The Meeker herald., 1893-11-04
A WORD FROM WoLcoTT.
He Gives the Senators His View of the
situation as Affecting Colorado
and the Future of the Re-

ME- "olco't of Colorado delivered The follow
Ing spec which was listened to with III
closest attention by senators and visitors. II
said:
"a few hours ago We voted upon that amend
mcnt TO the bill which would give us ire
coinage. was lost great majority of til
senate voting against It. All the othc
amendments Will meet n like fate They mr.
only good In that they are better than uncon
altiohai repeal, and II scents Idle TO g
through the form of voting upon them / an
indifferent whether | vote Tor them or not
Tor some OF them have been introduced b.
senators who Intend voting for unconditiona
| repeal, and their amendments may save TO
tnem something OF the appearance of things
NOBODY is really deceived, however, as thos
are not the friends of bi-metalism. Tn
course OF this debate, and the vote of yestcr
day have given us the names, and the addi
tional roil-calls will but serve TO emphasiz,
the defeat which silver has suffered W,
came here buoyed up with hope and coniiden
OF maj success. We have met an oycrwhclm
Ing and disastrous defeat, and the reasons are
not far to seek
1.-THE fight for silver has failed becaus,
Democratic support and Republican encour
agement have been Withdrawn The tru,
situation has never been understood by the
pubNci 1t has never developed on this floor
IL mas never been exposed to the light. There
has been talk of closure, and senators acros.
the chamber have leapel into sudden rcputn.
ton oy advocating It, have posed ms II tncy
were each n Columbus discovering some new
land, or the ingenious and adventurous spirit
who had found the clue to the Senate maze.
They are lauded by the metropolitan press as
the men who were TO be the saviors of their
country, and unsavory criticism and bitter
denunciation have changed and blended into
acclamations and praise
why, even the newest senator here must
have understood perfectly that closure ms APP
plicablc to this measure was an impossibilty,
that 1t could find no footnold or abiding
place in this chamber. These arguments
have been for the gallery, for a gullible pub
lie. For my own part, ! should be delighted
10 see 1t enacted. We have from the first IN
vited vote upon its adoption. The majority
will need 1t later. 1t will not be so ardently
pressed by this side of the chamber In the
winter months, when the repeal of the cleo
ton law and tarii revision come up for pass
age;
when that dclcctlble time shall come the
silver state senators will no longer be goats
While we may not be able 10 emulate the
subservlency recently displayed by this side
towards the administration, we -hall hope to
exhibit our earnest desire for progress in leg
islat!on By taking to heart the lesson which
has been taught us, and by lending our pres
encc at all hours, for quorum and a vote.
THE open and ayowed sentiment OF large
majority OF this body is against the introduce
t!On mere oil the previous question or any form
OF closure that the majority believes that the
privilege of free discussion is a safeguard
which should not be removed and that While
delays may arise, because OF the right of I'M
limited debate, yet the sum of gain 1t brings
is Infinitely greater than any Inconvenience
which may be occasioned.
:. "Nor does the dignity OF the Senate suffer
by this right of debate. This Senate loses Its
dignity whenever 1t becomes simply a mouth
piece OF the executive will, and when It yields
to Influences which should have no share In
shaping legislation. Now, II may as well he
understood that vaporings here and else
where about closure have had no sort OF In
1ucncc on the result of this debate, and state
without fear OF successful contradiction that
nobody who has advocated 1t had the elightest
idea 1t would pass. Since this measure was
first reported the opposition to 1t has been
based solely on the belief that unconditional
repeal unaccompanled by affirmative legIsls-
ton, would bring suffering and disaster to the
whole country, and not n destruction of the
welfare and the prosperity of the silver states
Se " t Hfs"h b nf"'e '"H-'''r'' 70
at was from the outset distinctly under
stood that II the support OF friends on the
other side of the chamber should be win
drawn, while we felt that irrcparablc wrong
would be inflicted upon us by unconditional
repeal, we should nevertheless cease to OPP
pose n vote The time has come when we are
left alone. Party exigcncy and other CON
trolling motives have led to acquiesc-nce by
the other side in the inevitable result. There
ia NOT the slightest criticism to be offered TO
such a conclusion. For two months We nave
fought together for the maintenance OF a
double standard, and we have lost.
"somc Of the criticism to which we have
been subjected by Democratic senators Is
misplaced. We have been told by some OF
them that our course has been obstructive
and revolutionary. This sounds droil to
those OF us who witnessed the contest over
the force bill. Senators who nre vaguely I'M
dcrstood now to favor closure, and VINO nave
denounced us, filed out solemnly again ana
again Into the cloak rooms or ensconsed
Themselves In the committee rooms to avoid
aiding to make n quorum. That struggle
lasted as long as has this, and the organl4a-
zion OF the speakers and machinery OF the
contest were perfectly equipped and oiled.
"The senators on the other side have spoken
critically OF the speech OF the senator from Ne
brnska because It occupied IL hours. lrcmem-
Der one speech on the force bill, that oil the
senator from West Virginia, which occupied
10 hours The distinction between the TWO Is
slirht. and the able address OF the senator
from Nebraska will not suiicr by comparison
with any other, long or short, which has been
uttered in this chamber. do not refer tt
the force bill days by way OF criticism, bu
only to emphasize the fact that hnc distihc
tions breed nice differences, and TO insist Una
in view of the few months that nave passed
81
tho character OF that struggle, some OF INT
utternnces of the southern senator. have peer
mncalled for and out Of place. We, vino arr
from states where silver Is produced, eiain
and have claimed no special consiuerat,oi
Growing out OF the faith OF that measure; bu
i confess that we had expected that the strug
gle for our very existence, which we nav
made on this floor, should bring us sympath
and not denunciatlon from representatives
the section which not long ago made eim'
lar appeal. and did not make II in vain.
have not been many years in public, but
have been here long enough TO hear us de
noupced by southern senators as Obstruction
i.ts because we stood for the vital interests o
| the whole country; long enough to near
proposed that the doors Of the senate shoal
be opened to cxpel the senator VINO, IN In
by withholdlng his vote, to postpone, II onl
for day, the dire suffering which must =
| inflicted upon his state by the passage oil I'M
| bill. ,ho an,