The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-05-02
Senators Devote A Day to the Fin
ancial Question.
TELLER MAY LEAVE THE G. 0. P.
Free Coinage Sentiment in the West
Steadily SubSiding. st. Louis
Platform Will Favor Sound
Money.


entire session was occupied by vigorous
and somewhat sensational discussion of the
financial question growing out OF tine remarks
of Senator German yesterday respcctina; the
Treasury deficiency. Senator Teller. Of
Colorado, who is the recognized leader of
the free coinage Republicans, took the floor,
and. in an impassioned speech. declared TINT
should the Republican party, as seemed prob
able declare in the St. Louis Convention Tor
a gold standard. he would he forced to sever
his connection with the political organiza-
tion to which he had been attached for NOR"
than forty years. Senator Teller declared
that the present depression was solely duo to
n contraction of the currency. ana to the
debase!nent of silver He said that the Ne
Kinley bill did not provide sufficient revenue,
and that had it been retained on the statute
books, even under II Republican administra-
tration bond sales would have been as neccs-
sary and as frequent rs they have been since
Mr.. Carlisle assumed control Of the Trea-
surv Department. Senator Teller spoke with
very deep feeling in defence Of bis convic-
tions. but expressed the opinion that no
argument would change the views OF those
opposed to free coinage in the Senate. He
said, in conclusion, that he would he II
hypocrite. fit subject for the contempt Of
his associates, and lost to all sense of self
respect, il he wavered for moment in ad
herence to the principles which he had
adopted and which he believed to be, not
only to the interest of the United States, but
to those of Chrstendom.
HOPES IT WILL BE SETTLED AT THE POLLS.
Senator Sherman took the floor at once to
reply to the speech of Senator Teller. He eX-
pressed the hope that the financial question
would be settled at the polls this fall, and that
both political parties would frankly and
honestly adopt platforms which would clearly
present the issue before the people. He iu-
sisted that it was question that ought not
to be compromised, and that the next Con-
gress should be placed in position to deter
mine once for all whether the financial sys-
tenn of this country should be that adopted by
every other civilized nation, or whether the
purchasing power of the dollar should be de-
creased by one half. SO far as the revenue
question WIS cOuctIutb. IOcuhNOl
stated that the Mckinley bill was in his iudg-
ment, on the whole good measure, weak
ened. he thought by the reciprocity clauses,
but capable OF producing sufficient revenue
under ordinarily favorable circumstances.
He believed that, in the present state of the
Treasury and with the deadlock in Congress
preventing the passage of Il measure OF re-
lief, that appropriations should be kept down
to the lowest possible limit. and that the
President and Secretary of the Treasury
should refuse to pay out public moneys be-
yond the absolute requirements of the Gov
ernment so long as Congress refused to pro-
vide for revenue to meet the appropriations
made. The debate was closed for the day by
speech by Senator Stewart on free coinage,
and the Senate adjourned without having
advanced by paragraph the consideration
OF the bill before it.
PROVOKED BY woLCoTT'T LETTER.
The moving cause OF Senator Teller's speech
was undoubtedly the letter of his colleague
Senator Wolcott, printed in this mornings
papers, in which the latter announced his
continued adherence to the Republican party.
and indicated that he would refuse to join
the threatened bolt of the silver Republicans
1t has undoubtedly been a source of great
disappointment to the five silver Republican
Senators who voted against taking up tho
Dingley Revenue bill that they have been un-
able to secure any adherence to their side
from former associates in the Senate. Senator
Wolcott, of Colorado; Senator Brown, OF Utah.
and Senator Shoup, of Idaho, opposed the
attitude taken by their colleagues from those
States, and have since, in letters published
in the papers of their respective States,
openly defended their refusal to place them
selves in antagonism to the Republican party
in advance of action by the National Con-
ventlon.
WOULD NOT BE SUPPORTED.
Senators Perkins. of California; Mitchell
and Mcbride, of Oregon; Squire and Wilson,
OF Washington; Warren and Clark, of Wyom-
ing, and Hansbrough and Pettigrew, of North
and South Dakota who have always been
classed as strong advocates of free coinage,
also refuse to follew the lead Of the five silver
Senators. They decline to do so on the
ground that the sentiment of the Republic
cans in their respective States is overwhelm-
ingly for protection and that it will not sup
port them in obstructing tariff legislation for
the sake Of evidencing their adherence to the
free coinage standard. The attitude of Sena-
tors Teller and Dubois was doubtless to some
extent influenced by the fact that both are
candidates for reelection to the Senate and
that the Legislatures to be chosen this fall
will pass upon their claims. While the
mining interests in both Colorado and Idaho
are very large, the wool and the lead ore in
terests in those two States, both of which
have been most injuricusly affected by the
present tariff law are quite as important.
The position, therefore, taken by those Sena-
tors in assisting to obstruct tariff legislation
has made them the subject of violent criticism
at home. and has forced them to insist on the
floor OF the Senate that no legislation in the
line OF amendment to the tariff would insure
relief unless coupled with the passage of