River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-02-06
SENATOR Villas TALKS.
A Vigorous Speech Against the Hous
Bill Opposed TO Silver.

BiiI-Opposcd TO Silver.
Washington, Feb. Senator Villas
| (drm-, Wis., paid his respects to the
silver bin in vigorous speech in the
senate Friday. lie moi only antagon-
lied the free coinage proposition, but
denounced the bond measure as il came
from the house as a fraudulent pre-
text" to meet the reasonable sugges-
tions of the president. which il denied,
while avowing their wisdom" Among
other things the senator said:
| With the exception of provision for erncr-
| gency certifcates-which ought 10 stand
IN the permanent statutes-the house bill
contained nothing commendable: every
/ thing else was but mockery OF the Icgis-
| iation demanded by our fiscal conditions
And so again, as a year ago, parrisanship
or imbeclilty, or both. has stricken con-
gfess with paralysis and the rescue Of buri-
ness prosperity from its recurring peril
has been thrown upon the executive ]; Is
almost as fortuitous as fortunate tina. an
old statute has remained untouched dur
| ms our fnoncial madness which can again
/ serve the turn: and although in a clumsy
way, considered with reference TO existing
Conditions and suita BILE measures of re-
lief. yet II shows Gods pity end mercy are
| not wholly Withdrawn from u.s.
III any trusted agent In private affairs
| should SO deny duty and abuse trust as con-
sress did year ago, and now repeats. no
Judgment In their condemnation would be
TOO severe. Over SIG O00 eco In the puhli,.
debt were then thrown away in the reck-
less rage OF partisanship, and the injury
that must now be sustained by the people
Tor the same reason is probably no less al
though the exact measure of IL IS not quite
so clear.
Declaring that the bill as IL came from
1 the house was mere sham and FRAUD
| Senator Villas proceeded to show that the
senate amendments made ii worse than the
original measure, saying: 1T was he'd
| stock. though ii has been budded with q
warm SCION The best hope is that both
| Will shrivel AMI lie in the desert air az tie
| senate"
He then proceeded at considerable length
| 10 discuss the free coinage provision of the
Iendirs Din, declaring that the financial
distress ana public misery of the last three
years were the direct products of the cf-
| forts to force silver upon the country, and
adding: Our course to relief is q return
| TO sound principles" He believed especial-
| ly that every stop of the fatal progress in
error had been opposed to the cardinal
doctrines on which the democratic party
is based. and by which 1t must abide or
sink in recreancy while the spirit flies from
Our institutions of liberty.
He contended that the silver-mine own
ers were largely responsible for the agita-
that silver mining vas confined to the
western states said the mines were owned
by comparatively few people and largely
corporations, who, BY the employment of
labor. often make large profits on compar-
atively small outlay. The keenest and
best-trained inteUects, he said, were en-
listed by this solid interest, which was
possessed of great strength of numbers
and riches, powerful in intelligence, learn
ing and skill, keenly perceptive of its
specia interest, hardy and resolute to
seek f.. That interest was intent to win,
TO secure the best price for silver.
He declared the people of the Rocky
mountains to be subservient TO the mine
holders, saying:
THE veriest despot of story, the Grand
Khan of Tartary, the great mogul, never
had more submissive subjects than the
silver king of the Rockies; nor was ever
tyrant more pitilessly exacting. No inde-
pendence of thought or speech is tolerated
there. No party, no creed, no business can
thrive which dares to doubt in the realm
of that monarch, the law of finance as II
is In silver. The business men find it pru-
dent to say nothing, and, as for the poll
tician who dares to fiout his independence,
woe betide him. Where is that sturdy sem
ator. the brave, unbending Carey? Where
IL Dolph. the strong, able and indefatiga-
lie? Look on the bloody Moioch OF silver
to learn their fate"
He continued: "Bimetallism is high
sounding, Spienu1u WORD, IL only bimet-
allism; but, alas. what is IL and where is
it? Like dreams that wane before the
half-shut eye or gay castles in the clouds
that pass forever fitting In the summer
sky, always dancing before the vision, al
ways something to be gained but never
realized, the glittering bauble has filtered
ON afar before the fatuous pursuit on
which the public has so long been conduct
ed. yet always to disappear, save in the
pleasing speech of silver advocates while
the realities of gain could be matched by
the other and mastering purpose" He de-
clared that from the beginning practical
bimetallism had never been proposed to
congress. and that Senators Teller and
Wolcott, as champions of silver. had based
their contentious upon protective founda-
ton
Referring to the claims of the debtor
class, saying that at best they asked to
have something taken by law from one
class for another class he claimed that
free-coinage law would be especially hard
upon pensioners-an unspeakable and un-
paralleled outrage, Indeed, such a piece
of legislation would be. to sum up. genu-
Inc shame.
After recitiLg the glories of the old party
of Jefferson and jackson, the senator con-
tinued: This party will continue on its
great career. yielding neither on one side
nor the other to the reactionary forces of
old absolutism or red fires of anarchy"