The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-09-14

This is certainly a further recognition
of silver as money metal.
SENATOR TELLER ON NEWS
PAPERS.
The Colorado Senator Jumps on the
Metropolitan Press in Vigorous
and Emphatic Manner.
In the Senate last Saturday Senator
Teller, of Colorado, made speech which
in part was devoted to a denunciation
OF the newspaper press of the country,
especially the metropolitan part OF it,
the big city blanket sheets-for it's i'm
prudence and mendacity. And We are
much inclined to take the Senator's view
of it. An account says:
Mr.. Teller commenced his speech by
referring to the "lecturing'' which the
Senate was receiving from the newspaper
press of the country. Senators, he said,
were ordered as if they had masters to
proceed, without elaboration, contrary
to the traditions of the Senate, contrary
to the principles laid down in the consti-
tuition, to do, with hot haste, that which
in the Judgment of, if not majority, at
least very respectable minority of
Senator's, would be very disastrous
thing to do. Not only had Senators
been told that they must vote at once,
but it had been asserted over and over
again that Senators who represented
States fortunate enough to be filled with
mineral wealth were representing their
Individual interests and had not even
the right to vote on the question. In the
many years he had served in the Senate
he recollected no instance where a Senator
representing manufacturing State had
declined to vote on the tariff question
because his people were directly interested
more interest individually in silver
mining than any member of the body.
He had no properties in silver, and had
never mined an ounce of silver in his life.
But he had come to represent people
which had produced a large amount of
metallic money, and he had come to
protest against any legislation that
would seriously embarrass the people,
not of his State alone, but of that portion
of the country which was in area at least
one-third of the whole United States.
He should not be deferred from doing
his duty, as he saw it by any newspaper
attack or by any chamber of commerce
appeals; and if there should appear las
it waspublished there would) on the 25th
OF this month, three or four or five or six
hundred representatives of chambers of
commerce or boards of trade, they would
be powerless to affect his vote, or to
change his course, on the pending
measures.
Mr.. Teller went on to read from an
article in to-day's Washington Post to
the effect that President Cleveland had
come to the conclusion to grant no
concessions, and would not agree to any
proposition for silver legislation after
the passage of the repeal bill and that
this stand of the President renewed the
confidence of the friends of unconditional
repeal and gave them unwavering faith
in the final passage of the measure.
81 do not" Mr. Teller continued,
"mean to say that these newspaper
statements correctly represent the Presi-
dents mind on this subject. I leave that
out OF consideration, except to say that
they profess to speak for the people.
They say that the people, without
regard to party, are demanding from us
certain action. They tell us-what the
Senator from Missouri (Vest) says is
untrue-that the President of the United
States is interfering in this matter. The
Senator from Missouri connot change
my opinion as to the mendacity of the
public press of the country. know that
the day OF great newspapers, edited by
great editors, is past; and that the pub
LEGATION OF newspaper is like the running
of a mandatory. 1t is for money. do
not mean to say that they are always
false, or even sometimes false; but |
mean to say that they no longer repre-
sent the public. 1t is question of
influence upon them. 1t may depend en-
tirely upon who owns the stock OF the
paper; Or it may depend entirely upon
the private views of somebody who
writes the editorials. They are no longer
headed by men like Horace Grely and
Henry j. Raymond, whom we allremem-
Der. There is not such q paper in the
country.
But saw the other day an equally I'M
reliable statement, which shows how
mendacious the newspapers are. 1t pur-
ported to be a telegram from the Presi-
dent of the United States to member of
Congress, congratulating him and his
associates on the passage OF the repeal
bill by the House of Representatives.
Will anybody tell me, Mr. Teller ex-
claimed in well-feigned establishment and
Indignation, that the President of the
United States was guilty of that gross
breach OF public decency? Why, of
course it was a newspaper yarn and a
newspaper falsehood. The President of
the United States attempting to procure
legislation, having carried it from his
summer home at Buzzard's Bay, sent his
thanks-we are told-to Mr.. Wilson and
his associates. Incomprehensible, i'm
possible, what further need do you re-
quire OF the mendacity of the press?
Ii any Senator thinks he ought to de-
lend the press on that particular point,
l will give way for him to make the
defence. daughter on both sides of
Tho olox, h. 4