The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-02-19

Business Is TransaCted-Ihe House IN
oreasos Mexican Veterans Pensions.
WASHINGTON, Feb. l9-By bold par
liamentary move the silver men of the
senate, under the leadership of Senator
Jones, Of Arkansas, forced aside all other
pending business. including appropriation
bills, and by vote of 30 to 27 made the
bill for the unrestricted coinage of silver
the unfinished business before the senate.
Having succeeded in this Mr. Jones
gave notice that the silver bill would be
kept before the senate until a fnal vote
was secured before adjournment today.
| From the strength shown by the silver
men on the votes yesterday there seems
little doubt Of Mr.. Jones ability to secure
the vote unless obstructive tactics and
! test of physical endurance is inaugurated,
which is regarded as likely
The move of the silver men came as the
climax Of an exciting day in the senate.
For two hours at the opening OF the SEES
sion there was a renewal of the attack and
defense, the charge and countercharge,
concerning the course of the president and
the secretary of the treasury in negotiating
the recent bond contract with foreign
bankers The two notable speeches of the
day were made by Mr.. Gray, of Delaware,
whose relations with the administration
are such that his utterances in defense of
the president and secretary were regarded
as rejecting the attitude of the executive
branch, and by Mr. sherman, of Ohio,
whose financial views are always received
with marked attention.
Mr.. Gray placed the responsibility for
the bond contract on congress, asserting
that the president had fully warned con
| ~ 10 bo
financial laws were not revised. The sena-
tor declared that the drain of gold had be
come so tremendous that the sub-treasury
at New York might not hold out another
| twenty-four hours. In this crisis the presi-
dent had acted, and acted quickly, in order
| to maintain the parity of the metals and
thus uphold the honor of the country. Mr..
Gray asserted that the people of the
country would not forget that the Ameri-
can congress had deserted the president in
the hour of trial
Mr. Sherman's criticisms of the bond
contract were none the less severe because
of the calm and dispassionate manner in
which he set forth what he termed its
hard and impolitic " features and the " ex-
| cessive" rate of interest allowed on thirty
year bonds. Mr.. Sherman declared that
no bonds should be issued except to be
taken by the people of the United States,
and he asserted the abundant ability of
Americans to furnish all the gold neces
sary. The Ohio senator did not, however,
question the presidents position in favor
of gold payments, but presented the facts
of all bond issues since 1869, showing that
the government had always received gold
for its bonds and was bound by common
honesty to pay in gold.
The agricultural appropriation bill was
finally passed,
The attention of the treasury officials
was called to the statement made by Sen
ator Gray to the effect that just prior to
the signing of the last bond contract
United States Treasurer Jordan had nOti-
fed the secretary of the treasury that he
could not continue longer than the next
day to pay gold on demand for legal tend
ers This statement it was said, was sub.
stantially correct. On Wednesday even
ing of Jan. 30 Mr. Jordan in a telephone
message to the department said that he
could hold out until the following Satur-
day; but that the next day might decide
the situation,
The first indications of general with
drawals of gold for the purpose of hoard
ing in this country the treasury officials
say were noticed on Jan. II last. With
drawals increased rapidly, until on the
25th of that month they amounted to
81, 1866, O46 On Jan. 2S the first message of
the president on the urgency Of the situa-
tion was presented to congress, and on
that day over S4,OOOOOO were withdrawn.
On the day following the Withdrawals
amounted to over $4,000 and on the
Both to nearly 81, 100000. The announce
ment that negotiations for another loan
were in progress was made on the 1st of
February, and on the following day the
Withdrawals had decreased to S67 900. On
the 9th it was reported that hitch in the
proceedings had occurred, and the with
drawals on that day more than doubled.
From early in the year, it is said, every
effort has been made to gather gold coin
and collect it in New York and Boston,
the two principal points of Withdrawals
for shipment, and on the 2d OF February
every dollar that could be withdrawn with
safety from other points had been shipped
to these points,
Yesterday under the rules, was suspen-
sion day in the house. -Four bills were in
this manner considerable promote the
efficiency of the revenue cutter service; tC
euualize the pensions of Mexican veterans
! by making them all SIP per month, under
the general law; to equalize the duties
and pay of steamboat inspection service
l and to authorize the Altamonte Water
company to construct dams across the St
. Louis and Cloquet rivers The first and
U last bills failed to secure the necessary
i two-thirds The bill to equalize the pa!
q of Mexican veterans win benefit about II,
600 pensioners, increasing their pension
y an aggregate of 100000, A bill wa
e passed to grant to the state OF Alabam
for public uses the Mount Vernon militar
reservation. The last hour was devoted t
= a discussion Of point of order raised b.
q | Mr.. Hayner against an item in the nava
appropriation bill
n Serious Fire in Hospital.