The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-08-12
Opening the Debate in the Great
Financial Contest.
BLAND BEGINS THE FIGHT.
Determined Utterance of the Great
Silver Leader.
He Says ssNo Political Party Shall Sur.
yive That Will Lay Confiscatiug
Hand Upon America in the
Interest of Europe

WASHINGTON, Aug. live do not
intend that any political party shall sur
vive that will lay coniscating hand
upon America in the interest of England
and of Europe and demonetize silver in
this country, and, my friends of the
eastern Democracy, we bid you farewell
of Richard P. Bland in the great financial
contest that opened in the House of
Representatives today, and the applause
that followed this determined utterance
demonstrated that the great silver leader
had with him the material element of the
Democratic party. It brought every
member of the House to realization that
the most.serious crisis In the Democratic
party since the dissensions of slavery was
at hand and that the division of 1913, like
the division of '61, would be largely on
sectional lines.
In accordance with the program of last
night agreed upon, Mr.. Wilson imme-
diately after the meeting of the House
introduced bill Internationally repeal
ing the Sherman purchasing law, and Mr..
Bland on behalf of the free coinage men
followed with resolution providing for
immediate consideration OF the bill and
allotting fourteen days for general debate
before vote should be taken. Immediately
after reading the journal, Mr.. wilson OF
West Virginia offered for present consid-
GRAFTON bill to repeal the purchasing
clause of the Sherman law.
Mr.. Bland offered the agreement made
this morning governing the debate. 1t
limits the talk to total of fourteen days
from IL am. to 5 pm, with night ses-
sions for debate only, if desired. He also
presented the bill of the free coinage
caucus, and demanded that the previous
question be ordered, but it was antagon
lied by the Republicans under the
bate the question. Finally a vote was
taken resulting: Yeas 217; nays 100. So
the previous question was ordered. The
RepV blicans generally voted with the
Democrats in support of the motion. The
resolution was then adopted.
Mr.. Bland then presented the following
bill of the silver men which provides for
the free coinage and repeats silver pur :
chasing.
Be it enacted, etc., That from and after
the passage of this act all holders of silver
bullion to the amount of 800 or more
standard weight and fineness shall be en-
titled to have tho same coined at the
minis of the United States into silver
dollars of the weight and fineness pro-
vided for in section 2 of this act.
Section 2-That the silver dollar pro-
vided for in this act shall consist of 4124s
grains OF standard silver, said dollar to be
legal tender for all debts, dues and de-
mands, both public and private.
Section 3.-Holders of silver dollars
herein provided for, shall be entitled to
deposit the same and receive silver GER
tificates III the manner provided by law
for standard silver dollars.
Section $50 much of the act of July
ID, 1890, as requires the monthly pur-
chase of 4 500, 900 ounces of silver shall be
and the same is hereby repealed.
At p. m. Mr.. Raynor, Democrat, New
Jersey, began the debate in support of
the Wilson bill for the unconditional re-
peal of the silver purchase clause of the
Sherman act. He said 'stne adoption OF
free silver coinage would tie the United
States to the tail of any bankrupt nation
of the world, opening the minis to sill
YER. 1t might, for a time, maintain a
ficticious value of the coin, but the value
of the bullion would always be regulated
by the market price. AS long as the
Sherman act remains on the statue books,
so long will it be impossible to effect in
ternational arraDg ements; SO long will
the monetary conference result in fail
ures.
HE said that what kept silver and gold
at parity was the misplaced confidence OF
the people. If the real condition of the
treasury was known, there would be nc
necessity for the repeal of the Sherman
law; it would repeal itself. The consti-
tuition nowhere establishes gold and silver
as the money of the country. There was
no obligation to coin silver nor to pur-
chase and store it for the benefit of the
miner.
.'While referring to the Democratic
platform, Mr.. Raynor said in closing, 4
know that the declarations of that docu-
ment have been differently construed,
according to views of the gentlemen ex-
pounding them. AS for me, in this su-
preme hour of my country's need, 1 am
not blinded nor intimidared by the gilt
! tering words of convention declaration. ,
into the rough-and-tumble OF the politi-
cal fight. The president stands by his
message and expects to win in the strug-
gle to give the country relief and save it
from the general impending ruin. Moth
| ing could induce him to leave Washing
ton at such a supreme crisis, but an event
touching his tenderest and most sacred
personal responsibilities.