The Meeker herald., 1893-08-19
PENCE WINS DISTINCTION.
II. MAIZE. HI, Maiden speech on ths
silver Question and Brings
Down tho House.

On the opening uns "a thS &c.
bate in the House OF Representatives ''a'e
Pence OF Colorado distinguished hifiseii'
To Mr.. Pence the speaker gave the honof
of following Mr.. Bland, and when the .oio-
RADIO member arose there WAS hush oi On
peetaucy, the house not knowing just what 10
expect. Mr.. Pence acquitted himself WIN
honor to himself and credit TO the people ne
represented. HIS delivery WAS good' MS
voice clear and penetrating, MS gestures
graceful and his speech, although ehtirey
ex,emporaneous, full OF hard solid facts 'i'a'
carried weight with them rs they ieil upo"
the House Mr.. Pence achieved sonfeth,hs
that seldom comes even TO citizen OF t'i7
great country where the possibilities SFe
boundless. new member, unknown III 'Hc
East and among statesmen within less th'Nh
week of the beginning OF his career as
congressman he plunged into the leadership
of the sIlverites and delivered speech th't
won for him the plaudits OF those VINO De-
lleyed as he did, and the admiration ana IT.
spect OF those who differed with him. AS ne
arose TO speak, the speaker recognized MN
as "the gentleman from Colorado ana
number of members started to leave the haii.
The first words that fell from his lips, how
ever. arrested them, and moment later
statesmen began to ill the aisles and form
that familiar attitude invariably seen when u
popular speaker has the floor. Tom Reed
coming in from the corridors, heard the voice
and stopped, in the middle Of the main aisle,
where he listened attentively for few
moments and then walked slowly to a seat
ne,r by and remained one of Mr.. Pence's
most attentive listeners until he had finished
,rit hear
picture, In which he presented the present
condition of affairs in Colorado aud The west
and told how an1Iously the people OF the
West were waiting the action oil Congress
hoping almost against hope for that verdict
which would start up their mines again, open
the smelling furnaces and bring prosperity
where now was desolation and ruin. lie then
entered into the merits of the question before
the House, repudiating the theory that the
present hard times were in any way the re-
suit of the bill now sought to be repealed.
His reference to the gentlemen on the Two
sides of the chamber were marked by an ao-
sence Of malice, but his shots invariably pro
yoked laughter and applause.
II was almost beyond belief be said during
the course of his speech, that Mr.. Rayner OF
Maryland, who spoke for the gold bugs, and
Mr. Bland OF Missouri, had been elected on
the same ticket and standing identicalIy on
the same platform.
Elected last fall by people brave, buoyant
and hopeful, he knew that their industrieo
had been Frustrated by the course of the past
two admnlstratlons-by the base surrender
of those who had bcen elected on a silver
platform and on silver pledges. In this CON
uec,ion he quoted from l speech made by Mr.
Carlisle In the House in 1873 TO the effect that
the striking down of from three-sovenths to
one-half of the metallic money of the country
was the most gigantic crime of this or any
other generation, and he contrasted that
declaration with the present position of the
secretary on the silver question. The speech
WA made, he said, when the gentleman was a
leader, not follower. when he was sender
Of messages, not Il bearer of them. APP
plause.
Mr. Pence then called upon the Democrats
TO know whether they believed Mr.. Carlisle at
the time uttered the truth or, were they pre-
pared. under the influence of the power OF the
administration, to surrender to the present
uctiIau'r7 or sis~ sss.-.-.ss Of tfsv tsuasusy =.
Turning to the Republicans he asked them
how they could go back to their constituents
and answer TO the charge Of falling into line
at the beck and call of Democratic prcsi-
dent. MIR. Pence declared that he did not
believe that the people who were with Mr..
Cleveland In the Chicago convention and
who voted for him were with him on the
platform as he construed 1t, and 1t was to
these people and not to the President that
these members must make answer.
Mr.. Pence alluded to the census statistics
OF wealth, which showed that the wealth of
Massachusetts had increased 500, OcO, 900 dur
Ing the past decade, when the states of hi
nois. Indiana Iowa, Nebraska and the states
Of the Mississippi valley, all empires with SUI
perior resources and population, had only in-
creased $3.50, 00O, 900, $4,000, 900 less during
the same period. "Of COURSE said Mr.
Pence, "Massachusetts, the only state where
the platform of the Democratic party de
clared In favor of the gold standard, will get
her share of the debt wrung from the debtors
Of the West and South, as she has gotten 1t
BEFORE
Mr.. Pence made a pertinent allusion to the
fact that Democratic majority in the House,
pledged to the reconciliation of silver, set
aside the Stewart free coinage bill, and this
followed by subsequent acts of that majority
operated to drive him, among others, out of
the Democratic party. The independence of
the people wiped out OF existence party lines
in Colorado, for voters In that state felt
bound 10 demonstrate the faith that was in
them. The political rising there and else
where was traceable to this issue and not to
the tariff. The Democratic platform OF 1854,
declaring In favor OF reconciliation of silver
at its old ratio, had been slapped in the face
and spit upon at the instance Of the power at
the White House. 1t seemed TO him. so far
disregarding the solemn declaration In the
Democratic and Republican platform were
concerned, the Republicans were working
one side of the street and the Democrats the
other In seeking to defeat silver remonetiza-
ton.
He hoped the friends OF silver had been re-
vived since the reception of the Presidents
message, because representatives had been
notified by their constituents that under no
circumstances would they submit to the sur
render as set out In the terms Of that mes
sage
He reminded members from the West and
from the cotton states that when they re
turned home and confessed they had surren-
dcrcd to the gold standard, their constituents
would hold them 10 responsibility for desc
Grating the principles upon which they were
elected The voters were patriotic and in
telligent. He could not understand how the
Republican minority on any line or theory
could assist in carryiuc out th.