The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-02-13

can party when Mr.. Owens Dem.) OF
| Kentucky asked if he was speaking OF
the same Republican party that had O
| few days ago auctioned off the Republi
| can National convention.
"Great God" replied Mr.. Grosvenor
looking about the house, ''let us heal
something about honest elections.
| Uaughter).
SIS it the same Republican party |?
asked Mr.. Miles Dem.) of Maryland
(which has just made a deal with the
| Populists of the senate to secure control
| of the machine over thereT
1T was compelled to take possession
of the machine your party was smash.
ing" replied Mr.. Grosvenor.
rs 1t the same party" asked Mr.
Owens, returning to the assault, (which
signalized its return to power by sending
us the free coinage bill we are now con-
sideringW Uaughter.)
81 have just been paying my respects
to some of the Republican senator's" re-
piled Mr.. Grosvenor. IF there is any
thing in the situation there which can
furnish comfort to the sound money
Democrats, you are welcome to it." Re
publican applause"
Mr.. McCreary Dem) of Kentucky
and Mr.. Hepburn jRep.) of Iowa follow
ed in favor of Inconvenience. The
latter said the Republican party was the
only party that by it's deeds had shown
its friendship for silver.
"Are you willing to restore free coin
age of silyer?' asked Mr.. Livingston
(Dem) of Georgia.
"Yes," replied Mr.. Hepburn, "when
you restore the conditions that existed i'm
the days of the dollar of our daddies.
Then 412 grains of silver were coined
into dollar, but silver was worth 81. 30
an, ounce"
No Democrat, he said, mad been con-
sistent, more closely adhensive to his an
nouncements than he. In 1885, before
his first inauguration, he declared
against the silver heresy In all his ut
FRANCES since, he has adhered to that
position. In May, 1892, he reiterated
his position for the fifth time.
You know" said he. addressing the
Democratic side, that he could not
carry out your platform, except at the
price of perjury and personal dshonor,
yet you pretend that you were deceived u
Laughter and aDplause.)
MIR. Towne Rep) of Minnesota illus
trated his remarks with charts. Twice
the house gave him an extension of time
and his remarks aroused great enthu-
siasm among the silver forces. His
charts slowed the appreciation of gold
and the fall of prices. One chart upon
which he laid especial stress, demonstrate
ed, he said, that the fall in prices of sill
yer since 1873 was not due to the over
production of silver.
Mr.. Iovne closed with the declaration
that the Republican party must define
us program and do something for the
Gil xnv h.
could unite with France and Germany
II England refused.
Mr.. Towne was given a tremendous
oVatioh when he concluded. For several
minutes the free silver members crowded
about and rendered him their congrotu-
lations.
Representative Hall of Missouri, the
author of the income tax bill i'm the In ST
congress, was followed with close atten-
ton in speech in which he announced
MS conversion to sound money.
He said: "If l were called ON TODAY
to define what / regarded as the great.
est crime and curse threatening 70 sink
American institutions, | should reply in
one sentence. The cowardice of our mol
itlclans, of the men who have not the
courage. the manhood, the grit TO 90
before the people and tell them when
they are wrong on financial questions
Il am creditably informed that there
are eight senators at the other end of
this capitol who voted for this bill and
yet who say they believed the free and
unlimited coinage of silver at 16 to 1
would mean National bankruptcy and
ruin. What does it mean? it means
that our politicians have come to pretty
pass, when, in order to feather their own
nests. in order to hold themselves in Of
hce. National, State or county, they are
willing to see a great number of men
who have not the time to delve into these
questions, turn their backs upon their
own welfare-when they are willing to
close their hearts to all gratitude for past
favors and tell those men that what
really leads to their destruction leads to
prosperity and happiness. | am con-
WINGED that the great curse that besets
our country is the cowardice of our poll
ticians who have not the courage to tell
the people when they get wrong on these
economic questions. l know that it is
regarded as political death for man in
a rural district not to throw up his head
and applaud these decisions, but if my
people want man of that kind to repre-
sent them they can get rid of men and
will willingly and gladly retire from po-
litical life"
In response to question by Mr.. Tai
bot, the speaker said he did vote for the
free coinage bill in the extra session in
1893
But" he continued, 81 will tell the
gentleman that | have progressed since
that time, while he is standing where /
was three years ago. Uaughter)
But l want to say q few words now
on this question of consistency. | find
upon investigation in the bureau of edu-
cation that the Chinese, the inhabitants
of the Indies and the tribes of Africa are
the only human beings that are constant
ly consistent. Uaughter) The lower
grades of animals are also always con-
sistent. Uaughter.) 1 maintain that
the reasoning, thoughtful. clear-headed
men who pass through the world with
their minds to the investigations of truth
are ever liable to change. Where is the
intelligent man in the United States who
has not high regard for the fame of
William 70. Gladstone, the great English
statesman? Listen to that grand man
express. his regret that he should have
made the blunder that he did in 1852.
Observe the course of Bismarck, the
greatest German statesman. When he
was advocating the sale of the silver of
Germany for whatever price could be OBJ
tanned for it, and was approached by. one
of his friends, who said, 4 am just where
you were 10 years ago. the reply was
life and have had intelliger -0H"oh
to profit by it and move forward.
81 did not intend to make an address