Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-28
WHEN VOTING BEGAN.
Scenes and Incidents in the Senate
Chamber.
Mr.. TELLER'S ELOQUENT APPEAL.
Mr.. Nc. Pherson Asks a Very Long
Question.
THE VOTING IN DETAIL.

| The beginning of the end of the silver
fight in the Senate came yesterday after
noon. just after The Star had gone to press.
In brief, the free coinage amendment of
Mr.. PETER was voted down, IS to 80, and
the amendment of the committee on finance,
commonly called the Voorhees, substitute,
was adopted by a vote of IS to 8.
Mr.. Jones concluded the next to the last
installment of his speech at about AS, and
there was general hum when he an
nounced that he owed an apology to the
Senate for his long effort. He did not know
whether it should be called an argument
or an obituary. and the laugh that followed
was suddenly silenced by the vision of
Senator Voorhees, arising. Mr.. Mcpherson,
however, who had been very persistent in
asking questions of the Senator from Ne
vada throughout the afternoon, had secured
the floor by popping up Immediately after
Mr.. Jones sat down.
Mr.. McPhersOn's Long Question.
He started out by saying: May 1 ask
the Senator a question before he takes his
seat? AS l understand the Senator now,
he is in favor not Of International money,
but of a purely national money. He is in
favor Of exactly such money India has
had in her circulation since 1870. He pro-
poses that this country shall have a money
dislocation with all the rest of the world.
co that il we owed a debt abroad we must
translate our money into the money OF the
foreign nation to whom We owed the money
before the debt could be paid, and if they
owed us they must translate their money
into our money before their debts could be
paid. The Senator, l understand, prefers a
| silver basis, and silver is continually fiuc
tuating in value. compelling the farmer. the
producer, to sell his wheat and cotton end
pork and meat for silver. That product is
taken abroad and is sold for gold.
The American farmer must stand all the
fluctuations in the money between the time
OF the sale OF his product and the time the
product reaches the other side 1 wish to
know under that condition how 1t Is poss-
ible for the United States of America to
keep up profitable trade relations with any
country that today purchases our products.
II the Senator will bear with me still fur
Their. before answering this question. / will
say in respect of the contention that arose
between us a few minutes ago with respect
| to India
Wanted 1t in Installments.
Mr.. Jones had been standing politely
throughout this discourse, and at this
point broke in with:
There is SO much; would like the Sen
ator to ask one question at a time
Mr.. Mcpherson was not at all dazed by
| the retort, but went on still further:
Very well. it is all on the one line. The
Senator instructed me when l Interrupted
him few moments ago that it was more
proper to measure the value of money by
the value OF commodities Inan IL was By
other kinds and character OF money; and
| stated &c case Of an India merchant ship
ping w.Ieat and cotton 10 Liverpool. or TO
London Tor sale. 1 will now put the Ques-
ton In another form, and ask the Senator
| to be SO kind as to answer 1t.
The Indian merchant ships. say, one
quarter Of wheat to London. He is the
producer of the wheat. 1t is sold in Lon
don for gold. 1t is worth, say, today so
shillings quarter. That would buy 30
| shillings sterling in gold, or 1t would buy
Is rupees. II rupees were at par with gold.
| Therupees have fallen; they are worth to-
| day l and pence. That quarter of wheat
buys in London just Is rupees, either in
| council. bills or in silver bullion. The pro-
Queer of wheat in India may take the coun-
Gil bills. which is exchange. of course. or he
may take the silver bullion back to India,
and his mints are open. Now, how can the
Senator say that silver has not fallen India
| when l show him that bushel of wheat
| buys 10 rupees more today than with silver
at par with gold?"
Mr.. Jones gave him a very character
| istic reply: II do not think l overestimate
| the point when l say that do not believe
there is a Senator on this floor who clearly
understood the question Of the Senator from
New Jersey"
| Very well, then" Mr. Mcpherson
went on unabashed. But Senator Voorhees,.
who had been growing very impatient dur
! ing this colloouy, came to the rescue by
breaking in with his "Mr. PRESIDENT
Mr.. Mcpherson was not to be interrupted,
| but kept on with, Il will put it"
II have tried. and 1 cannot understand
whether the Senator means 1t for a speech
| or an answer or a question:" interrupted
Senator Jones' sarcastically.
"Bothr' was Mr.. McPherson's somewhat
| ungrammatical but prompt reply
| NJ. Jones continued to cut deeply with his
| ,cfi fv,,no ua cotd.
THE Senator has made many postulates:
he has assumed many things that do not
agree to at all: he has attempted to place
me in positions that l have not placed my
| self in. He undertakes to state my position.
which prefer to state for myself and after
| he has done this. he becomes SO involved in
his question that it is impossible to fully
| understand what he means"
| Given Time to Answer.
Then ensued a voice contest between Sem
ators Voorhees, and Mcpherson. the former
trying to interrupt and the latter to state
his question. Finally MIR. Voorhees, got the
| floor and said:
Il understand the Senator from Nevada
desires to complete his remarks tomorrow.
1 regret that he is not able to complete
| them now. 1 shall not press the Senator
| from Nevada upon this point but suggest,
| for economy of time, that he and the Sem
ator from New Jersey meet between now
ana tomorrow when the Senator is to re-
| sumo the floor and come to an understand
| Ing about the question that is asked and the
| manner of answering it"
Il think 1t would take about that time"
said M. Jones, merciless to the last Il
| am sure l cannot understand the Senator
without a cryptogram."
Then Mr.. Voorhees, asked for a vote on
! the pending amendment and things seemed
| smooth but Mr.. Mcpherson was not to he
downed SO easily, and said he would prefer
| to have an answer to his question from the
Senator from Nevada
He can answer 1T tomorrow If he can at
ALL remarked Mr.. Voorhees,, to the intense
amusement of the floor and galleries
There was a great stir on the floor as
Senators pushed to thei- seats through the
crowd of interested outsiders uhn Ia