The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-10-17
THE STRUGGLE In THE SENATE.
ALL-NIGHTsEssIoN ON SILVER.

"A Severe Test OF Physical Endurance
South Carolina's Junior Senator
Attacks thePrcsidenta and Threat ems
Defends the Rights of the MA ajority.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1l.-There was
apparently no larger attendance of
Senators this morning than has been
any day for several weeks past, not
withstanding the official announce
ment that the final struggle over the
silver repeal bill will begin to-day.
Bate (Dem.) of Tennessee had read
o series of resolutions adopted at q
large meeting of citizens of Lincoln
County, Tenn, commending the action
OF the Tennessee Senators against the
unconditional repeal of the Sherman
Act, declaring the repeal bill to be
alono in the interest of the wealthy
and creditor classes, and announcing
the enemies of silver money as our
enemies and the friends as our friends" !"
AT ll:l5 the silver purchase repeal
Dill was taken up, and COckrell, ,.re-
sumed the floor and proceeded with
his speech against the bill, which he
began on Monday and continued yester-
day. His opening sentences showed
that he was suffering from hosrseness,
but to a whispered suggestion to
Harris, he remarked that It was only
temporary huskiness, which would
soon pass away.
why not restore bi-metallism ="
was his first sentence. "Why not
restore silver to all tho monetary
functions given by our laws? Why
not make gold and silver equal in
every respect by proper legislation
now, by amendments to the pending
bill? Now is the accepted time. PRO
crastination is the thief of time.' All
of us on both sides of the chamber, as
well as the executive, are the friends
of silver. If we are, why not, then,
s'oo some tangible evidence of our
Friendships? Tho charge that we,
who oppose the bill, are obstructionists
is false and unfounded. If there be
obstructionists here they can only be
those Senators who insist on ignoring
the most essential necessary legisla-
tion; that is, financial legislation.
am justified in saying in behalf of the
Senators opposing the pending bill,
that we stand ready to-day and will so
stand throughout this struggle, ready
and anxious to pass this bill with
amendments. We want legislation
now-not idle promises. We favor
misses. But the President and the
Senators who support this bill are
dumb and silent as oysters in regard
to the financial system which they
want"
Cockrell yielded the floor temporari-
ly to Smith of New Jersey, who dis
tinguished himself as Senatorial
debutant by witty, sarcastic and able
speech in favor of the repeal bill He
was applauded on the floor and galleries
as he closed.
SENATOR IRBY'S MAIDEN SPEECH.
This speech was followed by one
from Irby against the bill. He was
opposed to it. he said, as man, a
! Senator and a Democrat. He believed
sin Democratic principles as he did in
the Bible. The people of South Caro-
una, he said, Hd not propose to be
driven out OF tGe Democratic party by
any seii-constituted leaders of the De-
mocratic party. They had been
honestly opposed to the nomination of
Cleveland and were now honestly op-
posed to the bill.
In his brief remarks to-day, he pro-
posed to draw the line of demarka-
tion between the Democratic party
and the administration methods of to-
day so plainlp that never again should
they be confounded. His manhood
revolted against the idea of settling
great national question by the test of
physical endurance. That was both
bumiliating and futile. Representa-
tives OF Republican States had foisted
upon the Democratic party nominee
who did not represent it. That was
unjust, unfair, undemocratic and
irregular, and now. it was flagrantly
wrong for that nominee to use the Re-
publican party to pass a law that
meant ruin and destruction to the
palmer and poorer classes of the
Carolina wanted revision of the
tariff, but they were Milling that that
and other public questions should be
relegated to the rear for quarter OF
century rather than to see the
financial question settled in the manner
proposed by the administration He
knew that he represented the people
OF South Carplina when he declared as
Democrat that he would not be
coerced. He despised the, patronage
which had been so ruthlessly withheld
from 30 per cent. Of the honest Demo-
Gratis of his State.
Ii 1T was found necessary to over
power Democrats with Republican
votes in the Senate, he dared to tell
the Democrats that they could not
revise the tariff. He did not say this
as q threat. He said it with reluctance
and deep regret. If tho Democratic
administration ruthlessly and by the
aid OF Republican votes overrode the
"hohSp Va A'oueh Suioilud ou Ullo
repeal. he for one would not follow
that leader one step. AS for himself,
he was not one of the silver men who
would accept any compromise short of
the free and unlimited coinage of
silver on ratio of 16 to 1, or the COM
pleN rehabilitation OF silver as
money metal. In conclusion, he
appealed to the Democrat supporters
of the repeal bill to halt as they loved
the Democratic party and its glorious
history and as they loved the priceless
boon of civil liberty. Halt" he said,
" have given you warning, and il
the Democracy be now divided the
eItire responsibility must rest upon
ydu."
Cockrell then resumed the floor and
went on with his speech until he was
relieved from duty by Allen Pop of
Nebraska, who continued speech
which he had begun last week in op-
position to the bill, dwelling particu-
larly on the intrinsic value of money.
While he was reading his argument
(rather abstruse) the galleries were
gradually filed up with spectators at
tracted by the expectation Of the
scenes preparatory to and connected
with au all night session of the Senate.
On the floor itself there was little or no
evidence of an unusual number of
Senators being present.
Allen was still occupying the floor
when Dubois rose, and by his leave