The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-08-16

situation, he was willing that the repub-
lican party might have it ALL He de-
sired only to lift the country out of the
pit into which it had fallen. He was
able TO say who was responsible for the
present situation, but he did not think
that in a time like this 1t was the part
of patriot TO call up such a question.
Let congress give the country an
honest currency and he (A1r. Harter)
was willing to shake the dust of Wash
ington from his feet and never enter
the house of representatives again.
(Applause)
Mr.. Boatner, a democrat of Louisiana,
inquired whether the gentleman knew
anything about the silver question that
he did not know ten months ago.
Qaughter9
Mr. Harter replied that he was that
kind Of a man who knew a little more
on the silver question than he did ten
months ago, than he knew ten weeks
ago, than he knew ten days ago. And
he expected to know a little more on
every question the longer he lived.
Continuing, and in reply to question,
Mr.. Harter said that the condition of
the wOrkingmen in England was as
much superior to the condition of the
workingmen in Ohio, principally on ac-
count of the silver legislation, as berth
in heaven was superior to cot in purga-
tory. Gaughter.)
In response to a question by Mr..
Henderson, a republican from Iowa, Mr..
Harter SAID that the Sherman act had
been passed by a republican house and
a republican senate and had been ap-
proed by a republican president. Demo
cratic applause)
Mr.. Henderson asked the gentleman
to state TO the house the attitude of the
democratic party at the time of the
. 10
Mr.. Harter said that he trusted 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 that law
was not a good law, under the circum-
stances, Senator Sherman, instead of be-
ing abused ought to have the grateful
thanks of the whole people, because he
got the best there was to be obtained
for the country out OF bad situation,
which had been brought on by the repub-
lican platform and the election of a re-
publican president. With Mr.. Cleveland
in the presidential chair free coinage
of silver measure could no more control
his signature than could the death war
rant Of the speaker of this house.
Mr.. Henderson persisted in his question
as to the attitude of the democratic party
at the time OF the passage of the Sher-
man law.
Free coinage" shouted several mem
bers on the democratic side.
Mr. Henderson-'There is an honest
answer from the democratic side. VIII
the gentlemen be equally honest?"
Mr. Harter replied that ne would an
swer as a matter of courtesy, although
it broke the thread of his argument. The
national platform of the democratic
party had not been favorable to the free
coinage of silver; nor had IL charged the
republicans with being favorable to the
decentralization of silver. The democrats
nominated a man radically opposed to
circulating as a dollar any coin worth
less than 100 cents. Republicans knew
what kind of a man they nominated.
He did not wish to proceed further in
political discussion. He then proceeded
to mark out his plan of procedure. He
would have the congress in It's extraor-
binary session repeal the purchasing
clause of the present law, authorize ma
tional banks to issue circulation to the
full extent of their bonds and direct the
secretary of the treasury to provide for
the issue Of gold bonds.
Voice from New York.
On the conclusion of Mr.. Harter's
speech, Mr.. Hendricks. a democrat of
New York, was recognized. He said that
he had been denominated here as bank
er. He had been called gold bug, but
he assured his friends that the only piece
of gold that he possessed was IS coin
and that the only money he had was in
his left-hand trousers pocket, and that
he had obtained from the sergeant-at-
arms a few days ago. He had been born
In Missouri. He 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 constituency and
he wished to say to this body of gentle
men that the opportunity for this con-
gress to benefit the country had never
before been equalled in the history of
the land. Let congress repeal the Sher-
man silver law, adjourn and go home
and let the people do the rest. applause
1t was not to the gold bugs of Wall-st.
that he asked the members to listen; nor
to the men, women and children who
had their savings locked up in savings
banks; he asked them to listen to the
workingmen thrown out of employment;
he asked them to listen to the voice of
fear that our country was entering on a
period black with sorrow and black with
woe. In this hour of dire distress, when
good men were throwing up their hands
in despair and going down under the
wave of disaster; when the most solid
banks, that had stood up against the
winter storms and summer heats of
finance, had gone down and their presi-
dents and stockholders had, in extreme
modification, taken their own lives; when
humiliation had come on honorable bust
ness men; when all the whole United
States was on it's knees praying to con-
gress, "for Gods sake, repeal the Sher-
man silver law and let us alone" the
silver men came here and asked for the
free coinage of silver at ratios varying
from Is TO 20. What mockeryl What
idiocy in financed What shame on a
free country! Let members here, as
representatives close to the people, do
their duty, and do their duty faithfully,
and II there was at the other end of the
capitol any vested interest represented
that would stand in the pathway of
progress and of the relief of the people
let the pitiless pelting of public opinion