The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-15
T'HEREPEAL BILL PASSED
THE MEMORABLE CONTEST
IN THE SENATE ENDED.
The Proceedings in Detail-Forty-
three Votes Against Thirty-two-
Eleven Majority Recorded in Fa-

Eleven Majority Recorded in Fa-
vor of Stopping any Further Pur-
chase Of Silver py the Government.
t726 p. n, By vote of fory-thrse to
thirty-two, the United States Senate, after
one of the most remarkable and memorable
parliamentary battles o. a generation. passed
the bill Internationally repeating the pur-
chase clause of the Sherman silver law. The
end was reached at the conclusion OF 4 con.
tinuous session of fourteen days after sixty
one days of debate, during which five volumes
of the Congressional Record had been filled
with speeches, amounting in the aggregate
to about twenty million words.
The text of the bill as passed is as follows
That so much of the act approved July IA,
1890. entitled can act directing the pur-
chase of silver bullion and issue Of Treasury
notes thereon and for other purposes" as
directs toe Secretary of the Treasury topur-
chase from time to time silver bullion to the
aggregate amount OF 4,500, 900 ounces, or so
much thereof rs may be offered in each
month at the market price thereof, not ex-
ceeding 81 for 371 25-l00 grains Of pure sill
yer, and to issue in payment for such pur-
chases Treasury notes of the United States,
be and the same is hereby repealed.
And it is hereby declared 10 be the policy
of the United States to continue the use OF
both gold and silver as standard money, and
to coin both gold and silver into money OF
equal intrinsic and exehangeable value. such
quality to be secured through international
agreement or by such safeguards OF legisla-
tion as will insure the maintenance OF the
parity in value of the coins of the two met
ais and the equal power OF every dollar at all
times in the markets and in the payment OF
debts.
And it is hereby further declared that the
efforts Of the Government should be steadily
directed to the establishment OF such @ safe
system of bimetallism as will maintain at all
times the equal power of every dollar coined
or issued by the United States In the mar
kets and in the payment Of debts.
The crowds in the halls surrounding tho
Senate chamber when the Senate resumed its
session surpassed any heretofore seen dur
ing the day at the Capitol except when some
great public ceremony Is in progress. Every
seat in tho public galleries was filled, and
long lines Of people were waiting patiently
in the corridors for an opportunity to secure
admissions wherever vacancy occurred.
A rou-cau showed the presence OF flfty-two
Senators. As soon us the V1ce-President en-
tered tho chamber, at II a. M. he announced
that the Senate resumed its session, and that
the Silver Purchase Repeal bill was now be-
fore the Senate.
The proceedings of the Senate, which fol-
lowed, formed q fitting climax 10 the incl
dents of the twelve weeks discussion ofthe
financial question. There was a series OF
short. spicy, entertaining speeches by yari-
Gus Senators who wished to explain their
positions aud q strictly unparliamen-
tary one round contest in which
the fighters were Senators Woicott,
Carey, Washburn and Teller. which
IN fhn af
the Senate, and could only have grown out
OF or been tolerated during the progress OF
such a fight as the one just ended, fight in
which tradition, etiquette, courtesy. rules
and everything else have time and time
again been scattered to the winds.
Mr.. Hunton opened the debate and was
followed by Messrs. Cameron, Morgan (who
spoke three hours), Vest. Cockrell, Carey
and Dubois. At the close OF Mr. Dubois'sre-
marks there Was brief lull, and the Vice
President announced that the Voorhees, bill
was before the Senate and open to amend
ment.
Mr.. Pasco Immediately moved to take up
the amendment OF which he gave notice to
appoint commission Of three 10 establish
ratio between gold and silver by January l,
1894. after which silver dollars are to be
coined OF weight fixed by the Secretary OF
the Treasury and to be legal tender. Tais
amendment, Mr.. Pasco said. was now in o.
der, unless there was any other amendme-t
to precede 1t.
At this moment Mr.. Stewart hurriedly en-
terinc the Senate from the lobby in the rear
of the presiding officer. said amid laughter,
81 have another amendment" 1t proposed
to reduce the amount OF gold in the coinage
twenty-five per cent, so that the amount OF
gold in the standard dollar should be nine
teen and rhirty-fve hundredths grains.
This amendment was negatived without
division.
Then MIR. Pasco's amendment was rejected
by a vote OF 26 to A.
More speaking was then indulged In by
Messrs. Jones, Harris and Stewart.
Mr.. Stewart closed at 7.15, and then the
ice-President said that, if no further
amendments were offered, the vote would
now be taken on the engrossment and third
reading of the bill. That was agreed to
without a division, and then the vote was
taken by yeas and nays on the passage OF
the bill as amended. and it was passed-
yeas, forty-three nays, thilty-two.
The vote in detail follows:
Yeas-Messrs. Aldricn. Brice. Caffery,
Camden, Carey, Cullom Davis. Dixon. Dolph,
Faulkner. Frye. Gallinger, GIBSON, German.
Gray, Hale, Hawley, Higgins, Hill, Hoar,
Hunton, Lindsay, Lodge, Mcmillan, McPher-
son, Henderson, Mills, Mitchell (Wis.) }, Nor
rin, Murphy, Platt, Proctor, Quay, Ransom,
ST. oman, Smith, Squire, Stockbridge, Turpie,
Villas, Voorhees,, Washburn and White (La.)
-43.
Nays-Messrs. Allen, Bate, Berry, Black
burn, Butler, Call, Cameron, Cockreli, Coke,
Daniel, Dubois, George, Harris. Irby, Jones
CArk.), Jones (Nev.). Kyle, Martin, Pasco,
PETER, Perkins, Pettigrew, Power, PuSh,
Roach, Shoup, Stewart. Teller, Vance, Vest,
Walthall and Wolcott-thirty-two.
The following were the pairs
Messrs. Mitchell (Ore) and Allison,
Chandler and White (Cal.); Co!quitt and
Wilson Palmer and Hansbrough; Gordon
and Morgan.
The party divisions were as follows:
For Repeal-Repubican %; Democrats.
90.
Against Repeal-Democra.s, 1S. Repub-
licans, 10 I; Populists, 8.
There was no demonstration whatever dur
Ing the roll call, and when Vlce-PreSident
Stevenson announced the result OF the vote
the Senate adjourned and the Senators hur-
ried home to dinner. In ten minutes the gal.
leries and the chamber were empty, the lights
were eXtinguished, and the curtain runS
down one of the creates: parliamentary strug-
giles in the history OF the Senate.
Passed by the House and Signed.
BY vote OF 1913 to ninety-four the House
of Representatives passed tho Silver Pur-
chass Repeal bill as it came from the Senate.
1t was promptly signed by the President, and
thus became the law of the land.
The silver controversy, in its last stages,
having been transferred to the House, thero
was quite a large attendance, both on the
floor and in the galleries, at the noon hour
OF meeting.
Tho question of repeal came squareiy be-
fore the body when the bill was presented
which had been passed in the Senate. Mr.
Wilson moved TO concur and called for the
previous question.
After some discussion the Speaker was