The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-01-29

~ drawn 50 as not to raise discussion
OF those questions today. 1t is important
for this bill to pass at once. How can
any senator object to it? It simply pro-
vides that the president and the secrs-
tary of the treasury shall get the advice
and consent of Congress before issuing
any more bonds. If there is any necessity
to issue bonds, can not Congress trust
itself to act? Do senators think that
Congress is not as patriotic as the preed-
dent? Is not the credit Of the country as
safe in the hands Of Congress as in the
hands of the president? If it is not the
right and duty of Congress to decide
when bond issue is necessary, then
Congress had better delegate all it's
power to the president and go home and
let Cleveland make all the other laws.
If Congress sits still and allows the presi-
dent to issue these bonds, then Congress
is just as responsible for the wrong as
the president himself. This Is a danger
Gus power which Congress has permit
ted the Executive to exercise.
The distinguished senior Senator from
Ohio (Mr. Sherman) said last year on
the floor OF the Senate-I quote from
memOry-that so long as the present law,
the resumption act of 1875. remained on
the statute books the president and the
secretary of the treasury could, In his
opinion, continue to issue bonds $50 long
as water runs down hill, so long as time
lasts, unless Congress should prohibit
them from doing So" That is his inter-
probation of the law. And it is on this
Interpretation of the act of 1875 that the
president Is about to issue more bonds.
If this Interpretation of the law is cor
rect-which 1 deny-then the law should
be repealed at once. If the president has
the power to issue bonds without limit,
then it is the most dangerous power that
was ever given to any one man. 1t gives
him the power to mortgage the whole
country to foreign Shylocks without ask
ing the consent Of the people of Congress.
Shall Congress intrust such tremendous
and dangerous power in the hands Of
any ONE man? Nearly every senator ON
this floor has criticised the presidents
course in the last bond deal. 1 hope that
no one would approve such shameful
transaction, except those who made mon
ey out Of 1t.
The new bond deal that the president
is about to make may be as great a
swindle as the former one. VIII Congress
sit still and see this country mort gagged to
death and besides see millions of the peo-
pies money filched into private pockets?
It is our duty to stop this scandalous
wrong, and to stop it now.
Let us pass this bill, and then the whole
question of issuing bonds will come up
before Congress, where it belongs. Then,
if Congress finds that there is necessity
to issue bonds (Which I do not believe),
1T can provide regulations limitations,
and conditions like those proposed by the
Senator from West Virginia, (Mr. Elkins)
in his resolution, or such others as may
be necessary to prevent scandal and save
the peoples money. Certainly there can
be no objection to this. Under the rule
of the Senate this bill can not be voted
ON today without unanimous consent.
Our duty in this matter is so plain that
there is no need of discussion. Mr.. Presi-
and I hope that there will be no objec-
ton.