The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-01-15
VEST ANSWERS SHERMAN.



Washington, Jan. s.-The resolution
offered by Senator Sherman frep.. o.
on December 81, declaring that the use
of the gold reserve to supply deficien-
cies is of doubtful legality and greatly
injurious to the public credit, that a
sum of not less than 500. 0oo. 900 in gold
coin or bullion should be restored to the
treasury and separated from all other
funds, was taken up; and Senator Vest
fdem-, MOI addressed the senate upon
it,
He repudiated the idea that the demo-
cratic party was dead. and declared that
when II did die the last hope of popular
government would disappear If the in
come tax IN the Wilson bin had been col
lected. there would have been no deficiency
or revenue. He reviewed the decision of
the supreme court Of the United States
which declared that tax unconstitutional
and asserted that no decision had ever been
rendered by that court which had done so
much to destroy its influence and to excite
distrust among the masses of the Aneri-
can people including intelligent and
thoughtful lawyers. For 100 years, he said.
no lawyer had doubted that congress had
the right TO tax the income of real and
personal property without apportionment
according TO population among the states
He did not propose to analyze the decision
of the supreme court declaring the income
tax unconstitutional, nor should he trust
himself to enter into the conjecture as TO
the reasons which caused one member of
that court, after agreeing deliberately as
TO the constitutionality Of the largest por-
ton Of the law, 10 reverse his opinion two
weeks afterwards OF rehearing.
The name of that justice was unknown.
II was known alone TO himself and his
Bid
controlled him were lost TO the profession
and TO the country. II was simply mat
ter Of conjecture as TO why that justice
should allow his name and his reasons to
be buried in ohscurity.
The senate. Senator Vest exclaimed had
been ridiculed and maligned because of
concessions to the executive; but what
would be thought, he asked, Of a senator
who, on great question, like the income
tax. had not the manhood TO stand before
the American people and declare his re-
sponsibility for his vote
Mr.. Vest had some extracts read from
the dissenting opinions Of Justices Harlan
and Brown, as "a most fearful arraigument
Of the courts of last resort"
Senator Vest said he did not believe that
The terrible effect of this decision had yer
been Appreciated by the people of TIE
country. 1T marks a new era he said
and ! greatly mistake il the time does not
come when neither soft words nor honeyed
phrases VIII prove Sufficient apology"
1t was beyond credibiliry that Wander
hill, with his hundreds of millions. should
have TO pay no more than the poorest of
men, and that the army and navy must be
used to support him in his rights, as must
he the case if the decision was to stand
He predicted that the time would come
when the truth of Justice Browns opinion
would be everywhere recognized; that that
decision of the supreme court had fixed
fnr all he 50y,7 H~a-- e.
alton of the ''sordid wealth of the land"
Leaving that subject Senator Vest went
on to reply to Senator Sherman's speech in
criticism of the democratic admiaistra-
ton and he pointed out the fact that dur
ing the four years Of Mr. Clevelaud's first
term the export Of gold was only SIG. 900. :
900, while IN the next four years of Mr.
Har-ison's administration the exporr Of
gold was ST.. 900.
Coming to the question OF the free COIN
age of silver Senator Vest declared that
the republican party was as hopelessly
divided On that question as the demo-
cratic party WAS And now the struggle
Of republican senators was to evade that
issue If possible, and not to permit the geu-
eral public TO ascertain that they were q
hopelessly divided On it as they claimed
and as he conceded the democrats were
"Au the people Of this country" Senator
Vest exclaimed. ARE engaged in an
irrepressible conflict. as trrepressible as
that which marched the armies of the
r.or1h and south II the civil war. ] be-
lieve that il viii not be. But the conflict
is just as irrepressible and must be fought
out to the last extremity. All attempts to
evade the issue are impossible. The sooner
IL II settled the better for the traoouilIit
of the country, and the better for the pub
lie and private life Of the land"
In the further course Of his speech
Senator Vest spoke Of the unplate indus
he had rhvix-
low rates Of the Wilson bill He also as
serted that in the Mckinley bill of 1890
there was a duty on hides provided; but
that Mckinley had had TO withdraw that
item IN order TO placate New England
Put duty on hides" he exclaimed, and
you would hear the New England slogan
much louder than you hear il on the
Venezuelan question Put duty on hides
and Immediately the spirit OF the pilgrim
fathers would De aroused
They would march to victory or to
death
Recurring to the financial question Sen
ator Vest admitted that the financial IL
1uence of the world was against silver
Europe feared that we would go on TO a
silver basis When the president had sent
his Venezuelan message to congress il had
been received with acciamaton by the peo-
pie and he had heard the hostile guns
booming in this chamber How had Eng
land responded? Not with shot and shell
and Saoer stroke and battle ships, buI by
throwing our securities On the market
The power Of money was to be used TO
crush US. On Monday, when the secretary
OF the treasury had issued his circular
lhis only complaint was that il was not
issued sooner notifying the country that
the bonds should go 10 the highesl bidder,
Wall street was dissatisfied
Two syndicates had cornered the gold
one paper said S40e, eV0. 900 They were op-
posed 10 selling bonds TO the public Il
was huniliating that the most intelligent
people Oh the globe, whose heritage was
continent, should, when they undertook
TO protect their financial system, be met
by an autocratic ukase: We've got the
gold and you must get II from US at our
price" Senator Vest, with glowing elo-
quence, said he would rather have war
There were calamities greater than war
Better ANYTHING than 10 have us manacIed