The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-15
DEFENDS HIS ACTION.
SENATOR BUTLER GIVES HIS REA-
SONS FOR VOTING AS HE DID.

Some Inside Facts on the Repeal of the
Purchasing Clause of the Sherman Act
He Shows Who Were the Obstruction
lists.
COLUMBIA, S. c., Nov. Especial
The following letter from Senator But
ler to a personal friend is made public
at the request Of the Senator himself:
WASHINGTON. D. G., Oct. 29.
Nv Dear Sir: have received your
letter in which you refer to some Of nv
friends not understanding my position IN
the late debate, more from an omission
of the facts by certain newspapers than
from their published statements.
If ANYTHING was needed to Justify those
of us who have taken position in opposi'
ton to The unconditional repeal OF the
"Sherman Act"-that Is. repeal unac-
companied by some compensating proVl'
sion to prevent the undue contrac'
ton of the currency-lt is to
be found in the admission oi
Senators Sherman and German
in debate in the Senate on the 2Sth in.
staut. The former was the leader oi
the Republicans favering repeal and the
latter speaking for the Democratic
minority on the same side.
Mr.. Sherman said among other things:
There are, however, one or two things
to which desire especially to call the at.
tention of Senators on the other side of
the chamber. 1 doubt very much
whether the bill, when We pass it, will
meet tho expectations of many people
who probably have made bugaboo OF
the purchase of silver to disturb their
drsams o'nights. I believe that it is
necessary to superadd to this measure
proposed by the honorable Senator from
Indiana other measures even more vital.
ly important than this. He Dies not de.
sire. however to have an amendment of.
fered. and, after thinking the matter over
aud giving it careful attention, believe
it would not be wise to offer any proposl.
ton of new character, raising other
questions of doubt and dispute with re-
ference to this bill, because, this having
been fairly discussed, there is now no
longer any ground tor argument upon
this bill, and TO introduce new subjects
might open up new debate"
Many of US who opposed uncondltlon.
al repeal have insisted that the "Ster.
man law" was not the case of financial
stringency, and here is the leading ap-
postle OF the single.standard men admit
ting it "bugaboo made by many peo.
Pc" ect, and that repeal will not meet
their "expectations," ect.
The ''proposition of a new character"
to which he alludes, is giving the Secre-
tary of the treasury authority to issue
two hundred millions of bonds. That is
the s'cat in the meal tub" the thing be.
hind the "bugaboo," made by the ma
tioual banks to CO er the real purpose
of getting more bonds. Some of us
thought we saw this design under the
Sherman Act vsneering. The gold
men took advantage Of the business and
financial distress to hammer bonds out
of the Sherman Act and destroy its rival =,
silver; that is all there is in it.
Now what does Mr.. German admit
as 10 the strength of the two sides at the
outset. He says: "It may be said with
truth that large majority of the Demo.
Gratis were, at the beginning OF the ses-
sion, against the re peal even Of the pur-
chasing clause of the Sherman Act"
Mr.. Butler: Internationally"
Mr.. German: 'The unconditional
repeal. 1t was known that YOU had
from thir.een to fifteen Republicans op
posed to repeal. 1t was believed, and I
think it was a fact made perfectly plain
to everybody, that clear majority of
all the Senators elected were notln favor
of the unconditional, repeal but they
wanted some modification. Complaints
have been made of delay in this matter.
am glad OF the opportunity to say, and
say it in justice to those who fought
this bill, that those of US who intended to
vote for it's final passage believed that
we wece in the minority, and delay of
weeks became necessary that we might
convert enough to our side to pass the
bill. 1t was not brought into this body
from the committee on finance until
days after we had met. The Senator
from Ohio, q great member Of that com.
mittee and an authority in this body on
financial questions, and with reputa
ton such as few men have ever had in
the country, was too astute a man t"
try to force its early consideration in this
body. When his colleagues on the other
side, impetuous and anxious to put the
Democratic party in false position, de-
manded vote upon the bill in the first
week of the session, the chairman OF the
finance committee, and even the Sena-
tor from Ohio, checked sheir impetuosl.
ty and said, oh, no; let the committee
on finance first consider the BILL
1.-The factof it was we were not ready
for its consideration. As time went on
the debate became sharp, and, Mr..
President, I want TO remark right here
that it has been great debate.
1.-THE annals of Congress will not
show one equal to il, and those who
participate in it wilt 20 down to posteri
ty as men who were equal to any who
have preceded them. When the con.
test became sharp the doubt was then
expressed as TO the power OF the Senator
to pass il, not as to the power to reach
a vote, but the power to pass uncondl-
tional repeal with a majority. In the
very midst of the fight, in the hottest OF
it, when men were anxious, when every
Senator was desirous that something
might be done, (and when I say every
Senate. 1 mean all on 10th sides Of the
chambers } to relieve the great distress
-, {bo Ep,po;,1 ,ptareut ond in pOnonpr.