The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-04-22
MIR. TELLERs SPEECH.

Mr.. Teller of Colorado has been MAX
ing a most extraordinary speech on the
silver question, presumably for the ben
eft of Denver readers, in the Senate.
Mr.. Teller is very able man and knows
the temper of his constituents. Also, he
is Republican. When we add that
Mr.. Teller, as silver man, is much
dissatisfied with the management
of the Republican party it will
be understood that he pays that
party a very high compliment. Sena-
tors from the Western States, he said,
had come here two years ago with high
expectations. They had elected Re-
publican Administration on platform
that declared that the Republican party
was in favor Of the use of both gold and
silver as money, and condemned the
policy of the Democratic Administra-
tion in its efforts to demonetize silver.
Many Republican Senators from the
West had actually believed that the
platform meant what it said. They had
thought shit it meant the Republican
party was in favor of silver as money.
Well, is it not? Is not silver in COM
mon use as money to-day? Does any
one expect to limit or deny its use, or do
more than arrange for its continued use
not only by this nation but all the ma
tions. There are no contractionists,"
there are no "goldbugs," there are no
monometalists in the Republican party;
but there are sincere statesmen who do
not believe in demoralizing the business
and the credit of the United States
merely to help out few bonanza mine
owners.
Mr.. Teller asks further "Would any
sane man say silver could be used as
money in the broad sense of the term if
the mints were not opened to it as they
were opened to gold?" And the ready
answer is that the Republicans, as
well as few Eastern Democrats, stands
ready to open the mints to silver, asking
only as reasonable preliminary that
ratio between silver and gold shall be
established by international agreement.
Bnt hear Mr.. Teller moment further
and observe how soon he disposes of his
scant array Of arguments and resorts to
threats:
Fifteen years ago last fall / came into
this body with the admission of Colorado.
hA. l.s
lcan party the Presidency that year.
There has been one Congress since / first
came into the body when this Senate was
Democratic. There has been no Congress
when the votes of Nevada and Colorado
on this floor were not needed 10 make this
body a Republican body. And want TO
say now, in cool and calm deliberaton,
weighing we'll my words, that, if the Ro-
publican party stands for gold standard,
the four silver producing States will not
hereafter he able To act in cooperation
with the Eastern Republicans in this or
in any other body. We have supported
the Mckinley bill because we believe the
general interests OF the country require
sacrifice on our part. Our local interests
are against that act. But we cannot sup
port and assist in the control OF the
Government by party that is hostile to
every local interest that we have got.
If only political considerations were
to prevail the Republicans could well
afford to contemplate the loss of the
Colorado and Nevada members of the
lower House-the Senate is not changed
so quickly-upon an issue that would
make every Eastern State, and perhaps
Maryland, securely Republican. But
considerations of more consequence than
political expediency have weight with
the Republican party. II will not sup
port seventy-cent dollar, because a
seventy-cent dollar would be an injus-
tice to every laboring man who earns
full-size dollars by his daily labor, and
forcible violation of every business