St. Paul daily globe., 1893-08-13
HOUSE WAS EMPTY,
Distinguished Members Talk
to Vacant Benches.
Only FIFTY MEMBERS PRESENT.
"For Gods Sake. Repeal the
Sherman Law"
CRIES OUT ONE wATERNAM,
Berths in Heaven Compared
to a Cot in Purgatory.
CRIES OUT ONE wATERNAA
SOME VERY WARN SPEECHES.

WASHINGTON. Aug. 12.-Ihe silver
debate I'D the house today did not at
tract much public interest. The knowI-
edge that no vote can possibly be
reached under the system of procedure
| until Aug. IS causes members to take
little interest III the proceedings. and it
is doubtful whether there was a Quorum
| present i'll the house at any time today.
Many members left for the seaside last
night, resolved to remain until it should
be time for them TO deliver the speech
which nearly every man is preparing
on the financial situation. 1t seems
likely that the daily spectacle in the
house for the next two weeks will be-
that of an impassioned individual deliv-
erIng of fiery speech to score or two
of his personal friends and an array Of
two or three hundred empty benches.
When the house adjourned today there
We're not more than fifty representatives
| in the hall.
The first speaker in the house today
was MIR. Wheeler (Dem., Ala, who con-
tinued his speech of yesterday against
repeal. The moment the Sherman act
was repealed, he said. that moment
there would not be line or word in
the laws of our contry recognizing the
Coinage of silver, and there never would
be during our lives or the lives OF our
children.
MIR. Wheeler was followed by Mr..
Morse (Rep., Mass.) Mr.. Morse said
that the country had
Come TO Two Roads.
Sound finance beckoned it unto ma
tional Integrity and honor: free silver
beckoned it on to financial ruin
and distress. lie was heartily in
favor of repeating the purcnas-
ing clause of the Sherman act, but
the remainder of that act, declaring
| parity between the two metals,
was fine craftsmanship and should
stand. So much of the presidents mes
sage as related to the curreucv met
with his most unqualified approval. So
much of the message was good Repub-
llcan doctrlne. But while he agreed
with the president on this proposition.
he could not believe with the chief
magistrate that the present appalling
business situation was due entirely to
the purchasing clause of the silver bill.
1t was more largely and principally due
to the threatened tariff legislation,
which had unsettled values and para
lyZed business, and there could be no
relief until the Democratic policy in
regard to the tariff was defined.
Mr.. Harter Dem. OhIo), who was one
OF the leading anti-Silver men in the
Flfty-second congress, took the floor in
advocacy of the Wilson bill He dis
claimed any idea of partisanship on this
question. 1t was patriotic question.
LII party gain was to accrue by saving
the country from its present situation,
he was willing that the Republican
party might have 1t all. He desired only
to lift the country
Out Of the Pit
into which it had fallen. He was able
to say who was responsible for the pres
ent situation, but he did not think that
in time like this it was the part of
patriot to call up such question. Let
congress give the country an honest
currency and he (Mr. Harter) was will
ing to shake the dust Of Washington
from his feet, and never enter the house
of representatives again. Applause
Mr. Boatner Dem, La inqu ired
whether the gentleman knew any
thing about the silver question that he
did not know ten months ago. Laugh
ter.
Mr. Harter replied that he was that
kind of man, who knew little more
about the silver question than he did
ten months ago. than he knew ten
weeks ago, and than he knew ten days
ago, and he expected to know little
more on every question the longer he
lived.
Continuing, and in reply to aquestion,
Mr.. Harter said that the condition of
the workingmen in England was as
much superior to workingman in
Ohio principally on account of the sill
yer legislation) as berth in heaven
was superior to a cot in purgatory.
Laughter.
In response to question by Mr.. Hen
derson (Rep., Io.,) Mr.. Harter said that
the Sherman act had been passed bya
Republican house and Republican
senate, and had been approved bya
Republican president. democratic ap-
plause.]
Mr.. Henderson asked the gentle man
to state TO the hohse the atti tude of the
Democratic party at the time of the
passage of the silver law Mr.. HarteI
said that he truste to the
Good Temper
of the house to keep this question out OF
politics.
Reviewing the history of the Sherman
law. Mr.: Harter said that while the law
was not good law. under the circum
stances, Senator Sherman, instead OF
being abused, ought to have the CRATE
full thanks Of the whole people. because
he got the best there was to be obtained
for the country out of a bad situation,
which had been brought on by the Re.
publican platform and the election of
Republican president. With Mr. Cleve.
land in the presidential chair, free
coinage of silver measure could nc
more control his signature than could
the death warrant of the speaker of the
house. Mr.. Henderson persisted in his
question as to the attitude of the Demo.
cratic party at the time of the passage
of the Sherman law.
Free coinagep' shouted several mem.
bers OH the Democratic side.
Mr.. Henderson-Tnere is an honest