Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-02-19
IN CONGRESS.
Gray Defends President in His
Gold Bond Issue.
Jones' Silver Bill Made Unfinished
Business by Vote Of 30 to q.
A Vote Will Be Forced Before Senate Is
Allowed 10 Adjourn.

Washington, Feb. 1S.--The concurrent
resolution declaring that there is
no authority of law to buy gold
coin in preference to silver coin for
any purpose whatever, was laid before the
Senate. Gray denied that the bond con-
tract implied premium on gold. VOL
colt (Rep. of Colorado, called Gray's at
tention to the admission of See Carlisle
that S105, 900, 900 of the gold obtained
had gone to pay current expenses. Hill
denied that S105, 900, 900 of the gold had
been SO used.
Gray spoke of the daily Withdrawals of
gold from the treasury and asked whether
the President should have allowed the
country to lapse into silver basis with
all the attendant suffering consequent on
such change, or should he have exerted
the power which the law gave him to
maintain the policy the law enjoined.
"Where could the President go, Gray
said "but to the bankers who had the
gold? And he lal, with them, to con-
summate the plan by which the with
lrawal of gold stopped. That was done,
and could only be done in the way selected
by the President and secretary of the treas
ury.
"The President had done the very best
thing he could do, to save the credit of
the government and the solvency of the
treasury. They had to take the President
at what he said; or they had to convict
the President of needlessly and wantonly
deceiving the country and going (as Vol
colt charged) into dishonorable dicker.
He did not believe there is senator who
believed that; there was no evidence on
which such IA belief could stand.
If it should happen, that in the period
of time which these bonds had to run,
silver became the more valuable metal,
would it be consistent with the faith of
the government to deny the holders of
the coin bonds payment in silver, rather
than deprecated gold. He did not sup
pose any senator would vote for a resolu-
ton declaring United States bonds to be
paid in the least valuable of two coins.
Hoar-If, as the senator from Delaware
says, the faith of the government is
pledged to pay all coin bonds in the best
coin, does he think Is decent TO put into
the contract this: i will pay you so much
if | keep my faith and so much more if
we break it?
Gray-It is as decent as was the attacks
made upon the President. | don't think
the attack upon the credit of the United
States came from the President. 1t came
from these senators who are proclaiming
to the world that there is this difference.
The senator has very adroit way of put
ting questions and an adroit way of
answering them. The President was
recognizing the situation. He did not
create it, / think the senator from Massa
chusetts agrees with me that the proper
Interpretation of these coin bonds is that,
in the opinion of the holder they shall be
paid in one coin or the other. We have
thrown the President on his own resources
and left him to fight the battle for the
credit and honor of his country. The
people cannot forget that the President
fought that battle alone, and that Con-
gress deserted him in his hour of trial.
Sherman made a strong argument to
prove that the bonds payable in coin must
be paid in coin of highest value.
At 2 Z. NJ the resolution went over,
without action. The Senate considered
the agricultural appropriation bill. The
first amendment that came up for discus
sion was one reported from the commit
tee on appropriations to strike out of the
bill SIS, 900 for irrigation Investigations.
The item was retained. The next amend
ments of the committee-to strike out two
items of $4,000 each for investigating
and experimenting with gases and forage
plants: Investigations in relation to agri-
cultural Soils was rejected; and the items
were retained.
On motion of Lodge, the appropriation
of $40, 900 was voted to aid in the exter
mination of the gypsy moth in Massa-
Il, A 40 ,,cn ifn,,
of $500, 900 for seeds, materials, etc. for
the drought sufferers throughout the
country, particularly in the Northwest
After a long discussion, the amendment
was excluded on a point of order. The
bill was then reported to the Senate,
where the gypsy moth amendment was
agreed to; yeas, 80; nays, II. The bill
then passed. 1t appropriates 3,292, $50.
Jones Dem of Arkansas, moved to
take up the bill reported by him from
the finance committee, providing for tho
issue of bonds, coinage of silver, and other
purposes. Hale said that the motion, if
carried. would displace the bankruptcy
bill, and he moved that the Senate adjourn
Hale's motion was rejected.
Yeas-Messrs. Allison Carey, Chandler
Davis Dixon, Frye. Hawley Hill, Hoar, Nc
(wis.), Platt, Proctor, Quay, vilas.-l7.
Nays-Messrs. Allen Bate, Berry. Blackburn,
Butler, Call, Camdec, Cameron, Clark, Daniel
Dubois, Faulkner, George, Gibson, German,
Hansbrough, Huntop, Jones (Ark.), Jones
New, Kyle, Mclaughlin, Mantle, Morgan.
Palmer, PETER Perkins, PETER, Perkins, Pet
tigrew, Pugh Ransom, Squire, Stewart, Tel
Ter, Turpie. voorhees,, Walsh. White.--ad.
As this was regarded in some measure
a test on the silver bill, there was much
excitement over the result. As soon as it |
was announced,a motion to proceed to the
consideration of the Indian appropriation
bill was interposed by Call. and a parlia- !
mentary dispute arose as to whether
Calls motion took precedence of Jones
The Vice President held that under the
rule which gives precedence to an appro-
priation bill, Calls motion was first to
b. voted on Calls motion was defeated /
yeas, 26; nays, 80. A vote was taken on
Jones motion to take up the silver BILL |
and was carried.
Yeas-Messrs. Allen. Bate, Berry. BLACK |
burn Butler. Call, Cameron. Clark Daniel |
Dubois Hansbrough, Harris Hunton Homes
of Arkansas. Jones of Nevada KYLE McI,aurir, |
Mantle Morgan. PETER. Perkins. Pettigrew,
Pugh, Squire, Stewart. Teller Turpie. Voor-
Rees Walsh, White-3u.
Says-Messrs. Allison, Brice, Camden Carey. !