The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-04-10
SIMPLY BLASPHEMY.
Senator WOlcOtt Regards 1t No
Less Than Sacrilege,
To Say That Gold Has a
Fixed Value.
THE GOLDBUGS' FOLLY
Will Lead to Free Coinage He
Thinks.

'The aggravating feature of this whole
discussion, - says Senator Wolcott, Is IN
the arrogant assumption of those fellows
that, while everything else on earth IS
changing, gold alone is eternally fixed.
Along with this goes their notion that they
alone understand finance, and that we who
produce the metals are in Ignorance of
their nature, and this they prove by our
belief that when two metals part company
the change is not always in the cheaper
one. Their notion that gold never changes
is q kind of blasphemy. 1t is crediting gold
with the attribute of God And then they
insult US because do not believe it,
They will keep up this sort of foolishness
till they get western and southern men an
CRY enough to adopt free coinage
Silver Men Full of Courage.
This remark was thrown, while passing
by, into Il rather heated discussion on the
recent action Of Guatemala in declining to
pay interest on what she owes England
until the price of silver gets higher and the
alleged intention of other Spanish-Ameri--
republics to take similar action 1t
goes without saying that all the radical sill
yer men are deeply interested in the sup
posed movement and are delighted with
the prospects All kinds Of propositions
to unite the two Americas against Europe
are talked of, and Mr.. Bland and his CO.
workers are, if possible, more active than
ever. The antisilver men have long said
the part of the silver men would only
incite the latter to demand more, but SO
far it would seem that defeat spurs the
silverites to isctivity at least as much
success could do. Mr. Mccall OF the Bos-
ton Back Bay and Harvard college district
gave it as his opinion in a recent inter
view that creditors and creditor nations
have lost more by failure of the debtors to
pay principal and interest both than they
have gained by increase in the purchasing
Of hn
Guatemala and prospective Mexican per-
Torrance as only another proof of his po-
sitiOn-
Contested Elections.
The appropriation bills are all complet-
ed, so far Is committee work goes, save
possibly u few minor items, and are nearly
all reported. And this house could Ger
tainly have made q remarkable record for
prOInptncss had it not been for the persist
eno 1iilibustering of the last five weeks.
Tho long delay in getting a quorum on
the contested election cases was particu1
larry aggravating to the Democratic lead
ders, for they had expected desperate fight
against the Bland seigniorage bill and
made up their minds to it. This is, say
the committee on rules, "the very worst
season of the year to secure q quorum, for
it is about this time in most of the western
and southern states that the preliminary
cOnN entiOns are held to select delegates to
the nominating convention, and in spite
of all we can do the members will go to
look after them Several subcommittee
which were to have gone out investigating
various matters have been held here two
weeks beyond their appointed time simply
10 make up q quorum.
A joint raid of journalists upon their
several friends in tho senate has failed to
develop any very positive prediction in
gard to the tariff bill. Senator Quay says,
as he said a month ago, that really val
liable opinion can be formed at present
As soon voting begins on the amend
mer1ts nc thinks VIC shall know something
about it, and the first vote of that kind
will probably indicate the fate of the bill
Senator Aldrich, who was very free to ex-
press his opinion when the bill first reached 4
the senate that it would pass, has grown
more doubtful in opinion or more eau
tiOus in stating it. In short, it may be
stated generally that no senator proDhesies
very confidently either way, which would
seem 10 indicate that they are able to
ceGl their views from each other much
moro successfully than to keep the secrets
of executive sessions from the reporters.
The Pacific Railway Business.
In the house they tell us that now the
spring conventions are over and the aeggra-
walton of the contested election cases Sooth-
ed they will rush things right along-the
appropriation bills and the rest of the
Hatch bills first and then probably Pacific
railway business and some general legisla-
tion- There are several measures in com
action with the Central and Union Pacific
railways Taking principal and interest,
the amount due from the roads now ex-
ceeds 500, 900, 600. The Gcary bill provides
for u prompt foreclosure for taking govern
ment possession of the roads and running
them as government properties during the
continuance of the litigation. 1t is favor
ed on grounds aside from the financial by
that small class of members who believe in
government management of railroads and
telegrapks- 1t also provides for a general 4
readjustment of the debt and the appoint
ment by the resident of a commission of
seven persons to run the roads until the
net earnings thereof extinguish the debt
The Brown bill is less radical in its terms
and PROPOSES refunding of the debt at
very low interest and the payment of per
cent of the principal yearly for 100 years
The Boatner resolution provides for going
behind the returns, SO to speak and seek
ing for the money wherever it has gone.
The weight of opinion in the Judiciary
committee is that out of these measures Il
new one Will be compounded, but the diff
fcultieS admitted to be very great
After considerable wrestling with the
subject most OF the members of the COM
mittees on foreign relations have conclud-
ed that Da Cana and his fellows have no
claims on the good offices of the United
States, and that the president and Minis
ter Thompson are right in refusing to ask
Portugal not to surrender them to Brazil
They are say the committee, not belliger-
ents nor even in good standing rebels
They are simply nutineers and do not lack
view is expressed by ex-Confederates on
the committee of course raises the usual
sarcastic smile of minority members, who
not in general disposed to praise any
act of the president in foreign affairs.