The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-08-13
Mr.. Hartsr. of Ohio. Forced to the Guilty Ad-
mission that His Partys Platform Stood for
Free Coinage, but He's Not Included.
Factions in Both Branches Are Sized
Up as Favoring the Repeal.
Many Who Desire Free Coinage will Vote
with the Anti Sherman Law Represen-
tstives Rather than See Them Beaten.


bate in the House to-day did not attract
much public interest. The knowledge that
no vote can possibly be reached under the
resolution of procedure until Aug. % causes
members to take little interest In the pro-
ceedings. and it Is doubtful whether there
was quorum present in the House at any
time to-day. Many members left Tor the sea-
side last night, resolved to remain until
liver the speech which nearly every man
Is preparing on the financial situation. 1t
seems likely that the daily spectacle in the
House for the next two weeks will be that
of an impsssioned individual delivering q
fiery speech to q SCORE or two of his per-
sonal friends and an array of two or three
hundred empty benches. When the House
adjourned to-day there were not mere
than fifty Representatives in the nall.
The first speaker In the House to-day was
Mr. Wheeler, Democrat. of Alabama, who
continued his spesoh of yesterday against
the repeal. The moment the Sherman act
was repealed. he said, that moment there
would not be q line or q word in the laws
of our country recognizing the coinage OF
silver. and there never would be during
our lives OF the lives of our children.
w
q Massachusetts, Republican. Mr.. Morse
said that the country had come to two
roads. Sound finance beckoned it on to
national integrity and honor; tree silver
beck0ned il on to financial ruin and dis
tress He was heartily in favor of repeal
ing the purchasing clause of the Sherman
act. but the remainder Of that act, declar-
ing parity between the two metals was
fine statesmsnship and should stand. So
much of the Presidents message as related
to the currency met with his most unauali-
fed approval. SO much of the message was
good Republican doctrine. But while he
agreed with the President on this PROPOSE
tion he could not believe with the chief
magistrate that the present appalling
business situation was due entirely to the
purchasing clause or the silver bill. 1t
was moro largely and principally due
to tho threatened tariff legislation which
ness. and there could be no relief until the
Democratic policy IN regard to the tariff
was. defined.
Mr.. HARTER TRIPPED UP.
Mr.. Hsrter. Democrat, of Ohio. who was
one of the leading anti-silver men In the
Fifty.second Congress. took the floor in
advocacy of the Wilson bill. He dis
claimed any idea of partisanship on this
question. 1t was patriotic question. If
party gain was to accrue by saving tie
country from it's present situation he was
willing the Republican party might have
it all. He desired only to lift the
country out of the pit into which
it had fallen; He for Was able to say
ton. but he did not think that In q time
like this it was the part of q patriot to call
up such o question. Let Congress give the
country an honest currency. and he Mr..
Harter was willing TO shake the dust of
Washington from his feet and never enter
the House of Representatives again. lap
plause.
Mr.. Boatner. Democrat. of Louisiana. in
quired whether the gentleman knew any.
thing about the silver question that he did
not know ten months ago. Laughter.
Mr.. Harter replied that he was that kind
of man who knew little more on the silver
question than be did ten months ago. than
he knew ten weeks ago or ten days ago.
and he expected to know little more on
every question the longer he lived. Con-
tinuing, and in reply to question. Mr.
Harter said that the condition OF the WORK.
ingmen in England was as much superior
to the condition of the wOrkingman in Ohio
principally on account of the silver legis.
lationl as q berth In heayen was superior
to cot in purgatory. Laughter.
in response to question by Mr.. Hender-
that the Sherman act had been passed by q
Republican House and a Republican Sem
ate. and had been approved by Repub-
lican President. Democratic applause.
Mr.. Henderson asked the gentleman to
state to the House the attitude of the DEM
ocratic party at the time of the passage of
the silver law. Mr.. Harter said that he
trusted to the good temper of che House
to- keep this question ont of pol.
tic i,is' sh.ImSd Rsy'w1ns M she tstor history d Of
that while that law was not q good law.
under the circumstances Senator Sherman.
instead of being abused. ought to have the
grateful thanks of the whole people, be-
Al
tsined for the country out of a bad situs-
tion. which had been brought on by the
Republican platform and the election of
Republican President With Mr.. Cleve-
land in the presidential chair q free COIN
age of silver measure could no more con-
troll his signature than could the death
warrant of the Speaker of this House.
Mr.. Henderson here persisted in his Ques.
tion as to the attitude of the Democratic
party at the time of the passage of the
Sherman law.
Free coinagew shouted several members
on the Democratic side.
Mr.. HendersOn-There is an honest an.
swer from the Democratic side. Will the
gentleman DO equally honcstf
Mr. Harter replied that he would answer
as a matter of courtesy, although IL broke
the thread of his argument. The national
platform of the Democratic party had not
been favorable to the free coinage of sill
YER. nor had it charged the Republicans
tion of silver. The Democrats nomi-
mated man radically opposed to circu-
lating. IS dollar, any coin worth less
than 100 cents. Republicans knew what
kind of man they nominated. He did not
wish to proceed farther IN political discus
sion. He then proceeded to mark out his
plan of procedure. He would have che
CongrAss In it's extraordinary session repeal
the purchasing clause of the present law,
authorize nationsl banks to issue circula-
tiOn 10 the full extent OF their bonds, and
direct the Secretary of the Treasury TO pro-
vide for the issue of gold bonds.
HENDRICKS, THE GOLD BUG"
On the conclusion of Mr.. Harters speech,
Mr.. Hendricks. Democrat. of New York,
was recognized. He said that he had been
denominated here as a banker" He had
been called q gold bug" but he assured
his friends that the only piece of gold he
possessed was q five-dollar CON- and
that the only money he had was I'm his left
hand trousers pocket. and that he had OBJ
tanned from the Sergeant at arms q fe W day
ago. He had been born in Missouri. He had
grown no with the people of the West
and he knew them and loved them. But he
came to this Congress by way of the East,
and he represented an Eastern constitu-
ency. and he wished to say to tins body of
gentlemene that the opportunity for this
before been equalled in the history of the
lsud. Said he: LET Congress repeal the