St. Paul daily globe., 1893-08-29
VICTORY NUMBER ONE.

Tile first victory for honest finance
and honest government is scored by the
magnificent defeat of all the amend
ments of the silyerites to the WILSON
repeal bill and its passage by the unex-
pected majority of 129.
The management of the case under
the leadership of Mr.. Wilson has been
mastery. The arrangement for debate,
which fretted the country as p .ece of
unnecessary delay, was wise. 1t pre-
vents any claim of denial of the freedom
of debate; it reasserts the proposition
that the house is deliberdtive body; it
has given to the silyerites every chance
for persuasion and argument. But this
was only fairness. 1t was in the ar
rangement that successive votes might
be taken Oh amendments proposing free
coinage at various ratios that pure
stratagem was used. The whole case OF
the free coiners, its entiIe defensibility.
rested on their claim for a restoration
of the 16 to l ratio and free coinage
under it. That, at least, was based on
principle, even if erroneous. When
they agreed to give way to a considera-
ton of other ratios they abandoned their
case. They admitted that silver is and
must be measured by the gold standard.
They discovered it, but too late to re-
trieve.
The senate dare not disobey the ex-
preston of the sentiment of the public
thus announced. 1t dare not play the
English house of lords to the American
people. The question is already an open
and mooted one: Of what use IS the
senate? If dishonest currency finds
itself buttressed there the question will
spring from an abstract one to a con-
c>ete and vital one. But there IS no
danger. The senators are politicians
There is nothing they want to know
more than what is the public opinion.
They have always bent to it heretofore,
when unmistakabiy expressed, and they
will now. The WILSON bill or the
VOORHEES, bill will pass that body, and
the decisive vote in the house will tend
to hasten the final vote there.
The house vote surprises the friends of
the SHERMAN bill. They did not expect
more than seventy-6ve majority. This
was the figure of Mr.. HALL, who was
one of the coterie of members to whom
was given the management of the meas
ure. The amendments proposing 16 to
and 20 to l. with their minority of 102
and 103. were not as strong as the pro-
posal to re-enact the ALLISON bill,
which proves to have been the fairest
test OF the relative strength, and for
which l36 votes were cast to 213 against,
losing by II.
The chief value, however. is the de-
cisiye vote on the question OF free COIN
age at any ratio whatever The coun-
try breathed easier when the bulletins
announced the vote with over a hun
dred majority against it. l. assures the
country OF permanency in Its coins and
in its paper representatives of money.
1t means that every dollar bearing the
imprint of this government will be
maintained each at parity with all the
others, by all the resources at the COM
mand of the nation. No man with a
mortgage on his homestead guarded
with the gold clause need now be op-
pressed with the nightmare of dread
that the amount he will have to pay
Will be increased cent by vicious leg
isation
And all honor to those men who stood
for honest coin, no matter what their
party. If there were recreant Demo-
Gratis who forSook the principles of their
party, we remember that there was one
false one among the twelve apostles.
and commend his example to them. II
SO many of these were recreant that
the measure carried only by the aid of
Republican votes, we honor our allies
none the less that they have but aided
in undoing their own mischievous
work. 1t is glorious victory.