The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-17

effort was made on the part of Senator
Voorhees, day to reach an agreement
as to the time for closing debate on the
repeal bill and proceeding to vote on
the bill and amendments had no better
result than his previous one, except
that there was q sort of intimation by
Teller that as no speeches had been
made for delay none would be, and that
the question Of closing debate might be
over for the present at least.
Mr.. Allison made three hour speech
in order TO prove that the true way to
rehabilitste silver was to repeal the
silver purchase law and thus force Eng.
land and the nations Of Europe TO come
to an International agreement on the
subject. The remainder OF the day was
given to eulogies on the life and char
acter of the late Senator Stanford, of
California.
After the routine business Of the
morning, Iat 1875, the repeal bill was
taken up3 Mr.. Voorhees, reminded the
Senate that few days ago he had felt
sumption Of time in the disc lssion of
the bill, and to suggest time to close
debate and take vote. The rejection
of that proposition had not been unex-
pected by him. He now asked the SEN
ate to agree TO close debate on the 25th
a week from Monday-then to debate
amendments under rule s, till the eth,
and then to have votes taken on the
amendments and the bill.
He need not, he said, amplify on the
question. He did not need to enforce
his request by single word. The sub.
ject was known and was appreciated
here and elsewhere. Nor need he saw
again, as he had said time and tim
before, that he was lover of the free
dom of debate. ALI that he asked was
that Senators interested in the dis
cussion might Indicate somo time whom
it should be concluded.
He asked Senators who opposed tho
bill to give him their response on that
subject and let the Senate see whether
there were not some points within the
domain OF courtesy and agreement that
could be fixed upon either this morning
or at any. time.
Mr.. Teller said that there had been
no delay in the debate. There had not
been speech made tor the sole purpose
of delay. But there were many Sena-
tors who had not yet spoken, but had
given notice of speeches. There were
others who had speeches prepared and
others who were preparing speeches. At
any rate the Senate had not reached a
point where it was fair to talk about fix
ing the time to close debate.
MIR. Voorhees, disclaimed making any
accusation or even making use OF the
word delay" But he desired to have
some indication of the purpose of Sena-
tors on the other side of the question as
to when the debate should be continued
Mr.. Teller said that he would not now
take up the time of the Senator from
Iowa (Allison) but if the Senator from
Indiana desired, later on, the opinion of
Senators opposed to the bill they would
give it to him.
Mr.. Allison then addressed the Sen
ate. The first part of his speech was
devoted to a review of the history of
legislation on the subject Of silver
coinage, in the course of which he said
that it was not in 1873 that the silver
dollar was demonetized, because by the
law of 1873 the trade dollar (of 42O
grains) was authorized, and that ar
was on the principle of free coinage.
Because although the trade dollar was
only legal tender for IS the owner of
silver bnllion could take it to the mint
and have 1T coined. But it was the law
of 1876 which took away that right and
thus struck down free coinage He
agreed with the Senator from Virginia
(Daniel) that silver was the money of
the. people. He knew that it had been
frequently said that from 1892 10 1873
the coinage of silver dollars had oniy
aggregated 5000, 600. but. up to 1853,
dimes were legal tender. A man
might have gathered up dimes, quarters
and halves and made payment of
Sl,000,0 900 up to 1853. and of those coins
there has been nearly ninety million in
circulation.
The final outcome Of all the legisla
ton as to silver was the striking down
of the legal tender quality of silver in
1876. And now. he continued, we are
asked to sustain measures and to sus.
tain policies that will bring this coun-
ard of silver. This law OF 1890 was a
temporary law. 1t was an experimental
law, also. In one sense nobody be.
lieved, at the time, That it would stand
long upon our statute books; certainly
did not believe 80. do not believe in
the policy OF piling up bullion in the
Treasury Of the United States and hold
ing 1t there uncoined. believe that
that policy is a most dangerous policy
for silver itself.
For myself, no said. am in favor of
coming every dollar of silver bullion in
the treasury. 1t ought to be coined /
do not mean now-presently. But il
should be understood 10 be the policy of
the Government that we shall not have
this silver bullion stored away in the
treasury. II must be done Not dol
lar Of the silver bullion can be sold
without the sanction of Congress, and
that sanction | am sure will never be