Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-28
A SIGNIFICANT DEBATE.
Some Leading Questions Asked by Senator
Chandler.
Messrs. McPhersOn and Palmer Find
Some Difficulty i'm Replying to
Themselves Men GratiRed.

Just before the Senate went into execu-
tive session yesterday there was a very in
teresting running debate between Teller
ana Chandler on one hand and Mcpherson
and Palmer on the other. The chief sig
nificance of the situation developed by the
debate was the fact that the repeal men.
whose purpose is to let the talking be ar
done on the silver side. SO as to let the
onus OF delay rest on them, were drawn
into an animated discussion, which barred
the charge that the stage Of filibustering
had been reached, and the further fact that
MI. Chandler occupied an entirely indie
pendent attitude in the contest and might
be regarded as friendly to the silver men,
inasmuch as he took their side of the case
in this particular discussion.
Mr.. Teller occupied the floor, and an ar
gument he presented was that as the gold
was coming back into this country, not
"lthstanding that the Sherman law had
not been repealed, IL could not be claimed
that the existence of that law had driven
the gold out In the first instance
The Deduction Not Warranted.
This brought Mr.. Mcpherson to his feet
Tor a question, and he made an argument
OF about ten minutes to show that this
deduction was not warranted. Mr.. Palmer
then broke In with question IL IT was not
the declaration of the policy Of the admin
istration to redeem treasury notes i'm gold
that had caused the gold to come back
MIR. Teller started to point out how this
was impossible. when Mr.. Chandler asked
permission to answer Mr.. Palmer, and did
so by asking another question. He asked
II II were not fact that the declaration
of policy made by Mr.. Cleveland was mace
public before the gold had gone out Of the
country at all; If the occasion of that dec
laration had not been an intimation from
Mr.. Carlisle that IL some of the banks hold
ing gold did not let il out the coin certifi-
Gates would have to be redeemed in silver.
Mr.. Palmer replied that he could not an
swer this question, and that the object of
his inquiry was to get more light and not
to argue that Mr.. Cleveland's declaration
had actually brought the gold back. In
fact, he did not know that Mr.. Cleveland
had actually authorized the declaration of
his policy, which had been printed. Mr.
Chandler retorted that IL was a fact that
this announcement of policy had been made
some time before the gold had begun to go
out of the country, and added that he was
Informed that Mr.. Carlisle had written a
letter to the subtreasurer in New York di-
recting him to redeem coin certificates in
silver. This order, he said. had been recall
ed before II had been put into effect as ne
understood, at the earnest solicitation of
bankers. Out Of that situation had come
Mr.. Cleveland's declaration that the certi-
hcates would be redeemed in gold.
Mr.. Chandlerss Question.
to the accuracy of this understanding of
the case, and Mr.. Chandler asked IL he did
not know that such a letter had been writ
ten by Mr.. Carlisle.
MIR. Mcpherson disclained any such
knowledge, and rather intimated a doubt
as to Mr.. Carlisle or Mr.. Cleveland's ever
having made any declaration of policy.
Mr.. Chandler then suggested that IL the
declaration of policy were authorized, and
that IL il had any influence upon the move
ment Of gold, ii must have been TO cause
its expectation and the panic since both
the expectation and the panic followed the
statements purporting to emanate from the
Secretary of the Treasury and the Presi-
dent. He asked Mr.. Mcpherson, Also II IL
were not true that the Senate had not Just
before Mr.. Carlisle became Secretary of
the Treasury and after IL was known that
he had been selected for that place, adopted
a measure authorizing the sale Of bonds to
get gold. and il this had not been done at
the instance of Mr.. Carlisle-at his solicit
tation by telegraph from New York and at
the Capitol in person.
Mr.. Mcpherson did not agree that that
statement of the case was exactly correct
but had no more to say on the subject
This running debate occupied about three
quarters of an hour. and apparently gave
the silver men considerable satisfaction.