Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-15
BY A VOTE OF 215 TO 90
Fifty-eighi Democrats Voted for and Only
 Thirty-one Voted Against It.
MIR. CRlSP'S MAGNIFICENT SPEECH
Knocked the Pins From Under the Gold bugs-He Scored One Hit After An other in Favor of the Free Coin-
 age ofSilver.

Washington, Feb 14.-I3y a vote of 215 to 90 the house today after debating the matter for almost two weeks decided that it would not concur in the senate s free silver coinage substitute for the bill of the house authorizing bond sales to maintain the gold reserve. sales of treas ury certificates to meet temporary de- ficiencies in revenue and providing addi- tional revenue for the treasury. Noth- ing else was presented in the course of the five hours session. The closing de- bate was notable principally because of the fact that the principal speeches for and against free coinage of silver were made by two democrats. both members of the committee on ways and means and both from Georgia-Crisp and Turner. The closing speech against the senate substitute was made by Mir. Dalzell. re- publican, of Pennsylvania. The speeches were of unusual length. and throughout the speakers were heard with attention and apparent interest. the novel specta- cle of Crisp and Turner arrayed against each other being strong factor in the case. While Mir. Crisp was speaking Senators Pritchard, Lodge. Burrows, Palmer, Tillman. Bacon. George. Cock rell and Mantle and Secretary Herbert were observed on the floor.
 When the debate had been concluded the previous question was ordered pro forma, and at the suggestion of MT. Dingley, in order that there might be no misunderstanding. 1t was put in this form:
 Shall the house concur in the senate substitute?"
 The roll was called amid extraordinary quiet and at it's conclusion the cause of absence of those present was stated by their colleagues, so great wassthe anxie- ty to have the record show the attitude Of every member towards the proposi- tion. A study of the vote shows that twenty-five republicans. fifty-eight dem ocrats, one silverte and all the populists present voted In favor of free coinage, and that 184 republicans and thirty-one democrats voted against K. The demo- cratic vote against frez coinage was Hix greater than the republican vote for
 The matter being disposed of the house took recess until o'clock to consider private pension bills.
 As soon as the journal had been read MT. Crisp, the democratic leader. began the closing speech in favor of the free coinage of silver By unanimous con- sent he was given as much time as he desired in which to complete his remarks. In the outset MT. Crisp said he would en- deavor 10 conduct his part in the dis cusslon so as to offend no member of the house. This was an economic ques- tion and he would assume that every member would vote upon 1t in accordance with his convictions.
 In 1873, he asserted, the United States demonetized silver. This has been ques- tioned in the course of the debate. From 17S2 to 1873 the United States had had bimetalism. This proposition, also, he said. had been eontroverted by advocates of the single gold standard, who now maintained that notwithstan nding the ex- istence of the statutes upon this subject there had really not been bimetallism in this country. The confusion, in his opin- ion. grew out of the failure to distin- guish between standard and curren- cy. This distinction existed, and he quoted from a message from President Cleveland, 'who ought to be satisfactory authority to the gold standard advo- cates," to show that it was appreciated. The law of 1792 establishing the mint contained the basis of the bimetallism for which the democratic party had all ways stood. and which it now insisted should be restored, that bimetallism which provided for the equal coinage of coins of two metals, both of which are of the same debt paying and purchasing power The standard of value comprised both metals.
 In his argument on this point Mr Crisp asserted that the standard of value was based upon the use of all the money in the world and not upon that of any single or particular nation.
 As long as any commercial nation opened its hints to silver the standard of value was based upon both gold and silver This was the condition up to 1873, when the United States demonetized sill ha nf ha lou ,f 1873 MT. Crisp said it was sticking in the bark" for any gentleman tn say that law could not affect values. The law could and did effect values by regulating the demand for the article to be valued That was the way in which the act of 1873 reduced the value of silver by re- ducing the demand for 1t as money If law could not affect values he asked how could an international agreement affect values? What did the platforms of both great political parties mean when they said that they favored the resump- tion of silver coinage under an interna- tional agreement or surrounded by neces- sary legislative restrictions? If law could not affect values what did we mean, MT. Crisp asked by saying that we would trust the mainten9 nee of parity of the metals by Legislative restric- tions?"
 Mr. Crisp asserted that the results of the demonetization of silver in 1873 had been most disastrous. They were first seen in the struggle for gold by all na- tions In this connection he quoted from a speech made by Senator Sherman in 1876, in which he (Sherman) averred that the partial destruction of silver as money, metal was felt by every man. woman and child who had anything to sell" He (Sherman) referred in that speech to the "appreciating" purchasing power of gold, an assertion which was vigorously denied in the house.
 Another result. Mir Crisp said, was seen in the constantly falling prices, which had existed since 1873. While this was the condition under which business was conducted no man could tell where he stood, and doubt and distrust and dis tress necessarily ensued. The unfor- tunate condition of manufacturers and agriculturists was not confined to the