Evening star., 1896-09-19

Joint Debate Last Night at Typo
graphical Hall.
THE MEETING WAS 4 LIVELY One
Col. Bartlett and B. H. Warner the
Contestants. 80 -- 81
SOME OTHER SPEA KERS


pie last night between Col. Wallace A.
Bartlett of Maryland and B.. H. Warner of
this city on the financial issue was heard
by an enthusiastic although somewhat un-
ruly audience, which was as full of ques-
tions for the various speakers as was LII
Hung Chang. The debate was under the
auspices of Excelsior Assembly, No. 1872
knights Of Labor. and the meeting was
presided over by Master Workman. E. NJ,
Blake. He said 1t had long been the policy
of the Knights Of Labor to encourage de-
bates Of this kind, and on this-occason the
assembly had invited the recently organized
Sound Money League to furnish speaker
to be pitted against one to be furnished by
the silver men. The league had put up Mr.
Warner and the silver men Colonel Bart
lett. The audience was mixed one, COM
posed of knights and business and profess
sional men, There was q gOodfy numOer OF
the members of the Sound Money League
present, among them being c. v. Gates,
president, and Bryan Huyck. secretary.
Mr. Blake announced that the terms OF
the debate were forty-five minutes each
twenty to open, twenty to reply and nve Tor
rejoinder. The speakers and the audience,
however, became so interested In the pro-
ceedings that the time was EXTENDED ABOUT
ten minutes more to the side.
Colonel Bartlett opened the debate by
saying that the country is In almost as pau
a condition as II was tnlrty years dSo. 1hC
declared that the country had refrigerated
| in the past two years. This result was due
to a stagnation of money. He denned nom
est money and then touched upon Secretary
Carlisle's letter of few days ago, which,
he said, had brought the silver dollar 10 a
simple promise to pay. The speaker re-
viewed the history of money from the foun-
dation of the government and declared thae
jefferson and Hamilton believed in as large
a circulating medium as possible. Prior 10
| 1853 the half dollars coined were 1ull legal
tende: to any amount.
| In pursuance of his position that the con-
dition of affairs are due to contracted
| currency, Col. Bartlett reviewed the history
| of prices prior to the war, and then re-
| ferred to the large volume OF paper money
| issued during and after the war. he, sald
| that this large circulating medium had
\ made the country more prosperous than at
| any time in it's history. 1t gave an i'm
! petus to business such as mad never peeh
| known, and prices mounted with other
| things Senator Sherman, he said, admit
ted this, and admitted that nearly every
| body was out of debt and prosperous. ex-
| cept the money lenders. 1t was
period not altogether pleasant to the
money lenders From 1865 to 1870,
| the speaker said. there was not an idle
man. unless Of his own accord. and every
| thing moved along smoothly until the con-
| traction of the currency by the act OF
| 1873. After that down went prices. The
| speaker followed out in full manner his
| position that all the calamities of the pres
ent time are due TO a contraction of the
| currency, and expressed the belief that a
| large increase in the circulating medium
| by the free coinage of silver would bring
| that relief.
| MIR. Warner Replies.
| Mr. Warner followed and was received
with enthusiastic applause. While he was
| frequently interrupted by questions. he
kept the audience in a pleasant humor and
maintained his position, despite the in
| ua hr lxnn hn1u
to reply, as his opponent had made no
points to reply to. Mr.. Warner began by
saying that something more than silver
and gold were needed in this country to
bring about a better state of affairs. A
| man in the back of the audience suggested
that Socialism" was the thing, but Mr..
| Warner Immediately scored him as one of
that class which believed in standing
around and working with their mouths.
The sally was greeted with applause. The
speaker declared that the great palsy rest
ing upon this country and following into
the hCmes of the rich and poor was a lack
of confidence. He said that subtract con
fidence from. a man and to feel that he is
dishonorable is to lose all opinion of him.
| He declared that the destroyer of conf
dence in this country was the dread OF
| free coinage. He asserted that confidence
| will lead the laboring man to happiness and
| prosperity.
The speaker rejected the proposition tc
make 30 cents worth of silver a dollar
as dishonest proposition. although many
of it's advocates were honest and honor
able men. About this time humorous ques
tions of pertinent and impertinent char
acter were fired at MIR. Warner but there
were too many to answer at one time, anG
he contented himself with answering then
as he had time. MIR. Warner next spoke
! of the patriotic men who are resisting tn,
proposition for a dishonest dollar. ant
among these great democratic leaders
he spoke of Whitney. Carlisle, Lamont
and others. The silver men hissed thes,
l
| pared these men and the other men wht
were fighting for what he called the coun
try's honor as patriots of the stamp O.
Washington He referred to ex-Presiden
, Harrison, whose name was cheered. Mr
Warner said that he had heard Mr.. Har
rison speak in New York and heard tn,
eX-President say that the first errand O
a debased dollar is to deceive the labor
ing man." Mr.. Warner contended that tn,
silver sentiment was born in the silve
producing sections of the west, such a.
Nevada and Colorado and that silver min
owners would reap the profit. He warml,
declared that the sentiment in the ives
Is changing, and that Colorado and Call
fornia are seeing the golden light and tina
the reports from there are splendid. Mr.
= Warner spoke Of the act of 1873 and O
: the subsequent acts. and said that thi
e country had greatly favored silver Dur
8 ing his remarks Mr.. Warner said that NJ
| matter how the election went he believed
: In the future of Washington: he believed il
her people. and he believed that she woul,
rise to greatness and power.
, Mr.. Warner said that the circulatin,
medium of the country had decreased onl,
about $40 p6r capita since the time whel
| the greatest business was done. But h
. illustrated the fact that the present bust
: ness system required much less money thai
before by passing around a dollar betwee
: four or five different men and finally hav
ing it returned to himself
And it finally lands in the pocket Of tn
{ { banker yelled man in the rear Of tn
| hall.
Some of the audience referred to nationa
banks. whereupon Mr.. Warner spoke j
, the personal history of three or four o
e the best-known bank presidents of Wash
y ington. showing that they had risen fror
e poverty and hard labor to their presen
positions. The speaker touched upon tn
q financial system of Canada, which h
l. thought was a good one. and then he score
the silver Senators for refusing to re
I. spond to the appeal of Secretary Carlisl
o and President Cleveland in the matter G
&c issuing bonds.
IS At the first mention of Bryan's name til
silver men cheered enthusiastically. Nj
Warner touched upon Mr.. Bryan's tri
through the country in search of the voter
of the country. He next spoke of "the
=, patriot who stays at his home and Is vi.
{. tied by the patriotic people Of the cour