The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-01-09
FREE COINAGE SUBSTITUTE FOR
A BOND BILL.

FREE COINAGE SUBSTITUTE FOR
A BOND BILL.
Congress is wilfully, knowingly and
maliciously playing at legislation. The
house of representatives sends bond
bill to the senate, and as a substitute
for it the senate finance committee report
to that body free coinage bill. This is
child's play; it does not even arrive at
the dignity of partisan legislation. for
the senate finance committee are just as
certain that free coinage bill cannot
become Il law as they are of the mathe-
NAUTICAL fact that two and two added to-
gcthcr make four. II would have first
to run the gauntlet of the house of repre-
scntatiycs, which is by large majority
Il sound money body, opposed to the free
coinage Of silver, aud if it did by any
chance skin through the house on the
threshold Of the executive office it would
meet about the largest and most formid-
able veto that ever was issued by presi-
dent OF the United States. So that there
can be no doubt that il is playing at
legislation while the country is in the
very throcs OF financial embarrassment.
This is what we call trihing with the
American people triiing with the trust
rcposcd in congress and Il paraphrasc Oh
legislation, caricaturing the most serious
questions that ever came before Il DELHI
cratiyc body, absolutely permitting the
al Of
Ossa, burden to the country now and
legacy to those who come after us of
oppression, in order that the free silver
minority may be able to crafty itself
TO saying to the country, Unless we can
have our way and have silver coined ut
the ratio of 16 to / the country can go to
ruin" 1t is an announcement to the peo-
pie OF the United States by the silver
coinage men that they mean to rule this
country or ruin it, and it does not seem
to make much difference to them whether
they ruin or rule the country.
This is an exhibition of lack of pa
triotism that every good and honest man,
no matter what he thinks about the mon
ctary policy of the country, ought to con-
denim in the most severe way, and that
is, if he is Il silver man, by withdrawing
his name and influence from any such
political organization. 1t is an evidence
of the fact that the fanaticism of these
silver senators has blinded every prin-
cple by which free American citizens
should be governed. If none but the lead
ers of the free silver party were to suffer
the consequences of such legislation it
might be well that it prevailed in order
that the severity of the penalty would
fall upon them, but when the whole coun-
try is to suffer for such triting and such
folly it becomes unbearable.
The basic principle Of the government
is obedience to the will of the majority
of the voters of the country Every eff
fort made by parliamentary doubling and
partisan chicanery to defeat the express
sion of the will of that majority is rcvo-
lutionary and unpatriotic. 1t is an OBJ
yious fact that this free coinage substi-
tute is meant to cmbarrass, retard and
finally defeat all kinds of legislation for
the relief of the treasury by majority
in congress. That majority passes bond
bill that it believes will relieve the gold
reserve from depletion and thereby save
large amounts to the treasury and the
people from unnecessary taxation; ana
the senate finance committee, having, by
n bargain with the Republicans, major
ity of silver men on it, substitutes Tor
the bond bill free coinage bill, chang
ing the whole character of the bill and
defeating its object. If this is not CON
tumacious on the part of the silver lead
crs and unpatriotic, we would Ike to
know how it can he characterized. 1t IS
enough to make honest patriots leave the
free silver party with their condemna-
ton of it's methods as unworthy OF true
and loyal citizens. Certainly If the Tree
silver party cannot by fair means embody
free coinage legislation upon the stat
utcs of the country, their patriotism and
good citizenship ought to prevent them
from embarrassing and attempting to de-
feat necessary legislation for the rellef
of the treasury from the constant strain
upon it. But it seems their patriotism
is 'nil' and their good citizenship all in
imagination. They mean to rule or rum
this country, and this substitute present
ed to the senate by free silver finance
committee is proof strong as holy writ
that their object is rule or ruin.
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