The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-08
WONT AMorxr To wen.
Col. Testers Opinion Of the silver
Party


Congressman Lester is kept busy shak-
ing hands with his many friends since his
return from Washington. He is lookine
as well as he ever did. and the frost which
the whole country has siven the Fifty
third congress does not appear TO have
affected his physical health.
Col. Lester said yesterday that ne is glad
the agony is over, and that be is able to
be back in Savannah again.
The democratic majority was so badly
split up" hesaid, THAT it was impossible
for us to accomplish anything on the
financial question. and the republicans
though badly split up themselves on this
subject, would not lend hand 10 either
side They preferred to stand of and let
the democrats light each other The re-
publicans ana democrats are about alike
on the financial question. Most of the
southern and western men of both parties
are silver men and most Of the eastern
men are anti-silver men without regard
to party"
DO you think the new silver party is
going to accomplish anything" Col Lester
was asked. They will hardly accomplish
much as a party. but ibis likely to have a
big effect on the other parties" ne replied.
Feeling is very strong on this matter.
Both sides have ceased to roa-
son on the subject. and logic
is no longer of any effect. The
silver men abuse all opponents Of the
coinage OF silver as goldbugs and Wall
street sharks. and the gold men rdcule
the silver men as cranks The newspapers
advocating the two views are just as bitter
and foolish in their Arguments. An intelli-
gent discussion Of the subject is not
thought Of by either side. IL is most
serious question. The international CON
ference on the subject which will soon be
held may accomplish something IL is to
be hoped that 1t WIfL II il doesn't, then
this country must simply so ahead and
settle the question for itself"
What are your views on the subject"
Col. Lester was asked.
Il stand right where I have always
stood" he replied 81 am "a bimetallist |
believe in the coinage Of both metals. This
talk of fixing the ratio between gold and
silver is all nonsense. No ratio can be
fixed under the present circumstances. The
only thing to do is to go ahead and coin
silver money just as We coin gold If we
wait for silver to appreciate in value with
the combination that now exists against
it we will be long time before coming
IL.
The majority of the democratic con
gressmen were in favor of silver, Of
course. With the President and his party
holding Numerically opposite views we
could do nothing. That was the whole
trouble in a nutshell"
Col. Lester had no trouble in getting
through the regular appropriations for
the river and harbor work He failed to
secure the appropriation for the marine
hospital at Savannah, however. Il got
the bill making the appropriation through
the committees all right" he said, land
ii was ready TO report IN time to have
passed it before the close of the session.
l could not get recognition from the
speaker, however. He wanted to shut
off all the appropriations possible, l sup
pose. The Fifty-third congress appro-
priated about as much money as the pre-
ceding congress. A large part of the ex-
penditures, however. were for matters
saddled on the government by the re-
publicans. Congress decided to pay the
sugar bounties 1 did not favor this,
though"
Col. Lester does not Ike the Presidents
bond policy and he does not approve of
the recent bond deal of President Cleve-
land with the Rothschilds. When asked
about the latter he said:
Il prefer not to talk about il. ] simply
do not comprehend why the President
should have done such a thing. That is
all l care to say about it."
Col. Lester said that the F'ifty-thrd
congress should have the credit Of enact
ing the present tariff law, which is great
deal more satisfactory from a democratic
standpoint than any tariff which has
been in force since the war"