Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-06-12
Senator Morrill, on silver.

With the Dingley tariff bill as text
Senator Morrill, addressed the Senate last
week on the twin Republican doctrines of
protection and sound money. After speak
ing of the failure of the Democratic tariff
law To provide sufficient revenue to pay
current expenses, and of the rejection of
Republican tariff measures to increase the
revenues, Mr.. Morrill, spoke of the appar-
ent plot TO secure free silver coinage by
policy OF coercion, the scheme being to
cut off revenue supplies till the demands
of the silver men are granted. The free
coinage substitute was spoken of as having
been attached TO the House bond bill by
the Democrats and POpulists of the Sen
ate in sheer mockery, and as uncoverng
purpose to stampede the country to silver
monometallism,
"No doubt" the senator added, chad
our country been shielded by sound pro-
tective tariff, during the hopeless years of
the present Democratic administration,
much of the business distress and woe of
unemployed labor might have been avert
ed; but another adverse and sore bewitch-
cry of all business affairs in the United
States, hardly less potent than free trade
| tariff, has been the unceasing agitation of
| the free coinage of silver, and on a ratio
| that would not fail to reduce the standard
| value of our money, as well as the whole
fabric of public and private credit, TO one
| half of its present value" He said the
droll and weak backed contention appeared
| to be that if the United States should alone
open its minis to the free and unlimited
| coinage of silver it would at once be hoist
| ed to its ancient full-coinage value, and
would not only increase the value of the
silver actually coined in the United States,
but would hypnotic and increase the val
tie of silver in all the markets of the world.
The insurmountable impeachment to this
housekeeping theory was that it was pro
posed to have the American people assume
all of the risk, loss and shame of a gigan.
tic boomerang in the perilous attempt tC
boom silver. 1t was seriously urged that
nothing less than the perpetual free coin
age of silver until the crack of doom, and
giving to the owners all the difference be
tween its nominal and its real value, will
no change of seigniorage, would prove a
wholesome tonic and restore silver TO it!
former prestige and standard value.
"Were it as certain as some extreme sill
NoI dONOCCJCo buab NOOpoId
tive agreement among the leading nations
for a larger use of silver can be obtained
that fact alone would be cogent and suf
fcient reason why the United States SHOULD
decline to stultify itself by embarking sin
gle-handed in an experiment so reckless
and so dstrustful as to be Stunned ant
coldly rejected by the statesmen of ever,
enlightened nation"
The Boston Journals correspondent
says there was a vigor and freshness il
what Senator Morrill, said and the name
of saying il which might we'll be copied b.
some of his younger associates in the Sen
J ate. The chamber was well filled and tn
. senator received the close attention of ev
I erybody. His declaration that the plat
form of the Republican party in 1896 woul
place every dollar of our money on pari
ty with the best dollar of the world drew
out expressions of marked approval. A
the close of his speech Mr.. Morrill, wa
warmly congratulated by most of his RI
publican colleagues.