The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1893-11-16
HON. WIN. A. PETER,
Or Kansas, Delivered the Following
Practical Speech
In the Senate OF the United States,
October 80, 1893, Which IS
Earnest and 10 the Point.

Mr.. PETER. Mr. President, | shall
occupy about fifteen minutes Of the
time Of the Senate, and no more.
7 do not feel that | should have per
formed all of ms duty in this great
discussion if did not enter one more
protest against the passage Of the
pending bill.
Mr.. President, | voted aga; nst
most OF the amendments proposed
because they discriminate against
silver. Had these amendments been
proposed by the other side and at
the beginning of the debate, ! would
have considered them carefully, and
in case nothing better could have
been secured, | might have consented
to vote for them, because in that
event they would have come to us IN
aspirit Of f'rness, and we could net
have doubted the sincerity Of their
advocates.
But they did not come to us tina,
way. The friends of the bill are
opposed to any and to all amend
ments. When the Democratic mem-
brs Of the senate, by 4 majority OF
thirty seven to seven, agreed upon Il
compromise to DC submittc! fer the
committees bill, and when every
body believed IN adjustment OF
Darty differences were ut hand and
that the eLd of IL dispute was near,
the Executive vo,o was published in
advance, the hopes Of party unity
vanished in the gloom Of despair, Il
majority WAS silar ced and the ad-
ministration was compelled to accept
the aid of Republican Senators IN
order to avoid utter and ignominiOus
defeat at tie hands of the men who
placed il in power.
would not have voted for that
proposed compromise and for much
the same reason that did not vote
for these amendments. | refer to- 1t
olly t. show tie inpcr.ous spirit in
which the bill was thrust upon us and
the hautincss with which the attempt
to compromise was thrust aside by
the President.
Mr.. President. wish to repeat
statement made in the early part of
the discussion, that the movement
which brought the dctcstable and
destructive measure here is the
crowning infamy Of the country.
Party Traditions had to be ignored in
order to give It introduction here,
and the convictions of i life time had
to be violated in order to give it
support. OF the f"urty-four Demo
Gratis only seven favor unconditional
repeal, and ut least three OF these
seven had always until re Gently been
free coinage men.
Party platforms declare for bI-
mctallism but the Senate proposes to
establish recommendation parties de-
clare in favor Of preserving parity
between the money metals. and the
Senate throws one of them overheard
to find its price level with wheat an6
corn and cotton; and parties declare
in favor Of preserving and maintain
ing the equal value and purchasing
power of all the different classes of
our currency circulation. but when a
proposition is submitted to incorpO-
rate the party pledg N the Law. it
As not support in tue : nate to
second demand for II ,ea-ant-nay
vote upon it, The senator from
Indiana, chairman of the finance com
mittcc, who has charge OF tie bill.
told us Saturday that he does not
intend To be bound by his vote in
opposition to amendments proposed
to the bill. He voted against a
limitcd-co,nagc amendment, he voted
against each and Sll the other amend
ments. And he says he will not be
bound by these votes.
Mr. i'r, dent. he shall 6e bound by
them. He cannot escape the re-
sponsibility What the Senator has
said IN debates IS not lost, nor will it
be dissipa,ed by time. The record
is made and it will remain. No