Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-08-09
Debate in the Senate.

puDllCdu, VI IhehiiiS: Se'ie AS ""HtSN1 y"
strengthen the Presidents hand by ac-
complishing repeal quickly if the Sen
ate had to work day, night and Sunday.
While the President had made per-
iunctory allusion to the tariff, there
was not Senator but knew the demo-
cratic party would no more dare attack
the tariff in the present condition OF the
country than sane man would grasp
wire charged with electricity. Con
gress is in session for the sole purpose
of attacking the financial question:" he
declared.
.sAnd tariff reform, )" interrupted SEN
ator Cockrell.
Senator German said the resolution
emanated from the other side of the
House that party advantage might be
gained by haste. Such question, he
said, could not be decided in day, and
to seek party advantage was to trltie
with the commercial interests of the
country.
He hoped that nothing would be done
on the republican side of the chamber
to excite party feeling on the demo
cratic side. He trusted that from this
time on it would be thoroughly under
stood that Senator's were there to serve
their country that there was an awful
condition of affairs existing, and that
they would come to the consideration
of the question deliberately and calm
ly, with view of perfecting some legis-
!ation that would give relief.
My proposition is serious one" in
sisted Mr.. Hale. sit is made with the
view of strengthening the hands of the
President. Ifthere is any one thing in
the Presidents message that he brings
out in undoubted and not uncertain
tones, it is the appealing cry for imme-
date action. The Senator from Mary
land will not be able, by haunting us
with seeking party advantage, to deter
this side of the chamber from standing
up for the President"
Laughter from the democratic side
greeted Senator Hale's protestation Of
sincerity, and Senator Voorhees,, the
chairman of the finance committee, was
on his feet.
His committee, he said, would take
up the question Thursday far from the
reach OF charlatanry and cheap dema-
gogerv such as had been heard, he an
nounced. 1.-The Senator from Maine, J"
he declared, ''forgets that every curse
due to the Sherman act comes home to
roost on his side Of the chamber. 1t i'll
becomes him to appeal to me to hurry
with a hop, skip and jump the undoing
OF that inlamy and fraud he helped to
Easten on the country"
A volley of applause from the gal
lerics brought forth warning from the
Vice President TO clear the house, and
then Senator Hale had the floor to ask
why the bill should not be repealed,
even granting that it was an infamy and
a fraud.
Senator VOORHEES, replied that he was
there not because he had erred, but be-
cause the other side of the house had.
The harm must be undone in regular
order, not by jockeying methods.
Then Senator Sherman rose to reply
to mention OF his name, speaking in
tone that could be heard but few feet
away. The act which had been mis-
named the Sherman law-lor he had
no more to do with il than others-had
been adopted to ward off an imminent
danger. as the democratic party had
committed itself to free coinage. Every
provision of it was wise and conserva-
tive, except the one he would vote to
repeal.
To question from Senator Voorhees,
if this should be done without the reg
ular formalities, Mr. Sherman answered
"No." He thought the time would
come in the Senate, as in every legisla-
tive body, when the majority could put
an end to debate, although he did not
wish to see it done in this case.
Partisan discussion was deprecated
by Senator Vest, but he said that the
assertion that the act had been passed
to prevent free coinage implied that the
President would have signed free
coinage bill.
Senator Sherman replied that he
hoped the time would never come when
the Senate would leave it to the Presi-
dent to avert q calamity it might pre-
vent.
''This claim that the act was passed
to relieve the President is ali after
thought" said Senator Teller. at was
done to quiet agitation, and to keep
the States of the Northwest in the re-
publican ranks The Senator knew
that things had reached point where
it was impossible to pass free silver
act.
He declared that Senator Hale had
no right to speak for the party. The
act was founded on no financial prins
ciple. 1t was monstrosity, said SEN
ator Teller, but he voted for it, think
ing it might raise the price of silver in
his State. 1t was kind of Senator
Sherman to say that q cloture bill
would not be passed if the silver men
behaved themselves, but such q bill
would never be passed. "This ques-
ton is as important as the question
whether the country shall remain
united or be divided"
"More Important" shouted Sena-
tor Stewart across the aisle.
The populist view was voiced by
Senator PETER. "When speaking of
public clamor," he said, II ask wheth
er any of that clamor has been heard
coming from the farmers and laborers.
The spectators of Wall street and
their satellites are responsible for it"
"The Senator from Kansas voices it
better than l could" said Senator
Teller. 1.-THE people were not afraid
of the currency. They wanted to get
it. They kept it silver, gold and
greenback, so that the trouble was in