New-York tribune., 1892-01-07
A DEBATE ON SILVER.
SENATOR MORRILL'S BRILLIANT SPEECH.


A CLEAR AND CONVINCING ARGUMENT AUAINSI
FREE coINAGE-MR. TELLERs REPLY.
tBY TELEGRAPH 10 THE Tribunal
Washington, JAN 6.-The silver question came
10 the front again in the Senate to-day, and the
debate which sprang up and was carried on all
afternoon seemed like rcminiscence, fairly vivid
and picturesque, Of the long and acrimonious dis
cusions over free coinage in the last Congress-
Mr. Stewart, of Nevada, had made speech before
the holiday recess in criticism Of the passages In
the Presidents Message dealing with the silver
question, and Mr.. Morrill,, the chairman of the
Finance Committee, had announced that he would
make reply on the Monday before adjournment.
Mr. Plumbs funeral fell ON that day, however,
and the discussion necessarily postponed. 10
day the venerable Vermont Senator had his op-
portunity and he delivered to choice circle OF
listeners q most searching and effective answer
to Mr. Stewards argument for further radical
changes in silver legislation. The Nevada Sena-
tors new Free Coinage BILL introduced early In
December was taken ostensibly as the text of
both the criticism and the reply though both were
openly directed one in a spirit of hostility, and
the other in a spirit of commendation, at the
Presidents views on the currency question as ex-
pressed in his latest public utterance.
No debate on silver rise in the Senate In
which Mr.. Teller will not be heard from promptly.
soon as Mr. Morrill, finished, and, promising to
occupy but five or ten minutes, used over an hour
of the Senates time Mr. Dolph and Mr.. Stewart
! were also drawn into the debate, though briefly.
| AS no legislative measure was actually before the
body, the debate ended without tangible result, ex-
cept that Mr. Morrills speech when printed ana
circulated, will be everywhere regarded as highly
valuable and instructive contribution to tho
rather scanty stock of ineligible information
about the actual workings and probable effects OF
the silver law OF July, 1890 Mr. Morrill, Is ono
of the few men in public life who can give
attractiveness and even pungency to speech on
financial topic, ana however dull and dillicut
the subject the chairman of the Finance Com
mittee never misses his playful alluson or his
good-humored Jest. His speech to-day was filed ~
usual with happy turns of expression and much
dry irony.
Mr. Stewart, who sat in the next chair, had
to bear the brunt OF numerous clever sarcasms.
much to the amusement OF his near neghbors,
Senators Allison, cullOm, Iloar and Mitchell.
| The patrarchal statesman from Nevada grew
restless finally under these shafts Of wit, and
| finally took advantage Of "A pause 20 go out 10
| the cl0a<-roOm. Mr.. Morrill, read IRON manll-
| script, and his voice, which was Il lttle husky,
scarcely reached the galleries, but circle 0i
listeners gathered around him ON the floor when
he began. and his audience increased IN numbers
rs he continued. lie held the floor for perhaps
an hour and a hall. without a 81 IN Of weariess
His speech plainly Impressed these who heard y
rs "a clear. strong and convincing presentation ot
the argument against any further steps toward
free coinage, ana il will no doubt be ranked ~
one of the most admirable in the vigor OF its sly
and the decacy of its finish. OF the many adj
dresses made by the venerable Vermont statesmen
in his long and honorable public career. An al
stract. of course do little justice to the force
and interest of the full argument.