The San Francisco call., 1896-02-13
senate's free-coinage substitute for the


The Senate Joint, resolution appropriat-
ing $75, 900 TO pay the Joint expenses of the
survey of the boundary line between
Alaska and British North American pos
sessions was reported from the Committee
on Appropriations and passed.
The hour and half prior to the opening
session of Wednesdays legislative day
in the House was largely given over to
the advocates of the Senate's free silver
substitute. 1t was supported oy Under
wood CD of Alabama and Cox (D.) of
Tennessee. Brumm (R.) of Pennsylvania,
while not approving the Senate substitute
to the full extent, announced his intention
to offer an amendment similar to the Nor
rill amendment and expressed the belief
that the House was not now called upon
to press the bond bill as it originally
passed. At 1857 the House adjourned
Tuesdays session.
In the prayer with which the proceed
ings of Wednesday were opened Chaplain
Coudert made Abraham Lincoln the SUBJ
ject, returning thanks for the qualities
with which men had been endowed, as ex-
emplifed in his character, and praying
that we may emulate the virtues which
shone in him with malice toward none
and with charity for all.
Considerable amusement was occasioned
by KEN (Pop.) of Nebraska, who rose to
question of personal privilege. He stated
that in the Record of this morning there
appeared under the heading. 'Coin Re-
mption-Remarks OF Hon. Omar M
KEN of Nebraska in the House of Repre-
sentatives, Wednesday, February 5, 1896"
straight, radical, goldbug speech. Per
kins (R.) of Iowa solemnly inquired if the
gentleman disclaimed the remarks there
imputed to him.
Mercer (R.) of Nebraska-Oh, 1 hope
not. I wish for once that the delegation
from Nebraska could be solid on the finan-
cial question.
KEN took the matter rather earnestly
and said: 'Some gentlemen ask if l was
hypnotized. Laughter. L can imagine
that an advocate of the single gold stand
ard should be hypnotiZed, and believe
| most of them are, but cannot understand
how free-silver man can be hypnotized at
any time or at any place.
w. A. Stone (R.) of Pennsylvania-As
the Record shows you to have lucid in
| terval, why not let it stand? Laughter |
Resuming, KEN said it was evident that
grave mistake had occurred-he must be
charitable and put that construction upon
| it-but that he could not understand how
it occurred. He therefore moved, unless
some gentleman would rise and father the
remarks, which he entirely repudiated,
| that they be expunged from the Record.
| 1t was explained that the error was one
which could be corrected, and that would
| be done. The speech was prepared by
| Kerr (R.) of Ohio and furnished under the
general leave to print. AT the printing
office the mistake was made of imputing
the speech to KEN.
| Recurring then to the bond-silver coin
age bill the house in committee of the
whole, Payne (R.) of New York in the
chair, heard Dolliver (R.) of Iowa, mem
Der of the Committee on Ways and Means,
resume the discussion. He felicitated
himself that the questions of economy and
finance could be, and always had been,
| safely left to the conservative Judgment of
| the American people. In other countries
they were for the settlement OF financiers
and statesmen only. He felicitated him.
self that the Republican party was broad
enough and generous enough to Hospitality
receive and entertain the matured opinions
of any man upon these subjects.
| Mr.. Dolliver said that of all the PROPOSE
tions relating to the money question he
had separated two which he thought the
American people were solidly in favor Of
These were, first, that every dollar circulat-
ed in the country should bear the National
stamp and not be left to the varying in
fuences of State legislation; and second
that every dollar thus stamped should be
equal in purchasing power to every other
dollar. After reading foreign treatises of
the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries he
had form ed these conclusions on the sub
ject:
First-That any coin minted under free
coinage is bound in the long run to par
take of the value of the metal contained in
it.
Second-That any nation making coins
OF two metals of the same nominal value
stands to lose instantly the coin made of
the metal which is undervalued.
In conclusion Doliiver said: beginning
with the issue of green backs and going on
TO the establishment of the National
banks, to the payment of the public debt
in coin, TO the demonetiZation of silver, to
the resumption of specie payments-every
one OF those acts, every act complained of
as part of conspiracy against the people
OF the United States, has upon it the sig
nature and approval either of Abraham
Lincoln or of Ulysses S. Grant-every one
[Applause.
''lf that is not an accurate historical
statement | desire somebody to cor
rect it.
Kem-Bnt is it not true that President
Grant made the statement that when he
signed the bill demonetizing silver he did
not know the effect of it?
Dolliyer-I don't know whether it is true
or not, but if he made that statement after
his Secretary of the Treasury had twice
recommended the measure to Congress
and after Congress lad debated it through
1877 columns of the Congressional Globe. if.
after all that, he made such statement.
then he was wanting in that wisdom which
the world by common consent has attrib-
uted to Ulysses s. Grant.