The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-09-30
HARRIS STRONG APPEAL.
Morgan Says We should Be Independent
of Great Britain.

Morgan Says We should Be Independent
of Great Britain.
WASHINGTON, Sept. Ex-senator Cam
eron, OF Pennsylvania, presented petit
ton from the Philadelphia manufacturers
asking legislation to retain the protective
tariff and the integrity of silver as money
metal, heretofore sent in these dispatches.
He said the signers represented seventy
five millions of capital and a yearly pro-
duct of hundred and fifty millions.
The repeal Dill was then taken up.
Harris, (Democrat) of Tennessee,
spoke against it. He declared it practi-
celly meant gold standard, as thereafter
silver could only be used as fractional
currency. He favored the coinage of all
American silver, but hoped Sherman
would Join him in rehabilitaring the
Bland-Allison act and going back to that
amount of coinage il not more.
Sherman said he believed the continued
purchase of silver under the Bland-Alli-
son act or "the act of 1890, would
eventually drive gold from circulation
aud silver would be the only standard.
Free coinage would have the same result,
So he favored the abandonment of the
system.
Continuing, Harris quoted from a
speech by VOORHEES, last February, in
which he said he would have voted to
take up the Sherman bill some days prior
to that. but for the fact that its passage
would undoubtedly demonetize silver
and leave it supported by not one word
OF legislation. Harris, in conclusion,
said he would accept any reasonable COM
promise.
Harris, continuing, said: 81 thought it
an outrage to ask men like myself aud
Others to absolutely sweep from under the
silver currency every vestige of law. That
is not what we meant at Chicago. At that
time Voorhees, said, while he would vote
for the repeal of the Sherman act. it must
be in connection with something better.
When the Senator from Indiana said
Harris, 'sshall have passed the bill, as
probably he may, he will find himself ut
terly poweriess to enact any other law for
the use of silver or repeal the 10 per cent.
tax on state bank circulation to increase
the volume of money. Most of them who
aid him now want to diminish the volume
of money. This is a trap IN which / do
not inpend to be caught
Morgan, Of Alabama, then addressed
the Senate. He began by discussing the
probability OF securing a treaty with
Great Britain on the silver question,
which he said was very remote.
International agreement in respect
to monetary matters was i'm
possible of execution and almost
impossible in contemplat1on-in a legis-
laUive sense. In this critical period, it
would not do to offer such hopes as a So
luton of the trouble. Referring to the
repeal bill, Morgan said: "Why this
haste? Congress had better undertake to
secure something within the view of
the constitutional power. We had better
again declare our independence of Great
Britain and maintain it than undertake
by treaty, agreement, fness, cajoIery,
fiattery and the like, to persuade Great
Britain to allow us to legislate for our
people in way the government ought to
legislate for its people,
Allison observed the United States had
four times attempted to secure an inter-
national agreement.
s'Yes,'' said Morgan, sand the senator
is now back from a recent conference and
II was agreed nothing could be done.
After four of these disappointments we
want independence. We must be indie
pendent of Great Britain. The repealers
know there is no need OF haste. They
fear the decision of the Supreme Court of
the United States on the case pending be-
fore that court. No. 500 entitled
George S. Merritt ct al. VS.. Charles |
Foster, secretary treasury. the silver
brick case. After talking for two hours
Morgan suddenly diverged from a legal
argument that the right of the owner of |
silver bullion to have it coined free and |
without limit still existed and said: ssNo
man, whatever his powers may be can
exonerate me from the discharge
OF my duty to grant to the people
all their constitutional rights; nor
can any man crowd me into silence
when / choose to speak. This is an arena
in which l have the honor to be the am
bassabor of a sovereign state whose suf-
frages shall not be taken away from her
without her consent and where have, if |
/ have it anywhere in this world, the
right TO full and free speech. The least
man in Alabama; the poorest negro in
Alabama, is entitled to his constitutional
rights st my hands as much as the presi-
dent OF the United States. He shall have
them If know how to give them.''
IN colloquy between Hawley, of Con-
necticnt, and himself as to Cleveland.
Morgan said the president seem to repre-
sent both parties. He certainly repre-
scented the Senator from Connecticut, who
sTas following him now.
in one thing?D said Hawley.
IONS thing; and for short while tenn
porary allies under brief coalition and
Tor particular PURPOSE said Morgan,
bitterly. Morgan did not conclude his
speech this evening, and in reply to a