Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-09-28

Baltimore Sun special.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20.--The Senate |
to-day did the best days work it has
done thus far during this session. II |
nut in six hours of solid talk on the bill |
for the repeal of the purchase clause Of
the Sherman law. 1t begins TO look as
if the era Of business that Senator Noor-
hees talked about some weeks ago had
at last set in in earnest. Senator George
of Mississippi, was down for speech
to-day, and as he was ready to begin
early Senator Plat did not press his
amendment to the rules to provide clo-
ture, but gave notice that he would call
Il up at some other time. Senator
George then began and talked for about
five hours, when he asked to be allowed
TO suspend and conclude his speech to-
morrow. Senator Gray of Delaware, then
took the floor and occupied the time
until 615, when Senator VOORHEES, an
nounced that as the Senate had done a
fair days work he would not ask for
longer session to-day, but would prob
ably ask for night session tomorrow.
Senator George is one of the ablest
speakers among the Democratic op.
ponents of the repeal of the silver-pur-
chasing law, and he had carefully pre-
pared his speech and read it from type.
written sheets. He repeated the old
arguments that have been heard again
and again, day after day, from the silver
side ever since the session began, and In
spite of his reputation as speaker he
could not hold good audience on the
floor The silver arguments are begin
ming to be so stale that Senators no
longer find them interesting.
SENATOR eRAY's ABLE SPEECH.
When Senator Gray rose to reply,
however, he had the closest attention in
spite of the lateness of the hour. He is
known as one of the leaders among the
sound money men on the Democratic
side of the Senate, and has always,
whenever the question of finance has
been before that body in any, shape,
been found on the side of stable cur
rency that would afford fixed and
certain measure of value. He addressed
himself to what he said seemed to be the
argument on the other side that was
worthy of the most serious considera'
tion-the assertion that had been made
over and over again on that side that
the value OF gold had appreciated since
He denied that there had beer
any adequate proof submitted to the
Senate in support of this assertion
He said the fall in commodities
has been cited as proof of this, but hi
showed that the fall in commodities hat
been brought about by the increased
power of production, and he showed
further, that in spite of the fall in farm
products given quantity of farm pro
ducts would to-day buy more than til
same quantity would in 1860. He con
tended that the best measure OF valu
was the amount of labor that it took I
produce given value, and he read fror
statistics TO prove that not only had til
purchasing power Of labor as measure
by the amountfof the necessities OF lii
it could procure greatly increased, BIT
tho price of labor as measured in grain
of pure gold had also greatly increased
thus showing conclusively that mea
ured by the labor standard the gold ha
not appreciated.
HE SPOKE FOR THE ToILING MILLION
The Senators on the other side OF Il
debate are fond of intimating that u
only people interested in the repeal
the silver-purchase law are bankers al
those under their influence. Senat
Gray referred to this, and emphatical
denied that he spoke as the represent
tive of bankers and the moneyed /
terests. He declared that he spoke
the toiling millions of the country, al
he wanted them to have in return I
their labor the best dollar that could
coined, He wanted to preserve to the
that dollar, and it should not be depl
I.fk l. l. 20 IA
of any obstruction, either by the tar
or,by silver legislation, that would il
terfere with the increase of the pt
chasing power of wages He PROFOUND
10 the other side, to be answered at tn
leisure, the question of how civiliz
people could become better OFF exec
by being able to buy more with
product Of their labor.
SPEECHES THAT DO GOOD.
Speeches like those made by Senat
Mills Crex.) yesterday, and by Sena
Gray To-day do great deal OF good
the discussion of the pending b
While they may not change votes, u
are valuable as educators OF put
opinion, and will tend somewhat
modify the opposition which those
directly interested in the sale oil Sill
will interpose to the passage OF
pending bill. Ii there is any critic
that can be made to the management
the campaign for repeal in the Senat
is that some of these speeches were
made earlier in the debate. If some
these speeches had been made bel
cer.ain Democratic Senators had g
on record so positively against repea
they have, they might have been fol-
among Its supporters now. AS a ma
of fact some OF the men who have
Il posed this bill have done SO simply
cause they have believed it was
+ popular thing for them to do in !
own States. They have not underst
n the question as thoroughly as they
n now or they would have realized
Il they were in reality opposing the
interests of their constituents.