Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-11-01
VIEWED IN TWO WAYS.
C0untY's Woes Jointly
Discussed
BY WILLIAMS AND WAL KER.
Interesting Party Debate:at Worces-
ter Last Evening.

WORCESTER, Mass, Nov. 1.-The joint
debate between Congressman Joseph ii.
| Walker of this city and ex-Congressman
| George Fred Williams If Dedham on the
subject, ''The Cau of the Late Financial
| ,tringency and the Present Business De-
night. Following is
The Debate.
Mr.. Walker was the first speaker. He
| said 1t was a pleasure II he could do any
thing by telling the truth to assist his
fellow citizens In casting their votes In.
telligently. The question is, What caused
the late panicl and, secondly, What has
caused the present depressioni These are
| distinct and related, but far from beIne
| the same.
"When the Fifty-first congress met il
was under peculiar circumstances At
least three in five Of the voters desired
free coinags, and on all hands it IL ad.
mitted majority Of the house and senate
were of the same opinion. There was an
other body which desired that silver
should not he used a. basis of circula-
tioD, but only as people desired to use it,
az currency In their pockets IL was i'm
possible TO prevent the use Of silver, but
they hit upon plan to coin 1t at its gold
value.
"The law of 1890 was passed only to pre-
vent the unlimited free coinage of silver.
In the Democratic party l2 in IL voted for
free coinage, aud only 81 or 22 Republi-
cans voted for it. Only about ~ or 22
Democrats voted for uud money. IL was
necessary to kill free coinage to have
sound money. The Democrats voted for
the Bland bill, which would give $4,000
'~ore than the Sherman bill 1t 10 the Re-
publican party alone that is to have the
credit OF the repeal.
I'm reg4rd to the cause of the panic the
Sherman bill was the last straw on the
camePs back. But the tariff was the load.
The Democrats have condemned the Mo
Kinley bill TO death, and now It Is in
prison with $40 Democrats standing guard
until they can execute 1t.
''Ths Mckinley bill gave you work.
After the election of 1899 the capitalists
departed with their money for Europe. In
Lawrence and Ware not one-half the
wages are paid as were when Harrison
was president. IL you will release from
prison the Mckinley bill, you will have
work tomorrow and you know It,"
Mr.. Walker continued about the advan-
tages of the tariff. when my friend fol-
lows me, he will confuse everything say.
The tariff is the same as your trades
unions. 1t keeps up your wages all over
Ii wages are not rs high in other places as
here, yours will 20 down" This closed
Mr. Walkers opening.
The Democratic Side
Hon. George Fred Williams was then
introduced. He SAID he was not called on
to refute all the arguments his opponent
may advance, but to discuss the question
he was called to discuss. II the gentle
man wants to discuss the tariff, IL it is still
a live issue, the speaker said he would
come here and discuss it; but the question
is the panic ana business depression.
THE Mckinley bill is now in full effect,
but it does not operate in bad times. IL
the fear of change in tariff was the
cause of the panic, the first place II would
appear would be among the manufacture
rrs; but behind them were the jobbers,
who countermauded orders because the
money stringency made them fearful they
| could not pay their bills. OF 800 failures
reported by Bradstreets, only per cent
| pretended that tariff legislation had any
| thing to do with the failures, and ~ per
| cent gave money stringency as the
cause"
The speaker said he left the Republican
| party when it went over to the enemies Of
sound finance. Cleveland promised sound
currency In 1884. He did not succeed, be.
cause both parties were against him. In
| 1883 he was a candidate again, and the
alleged guardians Of sound money, where
were theyf They male their bid for the
silver vote, which has since brought them
| to their knees in repentance.
"The Republicans admitted six silver
states for the sake of the l2 Republican
| votes they would gain in the senate and
| this was enough to Offset the whole vote
| OF New England. The Republicans then
admitted the enemies Of sound Currency
| into the house. Havil admitted these
| enemies there was but one result, and
| then began the b.rgaining away Of sound
money in which you, sir (turnng to Mr..
| Walker, took the aiding part"
Mr.. Williams quoted from Mr. Walker
| where he had denounced silver, and read
| an interview wi h HIM published in the
Worcester spy, In which he said the bill
| would make he rich richer and the poor
| poorer, "and them" con'iuuei the speaker,
"he went back to Washington and voted
| for silver. IL was in the next session be
| got so excited defending silver that he
| took of his coat and called 1t pure poll
tics.' Free coinage was bargain betwe cen
| tariff and silver mer. From the day the
bill was passed. there has been dIstrust.
at WAS Democratic president that
called a special session to repeal the bill,
nd the will of the Democracy was exc.
| ,uted in tiat call, AMI Republicans sat
| tround, refusing TO join in the cloture.
The question has now been settled in
Democratic senate, and settled right. Our
leader has announced compromise is a sur