The San Francisco call., 1896-02-15
OVERWHELMING VOTE.
After Two Weeks of Argument
1t Is Decided to Stick to
the Bond Bill.
GEORGIA DEMOCRATS DISAGREE
Ex-Speaker Crisp Advocates Free
Coinage, While Turner Loudly
Protests Against 1t.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 14.-By'a
vote OF 215 to 80 the House to-day, after
debating 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 main
tain the gold reserve, sales of treasury cer-
,, tlflcates to meet temporary deficiencies in
revenue and providing additional revenue
for the treasury. Nothing else was pre-
sented in the course of the five hours ses-
sion. The closing debate was notable prin-
clpally because of the fact that the main
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, respectively. The closing speech
! against the Senate's substitute was made
by Dalzell (R.) of Pennsylvania. The
speeches were of unusual length, and
throughout the speakers were heard
with attention and apparent inter-
est, the novel spectacle of Crisp
and Turner arrayed against each other be-
ing strong factor in the case. While
Crisp was speaking Senators Pritchard,
Lodge, Burrows, Palmer, Tillman, Bacon,
George. Cockrell and Mantle md 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 Dingley (R.) of Maine,
in order that there might be no misunder-
standing, it was put in this form:
/ Shall the House concur in the Senate
lsuhstitute?"
The roll was called amid extraordinary
Il oui af
absence of those not present was stated by
their colleagues so great was the anxiety
to have the record show the attitude of
every member toward the proposition. A
study of the vote shows that 25 RepubIi-
cans. So Democrats, silverite and all the
Populists present voted in favor of free
coinage, and that iS4 Republicans and 81
Democrats voted against it. The Democratic
vote against free coinage was six greater
than the Republican vote for it.
| This matter being disposed OF the House
took recess until 8 P. NJ. to consider pri-
vate pension bills.
commencement day. of the debate on
the silver bill in the House attracted no
more spectato tors in the galleries than any
| day OF the past few weeks, during which it
has been the pending business There
| was, however, a larger number of Repre-.
| sentatlves in their seats than usual.
| Those who had been off to Lincoln dav
| banQuets in various cities had returned
and were on hand to vote, and many who
! had not hitherto felt it necessary or de-
sirable to listen to the discussion as it pro-
ceeded came in to have their votes re-
| corded on the question. AS soon as the
| journal had been read the last stage of the
debate upon the financial question as
| involved from the Senate free-coinage SUBJ
| stitute for the public bond revenue bill
was entered on.
Crisp CD of Georgia, the Democratic
leader, began the closing speech in favor
of the free coinage of silver. By unani-
nous consent he was given as much time
as he desired in which to complete his re-
marks. In the outset Crisp said he would
| endeavor to conduct his part in the dis.
| cussion SO as to offend no member of the
House. This was an economic question.
| and he would assume that every members
| would vote upon it in accordance with his
convictions. In 1873 he asserted, the
| United States demonetized silver. This
had been questioned in the course of the
debate. From 1882 to 1873, the United
States had had bimetallism. This propo.
| sition also he said, had been controverted
| by advocates of the single gold standard,
| who now maintained that notwithstand-
| ing the existence of the statutes upon this
subject there had really not been bimetal-
lism in this country. The confusion, in
! his opinion, grew out of the failure to dis
tinguish between a standard and cur
rency This distinction existed. and he
quoted from a message from President
Cleveland, "who ought to be satisfactory
| authority to the gold standard advocates
to show that it was appreciated. The law
OF 1892 establishing the Mint contained
| the basis of the bimetallism for which the
Democratic party had always 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 Crisp as
serted 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 COM
mercial nation opened its mints to silver
| the standard of value was based on both
gold and silver. That was the conditions
up to 1873, when the United States de-
mOHetlZeu silver. Discussing The oHecI oI
| the law of 1873, Crisp said it was sticking
in the bark" for any gentleman to say that
law could not affect values. The law could
and did affect values by regulating the de-
mand for the article to be valued. That
was the way in which the act OF 1873 re-
duced the value of silver, by reducing the
demand for it as money. If law could not
affect values, he asked, how could an in
lternational agreement affect valuest