The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-10-25
BUREAU OF THE SENTINEL,
WASHINGTON. D. q. Oct. !

AO-Ns ~. ~ OSes 10.
One Of the best efforts of Senator voor-
hees's life was the speech he delivered
ofr-hand last Monday in answer to the
criticisms made by Senator walcott up
on his first argument in opening the sill
yer fight. Senator voorhees, spoke as fol-
lows:
Mr.. President-The senate will bear
witness that / have occupied not much
OF it's time during the debate through
which We have been passing, nor have
desired TO do so, nor do 1 desire 10 do
so now.
The senator from Colorado CIr VOL
cotD has done me the honor to read ex-
tensively from the speech with which
opened the present discussion. On
that account, however. would not rise.
There Is nothing In Ii to explain or that
needs explanation. My position, hum
bic through my career has been In this
body, is well known on the subject Of
silver. There Is no doubt pertaining TO
my record; and on the subject Of my re-
cent speech, so repeatedly reproduced
here, 1 have nothing to say.
But | have thught, Mr. President, for
some days back, that IL might be we'll
at some time in this discussion to cor
rect at least one very striking and fun
damental error The very corner stone
pending bill is laid in error and makes
q false foundation. The constant as
severstion that the bill demonetizes sill
yer Is not supported by a single fact
say here that while ii has been repeat
ed a thousand Times that the bill de-
monetizes silver, IL may be repeated a
hundred thousand times more and still
II will not be true, nor have even the
semblance of truth.
We have at this time something over
hmndrod ~
lars OF silver currency, $77, 900 900 of sub
sidfary coin. which Is legal tender in
sums under ten dollars, leaving five hum
dred and forty-one million dollars, In
round numbers, Of full legal-tender silver
money.
1 speak in the hearing of old finan-
clers, speak In the hearing Of the whole
country, when / say that this bill does
not take away from a single dollar or
item or silver money It's monetary value
webster says characterization means to
deprive metal OF its money value
What piece of silver money, subsidiary
or otherwise, is interfered with by the
bill In the way of characterization?
1t Is time the country should hear
know that this debate, so far as the
opponents of the bill are concerned has
proceeded upon an entirely erroneous
and false assumption. II is not a bill
70 demonetize silver: II is not at war
Win SILVER money On the contrary, in
the Few moments / expect to be on the
hoor l shall demonstrate that Il is a
better friend 10 silver as money, and to
Its use, than any measure can be which
buys silver bullion as corn, wheat, oats
and rye.
DOesn't Touch silver.
say. sir. the bill does not touch the
monetary value Of silver. What does it
do? 1t simply says that we do not want
TO buy any more silver bullion for the
present. 1t suspends the purchase Of
the raw material out of which silver.
money is made. That is all it does.
Let US come TO an understanding.
Let us have some definitions repent
myself purposely, and / care not how
often. for 1 intend the statement to be
borne In upon the public mind that to
say 1t Is a bin demonetizing silver is
not true 1t demonetizes no dollar. and
well you know it. 1t simply suspends
the purchase OF the material you have
TO sell. The American people at this
time want to stop buying. whether for
long or short it is not for me now to
say. That is all the pending bill does.
Mr.. President. the senator from Ten
nessee (Mr Harris), some days ago, in
his very able speech. saw fit to repro
duce an utterance of mine on this
floor last February. have no COM
plant to make. We all stand alike
upon our records; and II is not matter
or the highest consequence whether a
man is consistent with himself, but 1t
Is OF supreme consequence whether he
is consistene with the public good Sir
i may as well say here now that If by
act inconsistent with my entire political
life. II II be still an act of homer. I
would redeem this country from its
present perils without a moments hes
itation. As individuals. of what conse-
quence are We?
We are here for day and gone to-
morrow, ffeeting through time on our
way rapidly from one world to another
What matters much the record that we
make. so we make it for the safety
and welfare Of the country?
The senator from Tennessee produced
here an utterance Of mine which / shall
pay little attention to, now that am
on the floor. In an allusion to the bill
which had been offered by the senator
from Ohio (Mr. Sherman) to repeal the
Sherman act, and speaking on some
other subject at the time. without full
consideration, said, on the 18th of
last February:
IT should have voted the other day
to take up what is known as the Sher-
man act. and for its repeal, but for the
demonetize silver and leave 1t supported
by not one word of legislation
The bill the senator from Ohio had
introduced, and to which I alluded, is
not the bill pending. 1t had in 1t a
clause discriminating in favor of a GER
tain kind of money. In other words, to
read 1t, sit contained the following pro-
viso:
Provided, That this act shall not in
any way affect, or impair, or change the
legal qualities, redemption, or use OF the
treasury notes issued under said act
thought as did the senator from
Iowa CMr. Allison). that the insertion of
such a clause as that gave rise to an in
ference that other kinds of money not
mentioned might be injuriously affected
by the passage of the act, and took the
alarm in behalf OF silver. / was alarmed
for fear IL went further and was meant
to demonetize silver. but I am satisfied
now that / was mistaken. 1t would not
have demonetized silver, but at the same
time 1t is well for that kind OF language
TO be out of the BILL and IL is not in the
bill which / present here. There is no
suggestion in the bill before the senate
OF the decentralization OF any class OF our
money as there might have possibly
arisen from the bill introduced by the
senator from Ohio last February. IL was
on that state of case I said what did
Mr. Harris-Will the senator from In
diana allow me?
Mr. Notwithstanding
Mr.. Harris-There can be nothing more
painful to me than any issue between
the senator from Indiana and myself.
but I want TO ask him here and now II
the passage OF house bill No. or the