The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-10-31
PUGH's PARTING SHOT.
A VIGOROUS ATTACK UPON THE
PRESIDENT.

PHESlDENT.
A General Summary of the Griey
ances OF Southern DemocraticS Sena
t0rs-An Avowed ObstructiOnist unG
Eiiibustercr Who Will Carry on tho
War for SiNer indefinitely.
[Senator James L. Pugh, OF Alabama
delivered the following speech in the
Senate on the 25th ult. upon the repeal
of the purchasing cause Of the Sher.
man act. Mr.. Pugh represents the
views OF the Southern Democrats who
are opposed to repeal, and states their
position after the compromise failed
last week.
Mr.. President, the debate on the bill
to repeal the provision of the act OF
1890, known as the Sherman law, that
requires the Secretary of tho Treasury
to urchasc at the market price 4,500,
600 oances Of silver bullion and to issue
in payment therefor certificates re-
deemahIc in coin, is one OF the most
important and instructive debates ever
had in the Congress of the United States
because it involves the whole question
of finance-the use Of gold and silver
as money-tbe issue of paper as cur
rency to represent gold and silver,
whether issued by the Federal Govern
mont as the principal, or national
banks as fiscal agents OF the Govern
charter banks to aid in supplying cur
rency.
These questions are conceded to be-
of world wide Importance, as they un-
derlie and regulate all the material
transactions Of mankind, and especially
at this time are they engaging the
earnest attention and thoughtful con-
sideration Of tinanciers, politicians,
statesmen, and people of all pursuits
in Europe and America. Is it not a
sad commentary to go down in history
that the Senate Of the United States,
admitted to be the greatest lawmak-
ing bodyin in the world, while struggling
with these momentous questions should
be subjected to the use of the whip
and spur applied from the outside by
the reckless, unscrupulous, and ire
sponsible adventurers and spectators
and conspirators against the general
welfare employed in the service of
" hurry up and cease talking-debate
is useless-the speeches are nonsense
listens-nobOdy reads-the
people want final action-the majority
is asscertained and the majority must
rule "? The wolves on Wall street
and their keepers are bowling for
blood. They think they smell the dead
body OF silver and they have become
ravenOus.
Newspapers everywhere, dailies and
weeklies, subsidized in the ignominious
service, have arraigned the Senate as
a public nuisance, and what they call
the small minority as obstructionists
and tilibusters, public enemies and
criminals, deserving the most condign
punishment.
Who are these accusers and whom do
they represent How much credibility
and influence have they in the com
where they live and where
culated? To test their influence and
the accuracy of their statements as to
public sentiment, suppose mass meet
ing were called of the people living in
the town, city or county where these
papers are published, and where the
editors reside, and that in such
meeting the editor of the paper
published there were to introduce
Il resolution declaratory of his financial
opinions and policies and indorsing
the House bin now pending in the
Senate for the unconditional repeal
of the only silver law now in exist
ence, and condemning the action of the
Senators who oppose the bill, how
much influence would the editor have
and exert upon such meeting in form
ing its opinion, and what weight would
his statements that nearly all the
people were clamoring for immediate
and unconditional repeal of the only
silver law have with his hearers q?
1 feel perfectly confident that there
town in
State in the South where such an editor
could be induced to call such meet
ing or to offer such resolution, or in
favor of which he would exert any in
huence, or make or direct the opinion
OF a single man in the meeting, or
where such resolution could be
passed. And yet these editors are in
telligent and worthy gentlemen My
colleague and myself, on our own
knowledge OF the people we represent
and thcir practically unanimous
opinion in favor of the free coinage of
silver, and on letters and memorials
coming from every county, town, and
city in our State, from men we know
to be representative men, we'll inform
ed upon the subject of public opinion
whore they reside, and representing to
Us that nine-tenths of the people
action on the repeal bill, do not believe
that any mass meeting anywhere in
Alabama, called on reasonable general
notice, would pass such resolution If
all the editors in the State were to
attend and urge its passage. We
challenge them to try it in any county.
How the people stand on the ques-
tions involved in this repeal bill, and
whether the Democratic party is to be
enlisted into the service of the gold
standard advocates, will certainly be
decided in the Congressional and Pre-
didential elections in 1894 and 1896.
Mr.. President, no debate the Con-
gress has ever had has been more
legitimate and orderly, mono more
necessary to inform the people about
a matter Of momentous Importance to
then.aand their posterity, and I do
not believe that any debate has ever
been OF greater value and usefulness,
and it will prove in the future more
destructive Of the aims OF the enemies
of the people. The debate has clearly
marked the lines that separate the
contending parties to this controversy.
/ do not mean the lines that locate the
selish, the unscrupulous, and greedy
horde who push themselves to the front
in this agitation, but mean those who
are actuated by sincere and well-formed
convictions and who are endeavoring
to discharge to the best of their ability
great public duty in this mighty con-
tention.
The immediate question before the
Senate is, shall the silver-purchase
part Of the act of 1890 be unconditional
ly repealed-that is, repealed without
any substitute? There can be no dis
agreement as to where silver will be