Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-05-02
NATIONAL POLITICS.
rELLrR's ANSWER TO SHERMAN.


Washington.-The politicians here ere
still discussing Senator Teller's speech,
made in the senate on Wednesday in an
swer to Sherman. Teller denounced the
Dingley bill, which Sherman 30 spiritly
defended; he explained some of its weak
points, its inequalities and its obj ects,
which were not to give more revenue to
the government, but to put more money
in the pockets of the madufactnrers. Mr..
Teller branched into regular discussion
of the tariff and money questions, inter-
mipgling them freely. He served notice
that the Mckinley bill would never be re-
enacted into law, nor any other bill akin
to it. He then announced his own posi-
tion; he stated fatty that he would not
support the Republican party in the en-
suing presidential election If the gold ele-
ment controlled the national convention
and vetoer of financial legislation was
nominated for the presidency. Then the
Colorado senator proceeded to reveal the
johbery and scandal of the passing of the
Sherman act, and its twin iniquity, the
Mckinley law. Teller denied with flat
footed emphasis that Sherman supported
the Sherman act in order to prevent the
enactment of free coinage bill. Presi-
dent Harrison had informed half dozen
senators, said Teller, that he would veto
bill providing for free coinage. There
was majority of more than thirty in the
house of representatives against free sill
yer. "Therefore," said the Colorado sem
ator, "there was no danger whatsoever of
free coinage net becoming law"
ia hok tho oil
we're bribed. They were bribed by the
Sherman act to vote for the Mckinley
bill. The free coinage Republican sen.
ators, ex planned Teller, had concluded to
offer free coinage rider to the Mckinley
law, and had assurances from the Demo-
cratic senators that they would assist to
put it on.
| This was made known to the managers
of the Mckinley bill and CONSERVATION
prevailed among them. There was dick
ering and bargaining and pleading and
promising. The silver Republicans knew
how much they were worth, and they held
out for a stiff price. They reckoned that
the Mckinley law would beworth billions
to the manufacturers and they shrewdly
concluded that in order toget the billions
the manufacturers would give the silver
men millions. So bargain was struck
there and then. The Mckinley senators
agreed to pass the silver purchase bill in
consideration of the votes of the senators
from the producing states for the
Mckinley enormity. Something less than
$4,OO0,0O0 month for nearly forty months
was the price the protectionist senators
paid to the bullionalre senators for the
Mckinley law.
Teller told this record Of shame without
a tremor in his voice, without blush.
John Sherman looked shame-faced and
mortified; so did Morrill, and Hawley and
Hale ana Plat; but none of them dared
deny. Teller was telling the naked truth
and they knew it. They knew he had
ample proof to back his assertions, and
so the horrible record of shame was com.
mitted to history without contradiction
or denial.
Although every American citizen will
properly feel mortified at this record oi
shame, yet it is probable that the thanks
of the country are due to Mr.. Teller fol
making the revelation. 1t is hardly neces
sary to say that the Colorado senator's
oold-blooded recital of the history of thu
passage of the Sherman law and the Nc
Kinley law created profound sensation
It stunned the Republicans, and the fac
that no effort was made to modify o.
mollify Teller's statements, illustrates
) their discontinue.