Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-09
FREE SILVER IN THE HOUSE Like Banquo's Ghost It Will Not
 Down. "GENTLEMEN MAY CRY PEACE
But Tht S.Ell Be None Until the Issue Is
 = Settled.
.s'I SPEECH MADE BY MIR. TONNE
. Was Thrown Into the Discussion by V the Remarks of MT Bartlett of Geor- gia Regarding the Recent Dem.
 ocratic Defeats.

Washington, Feb. S.-The house was called to order at 10:30 this morning for the third session of the legislative day of Friday.
 MT. Corliss was the first speaker of the day on the bond silver coinage bill. He favored the passage of a bill to secure international bimetallism by an agree ment with other nations than Great Brit ain, and if that could not be accomplish ed, then to keep out foreign bullion and coin the American product.
 MT. Boatner favored the coinage of just so much silver as could be maintained at a parity with gold. Both gentlemen opposed a recoinage of silver.
 A little life was thrown into the discus sion In the course of the remarks of MT. Bartlett, democrat, of Georgia. He as- serted that the victory of the democratic party in 1892 was won because of the be- lief that democratic success meant the remonetization of silver and the failure to vindicate that belief was responsible for defeat in succeeding years. MT. Boatner asked if such shining lights as Bland and Hatch had been re- pudiated by their people on account of their opinions on the subject of free sil- yer.
 MT. Bartlett-Those gentlemen were defeated because the people were so dis eusted with the failure of the democratic congress and administration to redeem the promises of 1892; that 9S4 .00O men who voted the democratic ticket in 1892 either stayed at home in 1894 or voted another ticket.
 Further colloquy ensued regarding the desirability or expediency from party standpoint of prosecuting the free coin- age idea. Mir Boatner asked MT. Bart lett if that was a democratic spectacle now being witnessed in Kentucky, where the democracy was threatened with the loss of a senator because the free silver democrats were not satisfied to support the state platform.
 MT Bartlett-The democracy Is threat ened with the loss of senator in Ken lucky because a few men, a small minor ity, cannot control the great majority. (Applause.)
 MT. Boatner-The situation there but emphasizes the fact that we should not agitate such issues as this in the party.
 Continuing on the necessity of main taining party organization, MT. Skinner asked what MT. Bartlett would do should the democratic national convention noni- nate gold man for president on single standard platform.
 Mr Bartlett-I shall support whoever the representatives of the mass of the democratic party send to Chicago say should be our standard bearer. (Ap- pause) I say this because I believe that lHe utIpOcIdllC party dIpiie PIOHllStS to maintain the liberties of the people of this country.
 MT. Skinner-Then the gentleman would sacrifice the interests of his peo- pie and of the whole country upon the al- tar of party?
 Mr. Mines, the successor of Senator Burrows of Michigan, advocated concur renee in the free coinage substitute sent by the senate, and at the conclusion of his remarks at 12 o'clock the house ad- journed.
 It was immediately called to order for the legislative day of Saturday The house, in committee of the whole, res sumed discussion of the bond silver cot11- age bill.
 MT. Grosvenor. republican, of Ohio, de- parted from consideration of the financial features of the matter to make general political speech
 MT. Evans spoke against the senate substitute, and was followed by MT. Me- Creary who referred with pride to the large number of bidders for the new bond issue, but regretted that a nation like ours should be forced by unwiSe and vi- cious laws to offer its bonds for sale when congress was in session and ready to give relief He asserted that the dem- ocrats were not responsible for the ex- isting financial condition. The republf- cans in 1890 passed the Sherman law making silver a commodity. They had brought the country to q condition that compelled four bond issues to maintain the gold reserve. He predicted that if the republican party continued the course 1t had followed for the past two months there might be a repetition at the next election of what followed the session of the Fifty-first congress He asserted that every country which had attempted to maintain silver on d par with gold had gone to a silver basis.
 MT. Towne said the subject raised by the consideration of the bill was the most important that engrossed the attention of the people. Like Banquo's ghost, It would not down; gentlemen might cry Peace! peace" but there was no peace, and would be none until the issue was settled.
 Mr Towne discussed and defined the term bimetallism, and said that any man who did not agree that 1t meant that both gold and silver should be admitted to the hints and of equal value, at the option of the debtor. in the discharge of his ob- ligations, should have the courage of his convictions and stand up and be counted as a single gold standard man. (Ap- plause) The republican party. by It's declaration in national convention he said, was committed to the restoration of silver as standard money. Anyone ywho did not believe in 1t, or who believed that it could be maintained as the gen tleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Walker) had so expressed himself, could not re- main in the republican party unless that party made a change In the declaration of it's principles.
 The compliment of half an hours addi- tional time was paid MT. Towne. which he occupied in an eloquent discussion Of values and prices as affected by the oper- ations of the single gold standard.
 The house took a recess at b:1b o'clock until 8 o'clock. and will meet again at 10.30 o'clock Monday morning to con tinue the debate on the pending bill
 The representatives who gathered In the hall of the house to hear and pardc- ipate in the debate of the bond silver coinage bill could be counted on ones nn1 gers. Messrs. Phillips. republican, of
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