Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-30
MR.. TELLER'S THREAT
Will Leave the Republican Party if 1t
Adopts the Gold Standard.
Quite a Lively Debate on the Finan-
cinl Question in the Senate
Yesterday Afternoon.

Although the naval appropriation bill was
nominaliy before the Senate yesterday af-
fernoon, there was scarcely a word spoken
| In the long debate that followed the adop-
| ton OF the Marquette statue resolution that
related to the increase of the navy The
only exception TO this was the speech of
Senator Proctor on coast defenses which
was delivered by Mr.. Plat, as proxy for
the Vermont Senator. This speech was
worked into tae Record at the last mo-
ment, Just before adjournment, with
brief Introduction by Mr.. Plat.
MIR. TelIer's Speech.
Senator Teller took the floor at about
Z:io o CLOCK to speak in reply to Mr.. Sher-
mans remarks of the day before, and for
over an hour he occupied the attention Of
the Senate with one CT the most important
speeches. of the session. in which he de-
clared that if the republican party should
adopt the gold standard at lis next con-
Vention he would cease to act with that
party. He said he should despise him
sell, holding the views he did, if he should
INT MS hand to put in power any man who
from the executive chamber could use the
slightest influence to continue the existing
system OF finance. If he should lift his
voice one way and vote another the world
would have a right to accuse him of NV
pocrisy and deceit.
AS L speak. Mr.. President" he con-
cludcd, so L shall vote, in the interest, |
believe, of the great masses of men in this
country; and in the interest as believe of
the great masses of men throughout
Christendom."
HIS speech was almost wholly addressed
10 Mr. sherman, ard was mixture of
tarlil ana hnance. He accused Mr.. Sher-
man OF inconsistency in the matter of the
proposed tax on tea and coffee, which MIR,
sherman declined to accept when Mr. Cor
man suggested it Tuesday Turning tn the
sherman spoke on the necessity for more
revenue, he quoted from the speech of
me senator from Ohio to show that at that
time he declared that he would yot. for
any tax, whether proposed Inv aan,o
crat, populist or republican, which would
supply sufhcient revenue for the sunnort of
t .nie government, and he would vote for
tax on tea or coffee in order to meet the
existing deficiency ''e
The Mckinley Boom.
Mr.. Teller paid his respects TO the No
hiniey boom by saying: Il know that
there Is traversing the country and sbout
ing 3 band of men who have labeIea +boIr
candidate the advance agent of prosper-
Ivy. The people who look to him as the
savior VIII find that they have been de-
iuded ana deceived The agent of prosper
ny IS not in sight. and he will not come
INTO sight until this system of finance of
ours Is changed"
r. morrill,
read him and some of his western col
leagues out of the republican partv for
refusing TO vote to take up the tariff bill
M. elier SAID: L am republican in the
uuest ana best sense. / am republican
VINO believes in the old tenets the old
lalths L helped to create the republican
party. L was in ii before the Senator from
Vermont, ana / did not go into 1t as he
did. out of dying and decaying party. |
lett TIE strong, aggressive democratic
forces when L entered the republican party,
ana L say TO the Senator that / came into
that party voluntarily; he must allow me
TO so out of it in the way | came in He
cannot fix my line of conduct any more
than democratic or republican convention
can command my conscience and my judg
ment."
MIR. Shermup's Reply.
Mr.. Sherman took the floor at the con-
c!usior of Mr.. Tel!ers speech and answer
| ed various points of mis- criticisms at
| times going into the technical details of i
debate tariff and finance. He defended
himself from the charge of Inconsistency
| III the matter of the tea and coffee tax by
saying that he did not propose TO allow the
other side of the chamber to designate
what the duties should be to meet the
growing deficiency. While he would vote
| very cheerfully to put a tax on tea, coffee
| and sugar. yet he would not make the
whole burden of increased taxation fall up
OH the people who drink tea and coffee.
| Mr. German interrupted Mr.. Sherman to
draw him out further on this point, and
the debate became more general. Mr.. Tel
Ter replied at some length to Mr.. Sherman,
and finally Mr.. Hale took the floor to cali
attention to the fact that there was a ira
clifton, POSSIBLY memory. that the naval ap-
preparation bill was before the Senate, and
he hoped something would be said apropos
of that measure Mr.. Mills wanted to make
a speech on the financial question, but
he was not ready TO so on. 1t being then .
o'clock, he moved an adjournment. He
yielded, however, to give way to the ever
ready MIR. Stewart, who spoke for some
time of the crime of 49," and gave notice
that in case any one of the gold standard
advocates should attempt to justify the
criminal method, he called il, by which
silver was demonetiZed to argue that
the gold standard is beneficial to the COM
n.unity, he would answer his arguments at
length.
MIR. Stewards Menace.
He closed with this menace:
"All that is required to induce me to
make a full and complete speech on the sill
Yer question, though it may take weeks is
an Inauguration of debate by some gold
standard man in the Senate" Necessarily
this shut off any further comments on the
.,t,