The Delta independent., 1893-11-08
A WORD FROM woLcoTT.
situation ~ Affecting Colorado
and the Future Of the Re-

He Gives the Senators His viow Of the
situation ~ Affecting Colorado
and the Future Of tho Re-
publican Party.
On Saturday during the closing hours Of
the debate on the repeal bill in the Senate,
Mr.. Wolcott Of Colorado delivered the follow
ing spec ch, which was listened to with the
CLOSEST attention by senators and visitors. He
said:
"a few hours ago we voted upon that amend
nent to the bill which would give Us free
coinage. II WAS lost, great majority OF the
Senate voting against 1t. All the other
amendments will meet like fate. They are
only good In that they are better than uncon-
ditionBl repeal, and II seems idle 70 go
through the form Of voting upon them. am
indifferent whether l vote for them or not;
for some of them have been introduced by
senators who intend voting for unconditional
repeal, and their amendments may save Tor
them something Of the appearance OF things.
Nobody is really deceived, however, ~ those
are not the friends Of bi-metsllism. The
course Of this debate, and the vote of yester-
day have given US the nnmes, and the addi-
tional roll-calls will but serve 10 emphasize
the defeat which silver has suffered. We
came here buoyed up with hope and confident
OF final success. We have met an overwhelm-
ing and disastrous defeat, and the reasons are
not far to seek.
"The fight for silver has failed because
Democratic support and Republican encour-
Agement have been Withdrawn. The true
situation has never been understood by the
public; It has never developed on this floor;
II has never been exposed 10 the light. There
has been talk Of closure, and senator's across
the chamber have leaped into sudden reputa-
tion by advocating II, have poecd as II they
we're each Columbus discovering some new
land, or the Ingenious and adventurous spirit
who had found the clue TO the Senate maze.
They are lAuded by the metropolitan press as
the men who were TO be the saviors OF their
country, and unsAvory criticism and bitter
denunciation have changed and blended into
acclsmations and praise.
why even the newest senator here must
have understood perfectly that closure as sp-
plicable to this measure was an impossioility,
that It could find no footnold or abiding
place in this chamber. These arguments
have been for the gallery, fos gullible pub
lie. For my own part, should be delighted
70 see 1t enacted. We have from the frst IN
vited . vote upon its adoption. The majority
will need II later. II will not be so ardently
pressed BY this side Of the chamber in the
winter months. when the repeal Of the cleo
ton law and tariff revision ooOe up for pass
age.
When that delectable time shall come the
silver state senators will no longer be 'goats-'
While We may not be able TO emulate the
subserviency recently displayed by this side
towards the administration, We shall hope TO
exhibit cur earnest desire for progress In leg
islation BY taking to heart the lesson which
hXs been taught us. and by lending our pres
ence nj all hours, for = quorum and . vote
"The open and Avoved sentiment of a large
majority Of this body Is against the introduc-
ton here of the previous question or any form
of closure that the ma aiority believes that the
privilege of free discussion 10 = safeguard
which should not be removed and that while
delays may arise because OF the right Of un-
limited debate, yet the sum Of gain II orings
10 innnitely greater than any inoonvenienes
which may be occasioned.
.Nor does the dignity Of the Senate suser
by this right of debate. This Senate loses !ts
dignity whenever Il becomes simply . mouth
piece Of the executive will, and when II yields
70 innaenocs which should have no share in
shaping legtslAtiou. Now, It may As we'll be
understood that vaporings here and else
whore about closure have had no sort Of in
nucnoe on the result of this debate, and state
without fear OF successful contradiction that
idea u would pAss. Since this DeAsnre VA
nrst reported the opposit,ou to Il has bees
bAsed solely on the belief that uncosditional
repeal unaeoompaaieA BY Affirmative leeisla-
ton, would bring suffering and disaster 70 the
whole country, and not . destruction Of the
welfare and the prosperity Of the silver states
only, which would aecsssarily follow the pass-
&c OF this bill.
at vAs from the outset distinctly under
stood that II the support Of friends on the
drawn, while We felt that irreparable wrong
would Be inflicted upon Us by unconditional
repeal, vs should nevertheless cease to op-
pose . vote The time has come when We arc
left alone. Party eIigenoy And other con-
trolling motives have led to aequicscence by
the other side in the inevitable result There
10 not the slightest criticism to be offered TO
such = conclusion. For two months We have
Tough, together for the maintenance of =
double standard. and We have lost
0,r.A ~ fhA Ata to ha~
been subjected BY Democratic senators 10
misplaced. We have been told BY come of
them that our course has been obstructive
and revolutionary. This sounds droll to
those Of Us who witnessed the contest over
the force bill. senators who are vaguely un-
derstood now TO favor closure, And who have
denounced Us, died out solemnly again and
again into the cloak rooms or ensconsed
themselves In the committee rooms to avoid
aiding to make quorum. That struggle
laated - long ~ has this, and the orgauizA-
ton Of the speakers and machinery of the
contest were perfectly squippcd and oiled.
The senators on the other side have spoken
critically of the speech Of the senator from Ne
braska because II occupied 10 hours. lremem-
Der one speech on the force bill, that OF the
senator from West Virginia, which occupied
l2 hours. The distinction between the two 10
slight, and the able address Of the senator
from Nebraska will not suffer BY comparison
with any other, long or short, which has been
tho force bill days by way Of criticism, but
only to emphasize the fact that hne distine-
tions breed nice differences, and to iusist that
in view Of the few months that have passed
sinoe that somewhat memorable event and
the character Of that struggle, some Of the
utterauces Of the southern senators have been
uncAllcd for and out Of place. We, who arc
from states where silver 10 produced, claim
and have claimed no special consideration
growing out Of the faith Of that measure; but
non f>ss that 70 had erpected thA the struR-
Gle for our very existence, which We have
made on this noor, sholld bring US sympathy
aud not dcrunoiation from representatives Of
the section which not long ago made simi-
lar appeal, and did not make II in vain. l
have been here long enough to hear us de-
nounced by soNthern senators as obstruction
iats because We stood for the vital interests Of
the whole country; long enough to hear It
proposed that the door of the Senate should