Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-05
Only the House Was in Session To-
day.
FOR AND AGAINST THE MEASURE
Mr.Bourke COCHRAN Takes Hand
in the Debate.
MR.. BLAND's QUESTIONS

The only business done by the House in
the morning hour was concurrence in the
Senate amendments to a bill for the relief
of Zimri Elliott Of Kansas, and a resolu-
ton to pay the funeral expenses of Col.
VIM. II. Fitch, for twenty-one years door
keeper in the House, and who died Christ
mas day.
The debate on the currency bill was be-
gun by Mr.. Boatner Ua.), who expressed
surprise at the opposition to the measure
which had developed on the democratic side
of the House.. He paid a tribute to the abil-
tiles of Secretary Carlisle. and dwelt upon
the duty of supporting him. which, he said,
rested upon democrats.
MIR. Blnnd's Questions.
In the course of the speech Mr.. Bland
the administration had adopted a gold
policy and finally declared that the finan-
cial platform was fraud. if there was no
intention to carry it out. asserting that
platforms should mean something.
Mr.. Boatner asked If Mr.. Bland had not
been a supporter of President Cleveland in
the last campaign, whereupon MIR. Bland
responded that he had supported the plat
form and voted for the candidate, and that
the party had gone down in ignominious de-
feat for it's treachery and fraud.
Mr.. Pence (Colo) brought up Secretary
Carlisle's advocacy OF silver. while mem
Der of the House, in supporting TIE Mat
thewS resolution, and asked If soon after
accepting the treasury portfolio he had not
announced his intention of paying some OF
the government obligations in silver, and
had been called down." and Mr.. Poatner
replied that 1T was useless to revive Tree
silver as a factor of the currency question.
Mr.. Bland retorted: You can't run the
democratic party on republican lines, and
no mugwump can change it's policy"
r continued that 1t was the
mistake of the century when the admin
istration refused to pay obligations in sill
Yer as well gold.
I'VE should no longer keep ourselves on
exhibition" Mr.. Boatner concluded, "as
unable to agree on a single measure that
promises relief to the people,"
MIR. Lacey Opposes the Bill.
Mr.. Lacey Qowa) followed in opposition
to the bill, asserting that the people did
not distrust the currency; that the inability
of the governments revenue to meet ITS
expenses was the real trouble and the
cause of the bond issues. made ostensibly
to maintain the gold reserve. '''
MIR. Bouri&e Cockrnn's Speach.
There was the usual filling of seats and
galleries when NJ Cochran On. " rose in
the first aisle of the democratic side and
deplored that the tendency to treat the
measure as party one was likely *t0
wreck it on the rocks of political eXps5
dency. The vote of confidence in the dem
Ocratic party in 1892 had been reversed he
said, and he did not think the constitu-
tional provision which allowed the party
to retain power until March 4 warranted it
in passing party acts. AN agitation with
out results, which would ruffie restored
business tranquility, had better be drop
ped" he said. IF this House succeeds in
establishing a monetary system based on
human reason and experience of experts
it's last days will not be without profit or
devoid of honor" he declared. There
legislators could divide along party lines
with advantage, but this was not one of
them.
He said there were many questions on
which mankind had differed from the be-
ginning of civilization. and the questions
connected with the finances and political
economy were among those over which
there had been most disputation. Never
theess. he commended that the laws con-
trolling these questions were immutable,
and to obey them was to bring blessings;
to ignore them, the reverse. I'VE can"
he declared, mo more affect the economic
laws by our legislation than we can, by
the same means, affect the laws governing
the seasons He asked that the question
now at issue be considered on the basis of
the economic laws. He thought he saw
evidences that the judgment of the gen.
Grafton had been warped by the super
abundance of talk on the 'crime of 1S73,'
when silver was demonetized, which had
involved the use of host of empty
phrases and much mystery, but had
Brought but very little practical good 10
the people generally. .o,..,
What brings Prosperity.
The tendency to treat political economy
as a mysterious science had enabled men
to pose as statesmen who If they talked
common sense would have been discover
10 f,noa no 10 hx,
spouting platitudinous nonsense. Ancient
astrology was no more absurd than che
double standard, but when we reflected
that this generation had allowed it's daily
affairs to be affected by the nonsense of
impostors our charity toward the ancients
broadened and our sympathy was touched
by the sight of our own people listening
to men who said that the payment of
wages in bad dollar was better than in
a good dollar and that taxation was the
of prosperity. 80 st
When Mr.. Cochran alluded sarcaStfcally
to the free silver fight of Messrs. Bland
and Bryan, and what he termed thechang-
ed attitude of Mr.. Boatner. who was about
to retire to the calme" fields OF jurispru-
dence Mr.. Bland interrupted with "a ques-
ton regarding Mr. CockranS prediction
that the repeal of the purchasing clause of
the Sherman act would restore prosperity.
and Mr.. Cochran challenged him to pro-
duce word of his to that effect.
Il am not one Mr.. Cochran resumed,
who pretends that prosperity can be
forged in this chamber, or by the law of
the lard 1 believe all the law and gospel
DIT the subject of political economy was
revealed to the first man when just God
told him that by the sweat of his brow
ne mist eat his bread. Prosperity was in
the earth and the earth alone, and char
atans who said they Rad it in their clothes
or their brains. and who had cursed the
country for twenty-five years, 1t was the
chief object of his speech TO oppose.
There is nothirg," Mr.. Cochran contin-
ued Gin the laws governing the trade of
the country from the laws governing the
trade of individuals. The present cannot
De Il producer of commodities; what it
gives it must take. Government cannot
at the same time be both generous and
Just; to be generous toward one it must
be oppressive to another and he commended
that the idea that the government could
in some way promote one interest at the
expense of another had been responsible
for many evils. The law of justice to all
must be consulted and obeyed by all. 1t
was the bond of God and of nature to man.
It's limitations were salutory-its opera
ions always beneficent.
Against the Pending Bill.
Taking up the banking and currency bill,
ne spoke briefly of the claims of the COM
nittee that it would promote the ends of
ro6o this DOSition and