND TALK;
But It Don't Amount 70 Much Either Way Yet.
Prospects Of a Vote Being Reached on ths
Bland Silver Bin-SOms Of the Things
that Were Said Yesterday.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., March 23.-The
silver debate in the House OF Represen-
tatives to-day showed an Intensity OF
public interest I'm that great question
which now faces the Fiity-secOnd Con-
greSs for solution, AMI threatens 10 be-
come political issue in the PreSiden-
tial campaign Of the autumn. The
speeches were all Of a strongly positive
character They were the arguments
Of men who have stern convictions upon
the sides which they respectively repre-
sent and who are unCOmpromising In
their declarations Of the policy which
should be pursued.
The galleries were crowded when the
Speaker raped the House TO order at
noon to-day, aud there was no abate-
ment from the interest exhibited az the
opening hour Of the debate yesterday.
The Hobbies OF the House, too, were
well crowded with eX-memberS and
Senators attracted by the great interest
of the occasion, and on a sofa In the
rear Of the hall was seated Hon. A. j..
Warner, we'll known as one OF the
fathers Of the free coinage movement,
and during the day the herculean ex-
member held frequent consultations
with Representatives Bland and Pierce
and other active leaders in the cause OF
free silver.
II desire to give notice." said Chair
man Bland, al the opening Of the de-
bate. s,aud . o'clock tomorrow / shall
demand the previous question on the
silver bill and pending amendments.
The first speaker OF the day was
Representative Pierce, OF Tennessee,
the able young lieutenant OF Chairman
Bland.
In a discussion Of the pending measure,
said MIR. Pierce, II did not believe that
tina free and unlimited coinage Of silver
was for the best interests of the people Of
the whole country i should not so warmly
support this measure. II is only oy going
hack 10 the past upon this question OF bi-
metallism that we can properly understand
this great question, for the question OF to-
dav is whether we shall have bi-metalllsm
or nO-metallism.
Going back 70 1916, and beginning with
the action of the great nations OF the world
upon this question, we md that great, IN
dustrial England was prosperous and
happy until she struck down silver and dis
carded silver as one Of her coin metals.
The voice Of labor, then as now, was IN
needed. and the result was the next three
wears witnessed a period OF depression,
distress and suffering hitherto unknown
in the Kingdom of Great Britain. This is
a matter of history and cannot oe contro-
verted.
our opponents tell US that gold must not
be molested, that gold is the only sacred
metal; that gold is king. What IS II tnat
gave to gold the position il Occupiest Leg
fslation; and it is only by legislation that
the great wrong can be righted. Ap-
plause1 Up to the time Of the demOneti-
5ation Of silver in 1873, the silver dollar
was never worth less than 100 cents When
derponetized IL was at premium or 81
per cent. Why did they demOnetize then!
The same spirit Of averice and greed that
struck it down in England dominated this
country and silver was murdered at the IN
terest Of the great banking and financial
interests Of the country; and the agricul-
tural and laboring people from that time TO
this have been paying the pronts IN tnelr
sweat and toll.
In concluding, Mr.. Pierce cited the
speech of Mr. Mills in the last House IN
support Of free coinage, and insisted that
the gentleman from Texas TO make bis
record consistent, must support the OIL De-
fore the House. Great applause greeted
the closing announcement Of Mr.. Pierce,
that whatever Mr.. Williams, Mr.. Carter,
Mr. Homer and other anti-free coinage
Democrats might do in the event of the
massage Of this DILL by the House, the Dem
ocratic advocates Of free coinage stood
ready to support the nominee OF the Demo-
cratic convention at Chicago, whether the
platform of that convention declared Tor
free coinage or not
There are gentlemen Of New England,
said Mr.. Pierce, who say to US that If we
pass a free silver bill in this house New
England will send an unbroken body OF
ReDublican representatives to this hall,
and that they viii give US the force bill. i
want TO say TO you gentlemen from New
England that we, the Democrats OF tue
South and West, measure our action OY
the Democratic rules: and Thomas Jener-
son, the father Of Democracy, haylng.sald
that the cardinal principle Of Democracy
was submission 10 the Will OF the majority
fairly expressed, we, in the Soutn ana
West, when a majority speaks, bow 70 IL
and support the nominee and the platform
that the majority present. (Applausel
That is our kind Of Democracy. We DO
not recognize as a Democratic eXpedlen5
this new remedy, which l believe they call
the ..0old cure'': a remedy which il appears
is lately killing 50 many people VINO are
undertaking % save themselves Dy 1t. ana
I tell YOU the "gold cure" you are propos-
ing 10 take will kill you as efectually as
the keeley gold cure" is killing some
others. When the force bill passed this
House. and went TO the Senate, gloom
settled over this country from one end oil
IL 20 the other.
Especially did dark clouds lower over
our beautiful Southland. The intimation
had gone abroad that the Force bill was TO
be put upon US Expectancy was deepen
ing into certainty. The press OF the coun-
try informed US that President Harrison
had pledged himself 70 approve and use MS
oGicial influence TO carry through TINS
measure, waich proposed 10 strike aoWn
the last vestige of personal and civil ana
political liberty in this country. But, sir,
the lowering clouds that lowered our lana
began to break away each rift had silver
lining. and through the riffs we saw the
grand. glorious, brave and patriotic he
publican Senators of the West standing
between their party and the liberties OF the
people. BY their votes the Force Dill was
defeated
Mr.. Stone, Of Pennsylvania, de-
nOunced the pending bill as being, not q
bin for the free coinage Of gold and
silver but a bill for the unlimited issue
Of paper money.
He had a suspicion that this bill is a
heirloom in the Bland family Laughter
In reading the history OF MS country he
discovered that one Richard Bland was q
leading member OF the House Of Burgesses
OF Virginia in 1S4S. He was man Of
patriotism and ability, but like his dis
fipguished namesake OF to-day he seemed
10 labor under the idea that the economic
and financial system Of his days needed
tipkering with. Laughter. In those
dsvs the currency Of Virginia seems 70
have been tObaccO-in hogsheads OF $50
pounds. Laughter The Inconvenience
Of carrying around the legal tender OF the