Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-08-18
Congress-.
The silver Debate is On---the House
VIII Vote on Repeal Aug. rs.

The silver Debate Is On---the House
VIII Vote on Repeal Aug. rs.
The house debate on the repeal of tn e
silver-purchase law was launched last Fri
day, under the terms of an agreement
which was reached that morning between
the rival Democratic factions. A vote on
the question of repeal is to be taken a
week from next Monday, Aug. 2S. In ac-
cordance with the program which had
been arranged Mr.. Wilson of West Vir-
ginia introduced bill, at the opening of
Fridays session, for the repeal of the pur-
chasing clause of the Sherman law. This
bill provides that the purchase of 100000
ounces month of silver bullion shall be
| stopped, "but this repeal shall not impair
nor in any way affect the legal tender quail
ity of the standard silver dollars hereto
fore coined and the faith and credit of the
United States are hereby pledged to main
tain the parity of the gold and silver coin
of the United States"
Mr.. Bland then introduced the truce, or
order of business, which had been agreed
to. This is, in substance, that Mr.. Will
sons bill shall be debated II days, the
time to be equitably divided by the speak
er between the two sides. The vote shall
be taken, first on an amendment providing
for the coinage of silver at the present ra-
ito. If that fails, then separate vote to
to be had on a similar amendment propos-
ing ratio of II to / if that fails, on one
proposing a ratio of Is to L; if that fails,
one proposing ratio of 10 to l; if that
fails, one proposing a ratio of 20 to l. If
the above amendments fail, it shall be in
order to offer an amendment reviving the
act of February 2S, 1878, restoring the
standard silver dollar, commonly known as
the Bland-Allison act After some debate
this arrangement was agreed to. Mr..
Bland offered a free coinage bill, at a ratio
of Is to l, and the debate began, Mr.. Ray
ner of Maryland leading for the sound
money men. Mr.. Burns of Indiana fol-
lowed Mr.. Rayner, in favor of repeal, and
then Mr.. Bland made the opening speech
for free coinage. The debate has been
continued this week with display of ora
tory which will make fine show in the
Congressional Record, but will not change
the vote of any member of Congress.
The event of the week in the Senate has
been the speech of Senator Vest of Mis-
souri, in vehement protest against the
abandonment of bimetallism, which, the
senator claims, is what Mr.. Cleveland's
message calls for. This action of Mr. Vest
marks bad detection in the ranks of those
Democrats who had been counted on to
stand by the administration program and
carry out the Presidents ideas. If vote
to repeal was carried, Mr.. Vest said, no
other piece of legislation affecting silver
would have a chance of becoming law
during the life of this administration.
This the senator made the text of his
speech. He had himself, he said, defend
ed Mr.. Cleveland before his denomination
in 1892, and on the stump before and after
the November election, as bimetallist;
and he did so, as he thought, on the best
authority. But the President disappointed
prediction expectations. He stood now
for nothing but the gold standard, and Mr..
or personal friendship delude himself with
the patent absurdity that the success of
unconditional repeal now did not mean the
final and absolute demonetization of silver
in this country. Believing this, he would
oppose unconditional repeal to the utmost
measure of his ability and his Opportuni-
ties. Mr.. Vests speech was two hours
long, and was filled with fiery argument
and invective.
Senator Hoar of Massachusetts, deliver
ed strong speech Tuesday, in which he
declared himself bimetallist, to the ex-
tent of believing that gold and silver
should be used and the parity maintained
under an international agreement-but the
first and immediate duty in the present
emergency is to repeal the silver purchase
law