Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-27
TWO DEFINITIONS.
What 10 the Matter with the Min.
neapoIis Money Plank.
'BrMETALLIsM- Is A VAGUE WORD

~ tbe Debnte In the Senate Yesterday II .
Critesion-RepubiIcsn ssasesmea Diner
widely 10 Its NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
faiks by Carter ssd Teiisr-shermaa
Equally Vigorous II 1ssue Looks Like Com
1sg TO Hesd-Aifen's Proposition.
WASHINGTON, Feb 27.-Tho tariff crisis
10 the senate brought another day Of in
tenscly dramatic action, impctuous de-
bate and of stormy personal colloquy.
The speech Of Carter Of Montana, one Of
tho five Republican senators who voted
against proceeding with the tariff bill,
was the main formal event Of ths day.
There was added interest In tho speech
owing to Cartcr's position as chairman
Of the Republican national committee.
Tho senator used very plain words In dc.
nouncing what he termed tho movement
Co drive him and his silver associates out
of the Republican party. This, however,
was but the prelude to moro stirring
events. Hoar questioned Carter as to
whether he intended to defeat any protcc-
tive tariT bill unless senators surren-
dercd their convictions TO him. and
whether his construction OF tho Mime.
npoiis platform agreed with the construc.
tion given TO it by President Harrison.
That Minneapolis Financial Plank.
Carter responded with gruat vigor that
IIarrison's Course had not been all that
was desired, but IL was nt least n beacon
Of hope for thr future. But IL was not tho
construction applicable To the situation in
tho senate today. Gear Of Iowa sharply
questioned Carer upon the circumstances
of framing the financial plank Of the Min
ncnpolis platform, bringing out the fact
that Jones Of Nevada md Teller OF Col.
orado had taken part in shaping the do,u-
ment. Carter asserted that while this wns
truo the men who framed that plank never
dreamed that the English language would
permit such misconsyuction OF its terms.
Pith Of Cartcr's Speech.
Tho pith and burden Of Carter's speech
was that the Minneapolis platform had
meant free coinage Of silver and that it
had been interpreted otherwise He
closed ms follows: "If 1t shall occur that
this scnsclcss crusade against Rcpubli.
cans, who believed In good faith In the
Minneapolis platform when IL declared
FOR bimetallism rs we'll as protection,
shall bo carried TO such an extent as may
result In the adoption Of President Clcve-
lands scheme by tho -. Louis conven-
tion, submit: Republican success will be
rendered utterly impossible. II the plat
form of 1923 announces to the country,
In conjunction with the action Of reports
bearing ON the two conventions, that tho
plank on bimctallism adopted mt Mime.
npolis was dcl,:sion, n fraud and n snare
IL would bc just as well for the Rcpuill-
can party not to make nomination ut
81. Louis Mt ALL
Hoar Puts n Leading Question.
Iioar was the first man to tackle the
Montana senate. and he closed with n
question addressed specifically to Carter,
namely: II ask that senator whether We
arc TO understand him to say that IL he
fails to convince his Republican associates
ho then proposes to say to us: You shall
not pass any protective tariff bill unless
you surrender your convictions to u.s. IL
protective tariff bill IL hereafter pre-
scntcd, fair and just, on wool. lead ore,
fruit md the various industries OF tho
west, does tho senator mean to say that
he will not let that bill pass unless we
surrender our convictions To himy"
Reply That Was No Answer.
Carter madc u brief reply To- Hoar's
question by saying that the Republicans
OF the west who construc the platform
Of is9! rs favorable to silver would be
the last TO desert the ship. and that IL
others who take different view Of tho
question should find IL incumbent upon
them to leave the vessel tho western men
would gaze with sorrow upon tho sad
spectacle.
FLANK WHICH TELLER DRAFTED.