The herald., 1896-02-09
IN Congressional HALLS
The House Discusses the Coin
age of Silver
SOME SPIRITED SPEAKING
The General Debate Will Close on
Monday Next
On Tuesday the House VIII Vote on the
Senate Substitute for the House
Bond Bill
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
WASHINGTON, Feb. S.-The debate on
the free coinage substitute for the house
bond bill was very spirf' ed today. There
were several strong spec ches. and one, at
least, of a somewhat SO nsational charac-
ter. Towne of Minneso.a ia, a Republican,
claimed the attention Of the house and gal
leries for over an hour, with an eloquent
effort on behalf of free coinage, which won
for him personal ovation such as has not
been accorded any member since the ses-
sion began. His speeca was illustrated
with charts, and aroused unbounded en-
thusiasm among the silver forces.
Hall, a Democrat from Missouri, on the
other hand, announced his conversion to
sssound money! in q rather sensational
speech, in which he charged that senators
who voted for free coinage according to
'creditable infornnation'' had privately
said that they belle yed free coinage would
bring upon this country national and in
dividual bankruptcy and ruin. He charged
them with trying to ''feather" their nests
at home and declared that the great
est sin of the present age was the coward
ice of statesmen. He also declared that a
high official of the administration had said
that the silver agitation had already cost
the government $262. 100000 in bond is
sues and in the course of the next twelve
months the bond issue would increase to
one billion.
Hall voted for free coinage in the last
congress-. The other speakers today were
Corliss, r spublican of Michigan; Downer,
Democrat of Louisiana; Grosvenor, Repub-
ican of Ohio; Evans, Republican of Ken
tucky. and McCreary, Democrat of Ken
tucky, agai ust concurrence in the free
coinage sub stitute, and Bartlett, Demo.
crat of Geo rgia, in favor of concurrence.
Ths general debate will close Monday and
the vote will be taken on Tuesday.
There were exactly sixteen members on
galleries when the house opened. The leg
islative day of Yesterday still continued, as
the house had 'een in recess over night.
Corliss, Repu blican of Michigan, and
Boatner, Democ rat OF Louisiana, spoke in
favor of non-con currence, Miner, Repub-
hcan of Michigan, and Bartlett, Democrat
of Georgia, in fav 1r of concurrence. While
Bartlett was spe, king. Boatner, by refer
ence to the defe 'at Of "Silve- Dollar'
Bland, General Eatch and other silver
leaders, drew fort 4 an indignant protest
against the treache rOus manner the gold
Democrats stabbed n the back he Demo-
cratic candidates who differed Fl ON them.
"Witness," said he contemptud usy. "the
scenes daily being enacted in kentucky.
When did it become De mocratic doctrine to
defeat Democratic candidates."
''The situation in Kentucky" replied
Boatner, "only illustrates the destroying
effect of the Democrats refusin,y to stand
by the party platform. Ii silver Demo-
Gratis would abide by the declara ton of the
party made in convention we would not to-
day be threatened with the loss of sena-
tor from that state"
1--WE are threatened with the loss of a
senator in Kentucky,'' retorted Bartlett,
ma ,INr y1Ot ina tl,f,x,
jority seek to control. I won't say whether
in the majority or minority; Wherever the
Democratic flag floats, there will be my
stand.''
''If the Democratic national convention
adopts gold platform and nominates a
gold candidate" interpost.d Skinner, Re-
publican, Twill you support the ticket?"
II will vote for any man." replied Bart
lett, "whom the majority OF the Democrats
nominate in convention"
''Then you are willing to sacrifice the
interests of the people on the altar of
party?"
~ am willing to forego temporarily a
consummation which must eventually
come and can only come through the DEM
ocratic party"
At noon the house went through the
formality of adjourning and re-convening,
the debate on the bond bill then proceed
ing.
Mr.. Grosvenor, Republican OF Ohio, said
that the Republican party. in response to
the cry of free silver Republicans, propose
to ''do something for silver" proposed to
do something for the American people by
rightinR the wrong done them by the DEM
Ocratic tariff legislation in the last con-
gress. The party would do something for
million wool growers instead Of hum
dred mine owners.
1--WE have not silver mine in Califor-
nia," interposed Mr.. Johnson, Republican
of California.
'sYou're right" retorted Mr.. Grosyeror,
sand you might add that California ia the
most proscriptive gold state in the union."
"That shows we are willing to do some
thing for the rest OF the country" said Mr..
johnson.
''At our expense!" shouted MIR. Walker
(Rep., Mass)
Mr.. Grosvenor called attention TO cir
cular to eastern manufacturers signed by
sixteen free silver Republicans, containing
. covert threat against the protective sys-
tenn if they did not favor free silver.
Mr.. Grosvenor ridiculed threats of sena-
tors and adduced some figures to show that
they were powerless to execute their
threats. Those senators represented but
sixteen votes in the electoral college out of
444. II predicted 266 Republican elec-
toral votes for sound finance and protec-
ton, If the election should be thrown into
the house, he said. the victory of the sound
money Republican candidate was certain.
Threats of splits and fusion would be futile
and unavailing. He was concluding an
eloquent passage about loyalty to the
grand old Republican party when Owens
(Dem., Ky.) asked il he was speaking of
the same Republicans that had a few days
ago auctioned off the Republican national
convention
''Great Cod" replied Grosvenor, looking
about the house, "let us hear something
about honest elections" Laughierl.
''Is it the same party" asked Miles
(Dem.) of Maryland, (which has just made
secure control of the machine over there?"
''It was compelled to take possession OF
the machine your party was smashing"
replied Grosvenor.
'ls 1t the same party?" asked Owens,
returning to the assault, (which sgnalzed
its return to power in the senate by send
ing us the free coinage bill we are now con-
eidering?" Laughter
II have just been paying my respects to
some of the Republican senator's" replied
GrOsvenor. "lf there is anything in the
situation there which can furnish comfort
to the sound money Democrats you are
welcome to it," Republican applause].
Mr.: Evans, Republican of Kentucky,
Mr.. McCreary, Democrat of Kentucky,
and Mr.. Hepburn, Republican of Iowa, fol-
lowed iE favor of non-concurrence. The
latter said the Republican party was the
only party that by its deeds had shown its
friendship for silver.
Ia "Are you willing to restore free coinage
OF silver?" asked Mr.. Livingston, Demo-
crat of Georgia.
r. TT