The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-08-31
FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS,
FIELD DAY IN THE HOUSE FOR
AMERICAS GREATEST STATESMEN,
The Debate on the Financial Question Wound
Up by Great Speeches by Tom Reed,
Bourks Cochran, Bland, Mcmillan
Wilson Of Virginia and Others.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26.-rhe foo
of the house was the scene of battl
OF giants today. 1t was the last 2
hours of the debate on the financia
question, and both sides Lad reserved
their ahlest speakers for the CLOSING
act in the long drawn battle. During
the entire day the galleries and lob
bies were crowded to their utmost
On the floor OF the house were Vic,
Presiden. Stevenson, Secretary of thu
Treasury Carlisle, Secretary of tn
Navy Herbert, President Warner o
the Bimetalic league, Senators Palmer
Cockrell and others OF the upper bod!
who have taken prominent part in tn,
financial discussion in congress. Tn,
galleries of the house were full of spec
tators this morning before the hour o
meeting no a. M attracted by tn,
announcement that the last day of the
great silver debate was to be
signalized by battle of the
oratorical giants of the house
The chaplain in his opening prayer
asked Gods blessing on the closing
hours of this long debate. "For il
has been conducted with mild
christianlike spirit. May nothing &C.
cur to mar that spirit as the debate
comes to it's close, and We beseech
Thee, whatever may be the result OF
it, that that result may prove to be
a lasting benetiG to the largest mum Der
Of Thy people,"
The speaker announced the order of
today's proceedings under the hour
rule. He said the time in favor of the
bill would close with the member from
West Virginia (Mr. Wilson, and the
time in opposition to it by the MEM
Der from Missouri (Mr. Bland). The
first 80 minutes was assigned Dy Mr..
Wilson to MIR. Clark dem, Ala. Mr..
Clark was followed by ex-Speaker
Reed of Maine.
The house came to a sudden condi-
tion of quietude as Mr.. Reed stood up
in the most easterly aisle on the Re-
publican side of the chamber and be-
gan to address the house in strong,
slow-measured tones. When that
part of his speech was reached which
treats of the threats of the Democratic
party to interfere with the tariff and
when MIR. Reed declared it as fact
that the chairman of the ways and
means committee did not know today
what meant for tariff, although his
predecessor probably would, the
humor of the thing was instantly
caught up, and there were shouts of
laughter on thefioor and in the gal
leries. Then there was applause on
the Republican side of the chamber
when he declared that the Efforts OF
Democrats would not be pieced but
made whole by the patriotism OF the
Republican party. He was also very
impressive, and produced a marked
impression on the audience when in
speaking of the banks he decl ired his
belief that they were doing at this
moment as thoroughly patriotic duty
as any man whom lie saw In front of
him. They were the mainstay OF
the country at this time.
MIR. Reeds closing words
were received with a prolonged out
burst of applause, and his declaration
that the Republican party even In
defeat chung to it's high principles OF
m rality threw the Republicans into
spasms of the will rest enthusiasm.
In beginning his speech Mr.. Reed
said crisis like the present was an
inseparable accompaniment of all
human progress, yet what was after
all, according to his Judgment, the
underlying cause of the present condi-
ton of affairs was the fact that, even
if II be admitted that the propositions
of the Democratic platform are right
eous, there remains the fact that sys-
tenn upon which the manufacturers OF
this country had been regulated for so
years are threatened with q total
change. If reformation of the tariff
were in the hands even of those men
in favor of the principle of protection
instead of those who denounce it he
would feel entirely confident that
business would be stagnant, but when
this reformation is in the hands of
men opposed to the present system
those manufacturers of the country
who built upon the present system
must necessarily call halt, and until
the question is settled the manu-
facturers of this country will never
dare manufacture more than the alb