The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-02-01
SILVER BOND BILL.
Vote Will Be Taken on It This
Afternoon.
Villas SPEAKS FOR SOUND MONEY.
Denounced Silver as the Vcricst
Despot Of History.
BATE AND PAsCU FOR SILVER
PROFIT tn Mine Owners 10 Merely Inci-
dental, tho Latter Contends-House
Passed Minor Bills.

Washington. January s1.--The final vote
on the bond silver bill will be taken in
the senate at o'clock tomorrow. an
agreement to that effect having been
reached today. This brings to conclusion
! the debate covering many days. The
agreement came rather unexpectedly at
| the close of Mr.. Villas speech. lie had
talked for three hours and was aocut
| to be followed by Mr.. 3ate when Mr..
| Chandler precipitatod the question Of
final vote by stating that he would ask
unanimous consent for recess from 4
o'clock unit! o'clock.
Mr. Harris of Tennessee put the voting
proposition in more definite form by ask
ing that the agreement cover recess
| from until 1889 o'clock tonight, a fertilizer
recess until IL n. m. then the Ave minute
rule of debate to apply, except to NJ. Nor
riil. the venerable head OF tho finance
committee. and finally a vote on the bill
and all amendments at o'clock.
The presiding officer declared the I'M
animous agreement to ne in force.
Aside from this the day was given TO
speeches on the pending bill
when the eenato convened today II war
practically a continuance of the session
Of Thursday, as recess was taken last
night.
The silver bond bill. therefore, had I'm
mediate right OF way. with MIR. was
tDem.. WIS., recognized TO speak. There
was n very meagre attendance and Mir.
Allen pop, Neb) oelled attention to the
absence of a quorum. This necessitated a
roll call. which bror ght senators from
fsfNT n-tl1tt
senators present, one more than quo
RI m.
Mr.. Villas then addressed the senate.
1T WILL" said MIR. Villas, a"doubtiess
never be necessary to discuss this TN
as It came from the house hut II may he
said 1t deserved its fate-strangIcd by sill
yer. 1t was but the fraudulent protext Of
response to the exigency which 1t pro-
fessed to meet and to reasonable sugges-
tons of the president which 1t DENIED.
while II avowed their wisdom. With the
exception of provision for emergency GER
| tifcatef-which ought to stand in the per-
manent sta.utes-the house hill contained
roth.ns commendable' everything else was
but mockery of the legislation demanded
by our fiscal conditions; and so agar, as
n year ago partnership or imbccilty-or
both-fas stricken congress with paralysis
and the icscue Of business prosperity from
its recurring peril has been thrown upon
the executive. II Is almost as fortuitous
aa fortunate that an old statute has %
mained untouched during our fir anctal
madness which can again serve thu turn
and although In n clumsy way. when con-
sidercd with reference to existing condi-
tons and suitable measures OF relief, yet
it shows Gods pity and mercy are not
holly withdrawn from us
III" he continued, ANY trusted agent
in private affairs should so deny duty and
abuse trust rs congress did year ago
and row repeats, no Judgment in their
condemnation would be too severe. over
COO In the public debt were then
thrown away In the reckless rage OF par
tisanship and the Injury that must now
. be sustained by the people for The same
reason is probably less although the exact
measure OF II Is not quite so clear. Then
republican management was able to show
pretcnsc that but for the populists and
= free slvcrites there might have been re-
lief. 1t was not true then and this
, trouble now has unmarked the fact by
denying under republican dlctation the
only remedy available to the Increased
mischief"
Declaring that the bill as It came from
. the house was a mere sham and fraud.
Mr.. Villas proceeded to show tina, the SEN
ate amendments made It worse than the
original measure. II was n bad stock, he
asserted, though it has been budhed with
I n warm scion. The best hope is hat both
s will shrivel and die In the desert air OF
the senate.
u In the senate, he said. Midas is the
horror of horrors-cverythng turns to
silver He said he had hitherto concluded
that It was the wsest policy TO sit quiet
n w and allow the silver advocates TO do
the talking. as they were in the habit Of.
| at about the ratio OF 16 to l, but he had
heard 1t asked why the opponents Of free
coinage did not Justify their faith in de-
@ bate.
10 Lar egtt
, To discuss the free coinage provision OF
the pending BILL declaring that he imam
cIai distress and public misery or tho
" mast three years were the direc products
e Of the efforts to force silver on the couh-
try; and. he said, our course OF reiet is
q return to sound principles.
ii He believed that every step II the iatai
progress In error had been opposed 10
,he cardinal doctrines on which the demo
cratic party Is based, and by when IL
must abide or sink in recreancSWhlie uhe
e spirit flies from our institutions OF ND
crty. ~ ,.
1t three classes: First those win were IN
If terested in silver mining; second, heavy
he debtors. and third those who bei'eVe Ia
D the principle OF bimetallsm.
or the first class he said thatthey were
y few In number but wonderfully potential
Is az the second, that they might deserve
n svmpathy, II they did not shok H. The
a. third class he regarded as honestly mis-
ID taken. and TO them he addressed ms srsu-
3 mont He contended that the SILVER mine
=; owners were largely responsible Tor the
r agitation for free coinage an aiter as
m serting that silver mining was conhned 10
N the Western States. said the mines were
i owned by comparatively few people and
largely By corporations. who, by inc en-
ployment of labor, often makelarge proht
!, on comparatively small outlay
- The kppncSt and best fralitu OF inter
"a ,ects he said. were enlisted ~ this solid
d interest. which was possessed OF great
p strength of numbers and richis; powerful
k In intelligence. learning and XIII keeniy
" perceptlve OF its special Interest, hardy
lee and resoiute to seek It,"