The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1893-09-06
Made in the House of Repre-
sentatiyes August D, 1893.
A MASTERLY SILVER ARGUMENT.
Nevada's Congressman Presented the
Industrial Aspect of the Silver Ques-
tion in Such Manner That Even Foes
Acknowledged theJustice ofHis Claims

Following is the full text of the
speech made by Congressman New
lands of this state in the house Of rep
/ resentatives on August %, the bill for
the repeal OF the silver purchasing
clause OF the Sherman act being under
consideration
Nh. SPEAKER: | am the sole rep
resentative on this floor OF the state
Of Nevada, a state which has
suffered more than any other portion
of the Union from the discriminating
legislation against silver. / am also
the sole representative on this floor
OF my party. The people of Nevada,
recognizing the fact that the plat
forms of both the old parties were in
tended to mean one thing in the East
and another thing in the West, and
feeling assured from the record of the
candidates that the election Of either
meant disaster to the cause of bimet-
allism, formed an independent organi-
zation, called the Silver party of Ne
vada.
Their hope was that the contest be-
tween the two old parties would be a
close one, and that tie Independent
vote of the silver states, united with
the third party vote elsewhere, would
hold the balance of power in the cleo
toral college and would either secure
the election OF a new candidate favor
able TO the silver cause, or secure
from one OF the existing candidates
substantial concessions to that cause.
The overwhelming victory of the
Democratic party in states hitherto
uniformly Republican rendered that
hope futile; but their expectations
were realized and are realized today,
so far as the party platforms are con-
cerned; for we find mem bers in the
house constituting these party plat
the interests of their section, their
locality, or their individual views of
the monetary question. without re-
gard to party discipline or the unity
OF party faith.
|, therefore, can not take partisan
view on this subject. There are no
members of my party here whom |
can call TO task for straying from the
straight path, and | certainly can not
call to task the members of other par
ties for recreancy, for that is the
right which belongs only to those of
the true faith.
| shall take simply general view,
in the interest of this entire country,
taking it for granted that an enlight-
ened self-interest will determine the
action of this country as it does that
of individuals.
There are two aspects to this ques-
ton, one the industrial and the other
the financial, and you will pardon me
if / refer to the industrial aspect first,
as it concerns the progress, the de-
velopment, and the destiny of that
great section of the country which l
represent, and as the determination
of this question is freighted with
either beneficence of disaster to it.
But, whether we consider the in
dustrial or financial aspect of this
question, it is necessary to bear in
mind the relation of this country to
other countries so far as its material
interests are concerned; for the rule
obtains, in national as well as in
dividual affairs, that life is struggle
FOR existence in which individual
effort for individual success and
advancement leads to the highest de-
velopment of the race and of the
world.
So far as the relations of debtor and
creditor and the ownership and pro-
duction of the precious metals are
concerned, England and the United
States may be taken as the two rep
resentative nations of the world.
England is the greatest creditor
nation; the United States is the
greatest debtor nation. England is
the greatest owner of the accumulated
gold of the world. The United States
is one of the greatest owners of ac-
cumulated silver. England, through
its African discoveries, is fast becom-
ing the greatest producer of gold.
The United States is the greatest pro-
ducer of silver. They are the only
money metals sanctioned through the
ages by custom and law.
Both metals depend for their value
upon an artificial demand created by