Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-08-13
Debate in the House on Repeal
Of Sherman Act
ISSUE WAS souAaElY NET
Renresentatives Wheeler. Morse. Har-
ter and Hendricks for lsepcAL
Califsrnia Aesnbcr Talkk

/ O'Clock there Nas not moro than hun
dred members in attendance. and the
audience in the galleries was smail In
terest ia the silver debate seems already
% bc on the decline. action and not dis
cussion being generally desired On
motion OF Mr.. Richardson democrat.
Tenn resolution was adopted for the
printing OF 1900 copies of the presi-
dents message.
The silver debate was then resumed.
Mr. Wheeler democrat. Ala bring en-.
titled 10 the floor He continued his
speech Of yesterday against repeal. The
moment the sherman act was repealed.
he said. that moment there would not
be a line or word In the laws OF our
country recognizing the coinage OF silver
and there never would be during our lives
or the lives of our children
Mr.. Wheeler was followed by Mr..
Morse republican. Massachusetts,
lie was heartily in favor Of repeating the
purchasing clause of the Sherman act.
but the remainder OF that act. declaring
parity between the two metals. was
line statesmanship and should stand. So
much of the presidents message as re-
lates 20 the currency met with his ap-
proyal. So much of tho message was
good republican doctrine But while he
agreed with the president on this prop
osition he could not believe with the
chief magistrate that the present ap-
palling business situation was due en-
tirely 10 the purchasing clause of the
silver bill. liz was more largely and
principally due TO the threatened tariff
legislation which had unsettled values
and paralyzed business. and there could
be no relief until the democrat policy in
regard to the tariff defined.
Harter for Repeal.
Mr.. Harter fdemocrap of Ohio, who
was one of the leading anti-silyer men
in the fifty second congress-. took the
floor in advocacy Of the Wilson bill. He
disclaimed any idea Of partisanship in
this question.
Reviewing the history OF the Sher-
man law, he said that while that law
was not a good law. under the circum-
stances Senator Sherman instead OF be-
ing abused ought 10 have the grateful
thanks of the whole people because he
got the best that could 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 tho presidential chair a FREQ
coinage measure could no more control
his signature than could the death war
rant OF the speaker Of this house.
He then proceeded TO mark out his
plan OF procedure. He would have the
congress ia its extraordinary session re-
peal the purchasing clause OF the pres
ent law, authorize national banks TO
issue circulation to the full extent OF
their bonds ann direct the secretary OF
the treasury to provide for the issue OF
gold bonds.
Repeal the Act and Go Home
On the conclusion Of Mr.. Harter's
speech Mr.. Hendricks democrat. New
York. was recognized. lie said that he
had denominated rs banker. He had
been called gold bug. but he assured
his friends that the only piece Of gold
that he possessed was a - coin and that
be had obtained that from the sergeant
at arms few days ago. lie had grown
up with the people OF the west and he
knew them and loved them. But he
came To this congress by way Of the
east and he represented an eastern con
stituency; and he wished 10 say TO this
body % gentlemen that the opportunity
for this congress to benefi. tho country
had never before been equalled in the
history OF the land.
Let congress repeal the Sherman sill
yer Lac. adjourn aud 90 home ard let
tho people do the rest. lApplause IL
was not To- the gold bugs Of Wall street
that he asked the members TO listen.
nor 10 the men. women and children
who had their saving locked up in saw
ings banks lie asked them 20 listen 10
the workingmen thrown out OF employ.
ment: ne asked them 20 listen % the
voice Il fear that our country was inter
ing on a period black with sorrow and
black with woe.
referring TO the proposed amend
ments % the Wilson bill. Mr.. Hendrix
declared that there was no ratio named
TO the substitute bill that would not
make the United States alaughing stock
in every other nation Of the world. In
this hour Il dire distrcss. when good
men were throwing up their hands in
despair and going down under the wave
10 disaster; when the most solid hanks
that had stood up against the winter
storms and summer heat of
/ tinsnce had gone down and their
presidents and stockholders had in
FANFtar NfANtAtatAtu tatAhA t1ttt tNu
lives when humiliaiian had come on
I honorable business men: when all the
I United Ststes was on its knee. praying
90 congress; For Gods sake repeal the
/ Sbermah Law and let us alone The
silver men came here and asked Tor the
free coinage of silver At ratio varying
I from 10 ~ ~ What mockery. What
idiocy IN finance What q shame In
free country. The country was h-iking
( o congress Tor relief Let mefabers
here. - representatives eiess to the peo.
pie. do thetg duty. and b their duty
faithfully. and there was AZ the ether
end - the capital any vestei interest
represented that would stand In The
pathway Il progress and OF the relief n
The people. ~ the pitiiesa pelling - fhn
pabitc oplnieu reign there. and not here
+. let representatives disrhsrse THEFT duty
and 60 hems fseisnv that they bal sane
shat tha eounify sxpeetisl ~ sbens.
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