River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-09-14
THE SILVER DEBATE.
synopsis of the Discussion in the United
States Senate.

ms argument IN support OF MS frte coinage
amendment to the repeal bill He was followed
by MIR Stewart rep. New in opposition to the
repeal OF the Sherman act
Touching the characterization act Of 1873 he
intimated that Senator Shernan's vote sgaiHst
that bill was because he knew IL would pass and
wanted 10 conceal from the senate a knowledge
OF the fact that it emitted the silver dollar
from the list of cohs. lie claimed 10 have
sho wn that the leading members Of the two
houses who were present during the eousidera-
tion OF the bin we're ignorar Of the fact that
the silver dollar iaitted IN the eOdiheation
OF the mint laws.
the senate AID the country must Judge"
said Senator Stewart whether fair oppor-
tunIty afforded the members OF the two
houses TO know Of the omission OF The silver
dollar from the list OF coins No reference was
made in the debate In the senate TO the Omission
OF the silver dollar" He said the fact that
Senator sherman, who did 80 much 10 Sc
cure the recommendation OF the gold stand
ard by the Paris conference, introduced in
1865 bill with harmless title adopting the
gold standard, claiming that the gold standard
was an American idea-that he had charge
the mint bill from beginning 10 end and failed
10 inform the senate that il demOnetiled silver
was most astonishing The legislation was
.ot demanded by the people They knew moth
ng of it. 1t remained profound secret so
Ter as the masses of the people were concerned,
for more than two years
Coming 20 the recent election Senator Stew
art said the contest between the two great par
ties a sham battle over the tariff and the
force bill TO secure power 70 be used for another
and very different purpose. He had told the
people. he said. that IL made no difference which
party succeeded The result would be the same.
The power and patronage of the administration
would be used 10 destroy silver.
Referring TO the Sherman act Senator Stew
art sand that Notwithstanding the numerous
viosficSs of il by the executive department il
HAD added $50 O00, 600 OF legal tender money 10
the currency OF the country. There was no evil
denee that the Sherman act had up 70 this
time inflicted any injury upon the country.
The bankers panic, he said, was inaugurated
TO force congress 10 demonetize silver The
president in his message failed to inform con-
gress that the spprehe uded evils which pro
duced the panic existed only in the Imagination
or the bondhoders, the bankers and their news
paper organs, who had create the present dis
tress for their own selfish ans 5Ordd purposes.
The immediate duty OF the hour is To relieve
that distress. There is an honest remedy and
q dishonest remedy. The honest remedy is 70
res tore silver or. II that could not be done, 20
utilize the silver in the treasury by issuing sill
yer certificates on it, and by issuing enough
greenbacks 10 relieve the distress The dis
honest remedy is to pass the repeal bill, TO sane
tify TO infamous act OF 1873 and To fasten per
petusl gold standard upon the country.
Before the conclusion OF Mr. Stewards re
marks the senate adjourned
tinued his speech. After talking for an hour
he paused for a rest and Mr.. Teller rep, COLI
came TO his aid by suggesting the absence Of
quorum The roll was called and "a majority
OF senators trooping infrom the cloak rooms
fifty nine senators answered.
Mr. Teller explained his reason for calling
attention to the absence Of a quorum. He in
sisted that those who opposed the measure
should lie heard and that the friends OF the
measure should be in the chamber while it was
being discussed There had not been mem
Der of tie finance committee who was ia favor
of the bill in the chamber for the last hour. He
intended while this debate went on to see that
there was quorum present
Mr. Stewart then resumed the floor. and,
showing no symptoms of bringing his speech 10
a close at p m. Mr.. Voorhees, this patience
apparently exhausted asked him whether he
wished 10 continue his remarks during the
evening. The reply was that he hoped 10 be
excused Senator voorhees, then said that
with the senator's permission he would move
TO proceed 10 executive business The motion
was agreed to
On the 9TH Mr. Stewart rep, New post
poned the continuation of his speech un.il MIR.
Walthall dem, Miss) had spoken
Mr. Walthall then argued in favor of ,dmet-
allism He expressed his readiness to cooper
ate in prompt action on the bill. and suggested
that there a simple mode OF arriving
at prompt action. III the declarations OF
policy. hs said, which the substitute contained
we're embodied in the form Of an enactment
he believed a vote could be reached in half
the time He argued that the bill should be
addressed to some other legislation than the
mere repeal of the Sherman act; that con
gress should strike at the root, not merely at
the fruit" If fl were found that the Sherman
law, and not the Mckinley law, had been the
eliminating atrocity OF recent legislation haste
should be made TO supplement the educational
feature Ol the campaign OF 1892 By teaching the
people now that that campaign had been con
Quoted to success on mistaken issue.
Mr. Stewart then resumed his rerl arks. open
ing with TRADE against the owners of two
New York newspapers for presuming to dictate
the policy of the senate and reflect public sen
timent Then he took up Mr. Voorhees, record
on the silver question and quoted from his auto
biography in the Congressional Directory TO
show his inconsistency He read documents
and newspaper clippings to show the tariff and
the force bill were the oveTshadowin issues
in the presidential campaign.
At4:i5 Mr. Stewart announced that he would
now close. saying: There are 80. eral branches
Of the subject which have not yet touched and
which l wish 10 speak upon, but ! viii close
this speech here"
On the 9Th Mr. Faulkner (dem, W. Va
spoke on the silver question He announced
his intention to vote for the repeal bill but in
doing SO EXPRESSED his belief in silver as a
money metal and declared his intention of
bringing in an amendment to the pres
ent bill providing for the coinage of 5000
900 OF silver per month until
the aggregate circulation Of silver Of the
country shall reach SS00,0O0,000. No e'iidcnce
was furnished, he said, to show that the charge
so freely made, that the purchase Of 4500,00)
ounces of silver per month has been tie chief
disturbing element in our financial system was
true, and he contcndcd that the want Of CON
ldence which had been manifest by the people
was a want Of confidence in our financial insti-
tutons rather than in any particular kind OF
money.
Mr.. Turp.e dem, Ind) advocated Idmetal-
ism The issue which confronted congress
was not whether silver should be further
used as money, but whether its purchase
should be continued The very act of
purchasing discrimination against
silver because gold was brought to tie treas
ury. He predicted that epoch of free trade
was about to appear and of freedom of the bal
lot znd there could be no doubt that when
these two things were secured the free coinage
of silver would necessa rily be brought about
Mr.. Jones dem, Ark favored the repeal Of
the sherman act not in part, but tns whole.
He would vote against the pending Dill and
would resist IT'S enactment into law =. long
possible unless IL were coupled with some
measure recognizing silver and providing for
an expansion of the volume OF the country 5
money.
On the 9th Mr. Teller Crep, Co. spoke on
the repeal bill He began by referring TO the
'Hecturing" which the senate WAS receiving
from the newspaper press Of the country. Sen
atOrs he said, were ordered. rs u theY had mas
ters to proceed without dehberatiOn 10 do
with hot haste that which in the Judgment
of IL not a majority at least ve-y re spectacle
minority of the senators would be very dis
astrous thing to do Not only had senators
been told that they must vote at once but il had
been asserted over and over Igaia tha senators
who represented states fortunate enough to ye
filled with mineral wealth we're representing
their individual interests ani ad not even the
right TO vote on the question.
Mr. Teller then quoted from New York
payers as 70 the alleged pressure which the
administration was 10 exert the house and
senate for the passage OF the repeal bill lie
read a dispatch from the " ashiugton CORE
spondent of the New York Anne rIedu stating that
the negotiations fer the sure uder OF the silver
democrats in the senate were At end. that
the admins traitor insisted on unconditional
surrender; that Senator Vest was nov tht
angriest man against the administration that
could be found IN the country and had threat
ened TO join in delaying acton.
Mr. Teller yielded TO Mr.. Vest dem, Mo-,
who said: IF .here is any ultimatum coming
from me president il is not known to myself
nor to any Of Iuy associates. However much
:. e may differ from the president none Of US
shall ever come TO the degrading conclusion
that he will send message Ia United States
senators seeking 10 control their action As TO
what is stated in regard 10 nv action about de-
lay il is simply and Internationally false, and
the product Of newspaper Imagination melted
by newspaper rivalry.
Mr. Teller then made some sarcastic
illusions to what "purporre 10 be telegram
from the president OF the United States 10