The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-14
AGAINST SILVER.
The Senate Substitute Defeated
in the House.
After a Ten Days Debate the
Vote Stood 80 to 100.
MISSOURIANS CLASH
Hall and De Almond Pay Their
Respects to Each Other.
A Sharp Personal Debate Occurs
Between Them.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.-After a ten
days debate the House by a vote of
80 to 100 in committee of the whole
rejected the Senate free coinage
amendment to the bond bill and re-
ported the bill to the House with
recommendation to non-concur and
insist on the House bill The strength
developed by the silver men was dis
appointing. They had been confidently
claiming over 100 votes. After two
hours debate to-day the final vote
will be taken. Mr.. Dingley will close
for the majority and Crisp for the
minority.
The most significant statement came
in the form of an intimation from Mr.
Dingley that bill might be reported
from the ways and means committee,
looking to the initiation by this eoun-
try of n project for another interna-
tional monetary conference to meet
within year. The proceedings were
enlivened by a spirited encounter be-
tween De Almond and Hall of MIS-
souri,. The gentlemen had paid their
respects to each other before during
the debate, but each in the absence of
the other Yesterday Mr.. Hall opened
by referring to the fact that Mr.. De
Almond had mentioned the names of
Benedict Arnold and Judas 1scariot
without the apparent courage to
make a personal application" Pro-
ceeding, he Indignantly denied that
he had been a Washington convert"
to the cause of sound money and ad-
verted to a standing challenge he had
posted in Missouri last summer to dis
cuss the issue on the stump. He also
denied that he intended to charge his
free silver friends in the House with
personal corruption.
why should the gentleman feel
that he has been hit?" he asked, turn
ing to Mr.. De Almond. 81 do not
know, unless the solution is found in
the old adage that the bird which
has been hit hutters."
Mr.. Hall, continuing, replied to the
charge that he had been posing as the
author of the income tax By this
time the House was intensely inter
ested and the members crowded about
the combatants.
Mr.. De Almond had fire in his eye
when he arose to reply. He did not feel,
he said, that anything the gentleman
had said had struck him, but he felt,
as one of the Representatives from
Missouri, that when the newest con-
vert from thai State to the so-called
sound-money doctrine saw proper in
making his platform to class the
Chinese, people from the East Indies
and the depths of Africa and the lower
animals in the category of those who
did not change their opinions, that
perhaps it might not be inappropriate
to suggest that there might be
changes of opinion that would owl
dence no tremendous exaltation above
those referred to. (Laughter).
As to the income tax business, he
said. the gentleman had allowed him
self to be paraded as the author of the
bill when he knew he was not He
sand he had been informed and be-
lieved that eight senators who had
voted for free coinage" continued Mr..
De Almond, had said they believed
it would bring bankruptcy and ruin
to the country. de did not identify
them; he did not name one; he never
will do it. If eight senators, or one
senator, made any such remark, he
merely did what the gentleman him
self does not and dare not deny that
he has done
ANY man has right to change his
opinion, but my impression was, and
it has been greatly strengthened. that
when q man changes his opinion and
de ACTS from his old associates, he