The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-08-23
THE MONEY QUESTION.
Silyery Talk I'm Congress-Battle Of
the Giants--What Representatives
and Senators Say on the Matter.

WASHINGTON. Aug. l6--Ihe debat
in the House to-day on the Wilson re
peal bill began with but little prelimin
ary. 1t was started by Mccall Rep. o
the purchasing clause of the Sherman
bill, and was closed by Moses (Dem) O
Georgia, in opposition thereto. Sand
wiched between these two speeche
were remarks by Coombs (Dem.) o
New York, Bryan (Dem.) OF Nebrask,
and Henderson (Rep.) Of Iowa. BryaI
made the speech Of the day, and al
though he occupied more than two
hours in its delivery, he commanded
the earnest attention OF his colleagues
throughout, and his sympathizers re
gardod his argument unanswerable.
Bryan said that he would fully ac
compl:sh his purpose IL he were able tC
impress upon the members of this
House The Importance of the
question which was now under con.
siGeration and to quicken their ap
probation of the grave responsibility
which pressed upon them. Upon the
action of this Congress might depend
not only the welfare of the South and
West, not only the welfare of the
United States, but tho welfare of hu.
lnanity itself for ages to come. Some
outside of this hall had ASHAMED that
the recommendation of the President
imposed some obligations upon the
Democratic members to do as he de-
sired, and some had even been hardy
enough to suggest that failure to fall
in with the recommendations there
made, would subject the dissenter to
administrative displeasure. But those
persons did the President great injus-
tice. The President would not for O
moment forget the independence of
the two branches of Congress.
If he could understand the language
of the message it meant but one thing.
1t meant the burial OF silver with no
promise of resurrection. 1t was the
argument Of the gold standard. 1t
He was opposed to single standard of
2 value, be it gold or silver, and was in
favor of double standard. The ques-
tion now presented was whether the
United States was going to say that it
was an English colony or an indepen-
dent nation.
Bryan spoke in favor of the retention
of the ratio of 16 to l, arguing that an
increase of that ratio would be detri-
mental to an international agreement
as to the coinage of the two metals.
The trouble now was not q lack of con-
fidence in Great Britain. The United
oIhIeS ntu Soe ulouS uoiofo WlChou1
the confidence of England, and, thank
God, it could do SO again. He wanted
to restore confidence among the peo-
pie, but he did not believe in curing q
headache by putting mustard plaster
to the feet of the patient. Applause. ]
Let some bill be passed here which
would make the banks safe places Of
deposit. 1t was the fear of the banks
and not of the government that had
caused the present stringency.
If the Democratic platform meant
anything it meant that the Sherman
law was makeshift; but it proposed
something better than that, and that
something was silver and gold coin
age. The question was not whether
the President was honest or not. The
question was whether he was right.
The President had won the confidence
of the people; but he had been deceived.
He had said in his message that the
people demanded the repeal of the
Sherman Act. He had heard from the
boards of trade and from the chambers
of commerce, but he had not heard
from the farmers or the men in the
workshops; and he could no more
Judge of the opinion of the people than
he could measure the oceans depth by
the foam on the oceans wave. Let the
lrlSuuS VI SllNcE Cdit DdUUlo vi huu
never leave the field until the peoples
money was restored.
In conclusion Bryan said 1.-THE
Democratic party stands to-day be-
tween two conflicting forces. On the
outside stand the corporate interests
of the United States, the moneyed
interests, aggregated wealth capital,
imperious, arrogant, compassiOnless.
These demand that the Democratic
party shall become the agents to ex-
ecute their merciless DEGREES. On the
other side stand an unnumbered
throng, those who gave to the Demo
cratic party name and for whom it
has assumed to speak. This army,
vast and daily vaster growing, pleads
with the Democratic party to be its
champion in this terrible conflict. 1t
can not press its claims amid sounds
of revelry it cannot march it's pha-
lanxes In grand parade. No gaudy
banners float upon the breeze. Its
battle hymn is "Home, Home, Sweet
Home" its warrior, Equality Before
the Law"
Between the forces hesitating in
doubt which side to turn, yet conscious
that upon it's decision must rest its
fate, stands the Democratic party, and
to it, standing thus, come the words
of Israels second law-giver: "Choose
we this day whom ye will serve"
Mr.. Henderson Rep) said the most
gratifying thing that could reach the
people of the United States wore these
cries of ".Vote, vote, vote" The peo-
pie expected early action, il Congress
was going to act at all. He would
be glad to come TO vote at once.
Fourteen days had been set aside by
the Democrats for debate but he re.
gretted that so much time had been
given. The country was congested
by distress. Laboring men were be-
ing stricken from the rolls by the
thousands; the treasury was closing
its vaults banks were tumbling, theil
doors were closed against the manu-
featuring interests; exchanges were 6
thing of the past. In such an hour
and in such condition Congress hat
been called together In extraordinary
session. He trembled when he though
that the fever had only just broker
out. He trusted that this was only
an error OF judgment. Congress wa!
asked to come here, as u physician, tt
treat the alarming condition of thu
country. Congress would not ac
wisely unless it acted with judgment
In his opinion the free coinage o
silver would drive this country to ,
silver basis, and would eliminate from
our circulation the 1904, 100000 o
gold now circulating in the Unitet
States.
Let all patriotic Republicans join to
gether, as far as they could to NEE
n. IN. n 4.