The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-01
Villas ASSA|LS
THE BOND BILL.
Says It Deserves It's Fate
to Be Strangled by
Silver.
TALKS OF PARTIsANSHIP.
And Says the Remedy Offered Is
a Mockery of Legislation
Demanded.
DOES NOT PLEASE DEMOCRATS.
Arguments on the House Measure Con.
tinued Into the Night and the
Vote Postponed.

AS to-day's session, through the parlla-
mentary device of taking a recess instead
of an adjournment yesterday, the usual
formalities Of prayer, reading of the jour
nal, presenting memorials, introducing
bills, and all the other morning business
was dispensed with. and the Senate con-
tinued the consideration OF the House
BOND bill, with the Finance Committees
free-coinage substitute.
Allen (Pop.) of Nebraska suggested the
absence of a quorum, but forty-six Sena-
tors responded to the call.
Villas CD of Wisconsin addressed the
Senate in opposition both to the bill and
to the substitute.
"It will" said Villas, doubtless never
be necessary to discuss this bill as it came
from the House. But it may be said that
it deserves it's fate-strangled by silver. 1t
was but the fraudulent pretext of response
to the exigency which it professed to meet,
and TO the reasonable suggestions of the
President, which it denied while it avowed
their wisdom. With the exception of the
provision OF emergency certifcates-which
ought to stand in the permanent statutes
the House bill contained nothing COM
mendable and everything else was but
mockery of the Legislation n demanded by
our financial conditions.
"And SO again, as year ago, partisan
ship or imbecility, or both, has stricken
Congress with paralysis and the rescue of
prosperity from its recurring peril has
been thrown upon the executive. 1t is
almost as fortunate as fortuitous that an old
statute has remained untouched during
our financial madness which can again
serve the turn and. although in clumsy
way when considered with reference to
existing conditions and suitable measures
of relief, yet it show that Gods pity and
mercy are not wholly Withdrawn from US.
"f," he continued, "any trusted agent
in private affairs should SO deny duty and
abuse trust as Congress did year ago
and now repeats, no Judgment in their
| condemnation would be too severe. Over
| $16,000,000 in the public debt was then
thrown away in the reckless rage of parti-
sanship. and the injury that must now be
sustained by the people for the same
reason is probably no less, although the
exact measure of it is not quite so clear.
"Then Republican management was
able to show the pretense that except for
| the Populists and free silverites there
| might have been relief. 1t was true. then.
that this bill has now unmarked the fact
| by denying under Republican dictation
| the only remedy available for the increased
| mischief"
| Declaring that the bill as it came from
| the House was q mere sham and fraud.
| Villas proceeded to show that the Senate
amendments made it worse than the
original measure.
"It was bad stock" he asserted.
| Though it has been budded with warm
scion. The best hope is that both will
shrivel and die in the desert air of the
| Senate
| Villas proceeded at considerable length
| to discuss the free coinage provision of
the pending bill, declaring that the finan-
cial distress and public misery for the past
| three years were the direct products of the
efforts to force silver upon the country.
| 'And." he said, tour course of relief is a
return to sound principles"
| He believed especially that every step of
the fatal progress in error had been op-
posed to the cardinal doctrines on which
the Democratic party is based, and by
which it must abide or sink in recreancy
while the spirit flies from our institutions
| OF liberty. He traced the past legislation
| in the interest of silver to the theory of
protection. which he characterized as
| vicious and wicked. The Senator then
| proceeded to a review of silver legislation
and of silver production and silver coinage
| in the United States, showing that the
production was small before the silver war.
| OF bimetallism he said: 'sBimetallism
is sounding, splendid word. If only
| bimetaIlism, but, alas What is it and
| where is it2
| Like dreams that wane before the half-shut eye.
Or gay castles in the clouds that pass,
Forever fitting in the summer sky.
| Always dancing before the vision, always
something to be gained, but never realized,
| the glittering bauble has fitted on afar be-
| fore the fortuitous pursuit on which the
| public have SO long been conducted, yet
always to disappear, save in the pleasing
| speech of silver advocates, while the reali-
| ties of gain could be matched by the other
| and mastering purpose"
| He declared that from the beginning
practical bimetallism had never been
proposed to Congress. He declared that
| Senators Teller and Wolcott. as cham
pions of silver, had based their conten-
| tions upon protective foundation.
| Villas speech was vivid word picture
of Democracy, menaced on the one hand
by federalism rejuvenated in the Republi-
can party and on the other by that "por-
| tentous cloud Of party never known in
| the days of Democratic justice. charged
with wild, fantastic theories of social dis
order, and wilder schemes of remedy,
threatening, should it grow apace, no one
can foretell with what violence or social
tempest.
ssThis marty will continue its great "a
reer, yielding neither on one side nor the
other to the reactionary forces of old abso-
| lutism or red fires Of anarchy"
/ In the course of the speech colloquy
| sprung up between Villas and Mitchell of
| Oregon, the latter asserting that when the
last bond issue was taken by the syndicate
for some $4,000, 900 less than it would have
been if the bonds had been made payable
! specifically in gold instead Of in coin.