Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-10-05
STILL TALKING.
Blackburn and Butler Against
Repeal.
THE ELECTION BILL IN THE HOUSE

Blackburn and Butler Deliver Long
Speeches in the Senate Against Uncondi-
tional Repeal-The Honse, After Some
Routine business. Takes Up the Election
Bill and Discusses 1t TIL Adjournment
Confirmed by the Senate
WASHINGTON, Oct. G.-There were but
seven senators present in the chamber
when prayer was said. Stewart thought
that the reading of the journal should
have larger audience. He made the
point Of mo quorum" The roll was called
and forty-three senatOrs-just quorum
responded. The journal was then read.
the bill making appropriations TO enforce
the Chinese exclusion act was reported to
the senate from the committee on foreign
relations and referred to the committee on
appropriations. PETER offered resolu-
ton for the appointment of a select com
mittee of three senators to consider and re-
port whether any and what legislation
is necessary to improve the banking sys-
tenn of the country" 1t went over The
silver purchase repeal bill was then taken
up, and Butler addressed the senate in op-
position.
Is for Compromise.
He began by criticising some of Mr.
Palmer's statements, particularly the one
lnsiting that the senase should be put in a
position to govern itself. He would say to
that senator that the minority was not at
tempting to coerce anybody, but he
thought lie might safely say that the
minority did not intend TO be coerced by
anybody. The minority in the senate on
the repeal bill represented millions of
American citizens ard billions of Ameri-
can property and were they to be told that
the minority must yield to the demand of
the majority. He heard it often asked:
"What is 10 be dunes" 81 repIy. Mr.
President" he said 'compromise. Com
promise is the solution of the struggle here
today
Defends the President.
Then he spoke # the supposed interior
ence Of the president with legislation and
defended the president against the charge
Coming back to the merits of the question.
he declared that il he believed that silver
money was an injury 10 the country he
would vote for the bill. II he believed
that the purchase of 45Ot, 600 ounces of
silver per month had brought about the
panic, or lad jeopardized the credit of the
government. he would vote for the un-
conditional repeal of the Sherman law.
blackburn Against Eepenl.
Blackburn then addressed the senate in
opposition to the repeal bill. He was not,
he said, the friend or apologist of the Sher-
man act. The record would show that he
had opposed its passage, and he had never
seen cause TO change the opinion which he
then held. But, bad as the measure was.
unfair and uncandid rs he believed it to be-
he did not believe that it had been the
cause of the financial woes which the coun-
try suffered, nor did he believe that its re-
peal would prove that panacea for all the
financial ills under which the country was
struggling. The trouble lay further back
than the Sherman law. The tariff system
of the country needed revision, and the
financial system needed overhauling He
stood here to-day to advocate both those
necessary works.
Wants Gold and Silver Even Terms.
Continuing he said: you must adopt
the gold and silver standard on even
terms. And then the paper money ISSUED
on that bimetallic basis must be issued
directly by the government and not fill
tered to the people through the agency of
petty, fostered national banks"
He urged the repeal of the 10 per cent
tax on state bank issues, and said that
there must be a reduction of government
expenditures and that the pension rolls
must be purged of peculation and fraud
"When these things are done" he said
"Gf in Gods providence they are ever
done), then financial disasters and panics
will be supplanted by prosperity and pro-
gress; strikes will be heard of no more:
tramps will give way to well-pad and
contented labor in every industry; agri-
cultural, manufacturing and mining will
gain new life; and then we may hope to
attain the destiny TO which we are en-
titled-that of the foremost, the most
prosperous, the happiest people on earth"
lApplause.l
Call addressed himself to the pending
bill, and declared his opposi ion to its pas
sage, unless coupled with provision for
the free coinage of silver at ratio of IL
to l. The senate after a short executive
session adjourned.