Connecticut western news., 1893-08-17
MT. Vests Speech.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15.-The free and un- limited coinage of both gold and silver, without discrimination against either met al, found Q strong and eloquent advocate in the senate in the person of Mir. Vest of Missouri, who made three hours speech on that topic, based on resolution offered by him last Tuesday. Mir Vest was em- phatic, as he always is, and made it very plain that he would resist to the last ex- tremity the repeal of the Sherman act un- less that repeal was coupled with bimetal- lism. ...-.r
 Mir. Vest went on to argue against the idea that the overproduction of silver in relation to gold justified the demonetiza- tion of the white metal. and he quoted the tables of gold and silver production for many years in support of his argument.
 He undertook to say, with the greAtest respect foS the president and without the slightest doubt of his honesty of purpose, that when he failed in that great state pa- per to say a word in respect to bimetaIlism he certainly meant that a consideration of the question of the free coinage of silver at any ratio was so impracticable that it did not need executive notice. As to the as- sertion that silver should be demonetized because it fluctuated in value. while the value Of gold was stable, he read an ex- d pamphlet" written by Mir. Monteith Doug las, business man of London, before the closing of the Indian hints, pleading with the people of Great Britain in favor of bi- metallism as the only safe and sure foun- dation Tor financial existence and declar- ing that silver has really fiuctuated much less than gold.
 In replying to questions by Mir. Gray of Delaware, Mr. Vest asserted that any dis cussion Of the subject would be imperfect and unsatisfactory which dld not admit on both sides what was known to every intel ligent n-that if the volume of money was increased the prices of commodities went up, and that if the volume of money was decreased the prices of commodities went down.
 He had seen the day in the yicissitudes of his life when S30 oi paper would not buy loaf of bread and when q $5 gold piece would buy house and lot. It was not necessary tor him to say when and where that was because he did not wish to revive war issues [Laughter.l
 IfOne-half the coin currency of the coun- try were struck down, the burdens of those who owed money would be doub bled. and the prices Of comm odities would be put down beyond computation.
 MT. Palmer-Would the repeal of the Sherman act bring the country to gold standards
 MT. Vest-I think 1t would. If the Sher- man act be repealed. not another silver dollar will be coined in this country
 Mir. Palmer-How does the Sherman law aid free coinage?
 Mir. Vest-I do not think it does aid free coinage
 Mir. Palmer-Then why not repeal itf
 Mir. Vest-I am willing to have it re- pealed, but I do not want its repeal made a stalking horse for monometallism
 In reply to question by MT. Platt of Connecticut. MT. Vest said he did not know what the president would do. He only knew that the president had sent mes sage to congress in which he did not say one word about bimetallism, and he took it for granted that if the president had any idea of sustaining bimetallism he would have said something about it.