The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-02
Congressman Calderhead Ex
plains Reasons for His Vote.
GO TO A SILVER BASIS.
That's What Calderhead Thinks
the Country Would Do
If the Gold Reserve Wasn't
Constantly Replenished.

From the State Journals Special Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2.-The ratio on
which the Kansas delegation seems to
divide when it does divide, is to 2. The
only two times when there has been any
difference of opinion on matters which
have come before the house, have been
in the preliminary elections, when Rev.
Mr. Fisher was defeated, and on the bond
bill which was voted on last Saturday.
Both of these times the Kansas Republi-
y cans divided to 2.
But in each case the two parts have in
cluded different members, so it will be
seen that the failure to act in unison has
been, not on account of any clique, but
because of individual differences of
opinion.
The division on the bond bill shows
that there is a very wide divergence be-
tween the views held by Congressman
Blue and Calderhead and the other five
mem bers of the delegation as to what is
necessary to protect the national credit.
The one side believes that the authoriza-
) tion of further bonds by congress is
wholly unnecessary and that when the
house had passed revenue measure that
was enough; the other believes that moro
bonds are absolutely necessary to pro-
tect the nations business integrity at
this time and preferred to have congress
make a way for a publicly advertised,
lower interest bond than to have Mr..
Cleveland issue more of the four per
cent bonds secretly to a coterie of
bankers
To this argument the mo bonds" mon
said: Let him issue them. Let his be
the responsibility for increasing the debt
of the country"
The members who voted for the bond
bill believe that further issue of bonds
is prime necessity. They may not like
the way in which Mr.. Cleveland secures
them, but they do believe that an abso-
lutely full gold reserve is the only way
to prevent financial disaster. If the rev.
enuss are not in such shape as to keep
enough gold in the treasury, then issue
bonds until they are.
The Kansas delegation divided then
on the question of the present necessity
for an increase of the public debt aud
the imminence and magnitude of the
disaster, which is said by President
Cleveland and others would follow if the
gold reserve. were not replenished. Those
who believed the disaster both near and
great voted for the bonds, those who be-
lieved the revenue measure passed by the
house would bring relief in time voted
against the bill
Colonel Blue is very sure chat he took
the right course in favOring tho bill. In
I of those who take the opposite view. He
saysit was plain and simple PROPOSE
tion to maintain the credit of the coun-
try and that Sis pretty kind of patriot
ism which bubbles and whines and crit
icises at such time as this"
Mr.. Blue says: "The assertion that it
would retire the greenbacks is all nom
sense, all nonsense 1t would make the
situation not bit different from what it
is now except that the bonds would bear
lower rate of interest and would be ad-
vertised- The talk about retiring the
green backs is all foolishness. Half of
those fellows who voted against the bill
didn't know what the bill meant or what
they we're voting as they did for They
stood shivering aud their teeth chartered
for fear they would fall into some Demo
cratic trap.
There isn't a man who voted against
the bill can justify himself before an in
telligent constituency. In the present
, periIOus condition of the treasury, when
it needs sustaining it is a fne kind of
patriotism which will run away and say
the gold reserve be Vanderbilted If
were as big a coward as that I would
resign.
They say 'oh yes but let Cleveland
take the responsibility Well, if he takes
the responsibility he deserves the credit
doesn't he?
"Wbat half of the fellows who voted
against the bill wanted was to see the
country go to a silver basis And that
is just what will happen if the gold re.
serve is not protected"
Congressman Blue eaid this country
was trying to float about thousand mil
lions of money on gold reserve of only
hundred millions, and that the reserve
was too small. He said that besides the
legal tender notes which were redeema-
Bile In gold the entire national bank cir
culation was virtually so, as it was re-
deemable in greenbacks; that in addi-
tion to this there was also the load OF the
silver circulation, which was half fiat.
Thus he said every part of our currency
was dependent on the gold reserve. and
II was cowardly not TO protect il, He
reiterated that if this was not done the
nation would be brought at once to a sill
yer basis.
If congress should say "pay silver"
he said, then We should have the same
spectacle as If it should say that here
after three pecks or two pecks should be
nushel. In short time there would be
no four peck bushels and we should have
all bushels of the inferior kind.
Mr.. Blue said that when the ReDDbIi.
cans got into power in all branches of the
government they would reorganize the
financial system on Republican lines but
he said they would not retire the green
backs until they furnished something
just as good to take their place.
Congressman Calderhead, the other
fered from those of a majority of the
deieg alton, was not so ready to condemn
those who held opposing views. How