The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-02
WHAT THEY SAID.


Tuesdays debate in the senate was
summary which naturally left out
many essential points. In abridgement,
for instance, was the running converse
ton between Mr.. Allen, Mr.. Aldrich,
Mr.. Platt and others. The Congress
words:
Mr.. Allen. / see present my amiable
friend the senator from Rhode Island
who always coaches the senator from
Vermont / wish 10 ask the senator from
Rhode Island, who has said he is a BIZ
metallist and that his party is bimetal-
list party, whether he is willing to take
the tariff bill just exactly as IL comes
from the house of representatives, with
a free silver coinage amendment attached
to IL?
Mr.. Aldrich. Does the senator from Ne
braska wish an answer from me?
Mr.. Allen. ] desire TO have an answer
from some responsible head of the repub-
lican party. If IL has one.
Mr.. Aldrich. / answer. then, frankly,
no, with as much emphasis as IL is posi-
BILE for me to use.
Mr.. Allen. / am glad to hear 1t. because
IT stamps the republican party as the
enemy of bimetallism. Your party has
false pretenses in this chamber.
Mr. Morgan Ito Mr.. Allen. Ask him IL
he would take the Mckinley law with
free coinage.
Mr.. Allen. The senator from Alabama
suggests that l ask you II you will take
the Mckinley bill with free coinage. Will
you do that?
Mr. Plat. No.
Mr. Allen. The senator from Connecti-
cut says mo- Are there any circum-
stances under which you will take free
coinage?
Mr.. Aldrich. No, sir.
Mr. Plat. Except by an international
agreement.
Mr. Aldrich Unless an international
agreement on the subject shall first be
secured.
Mr.. Allen. Oh, yes. Now that dis
closes exactly what we have always
claimed. There are no circumstances un-
der which you are bimetallists.
The exchange of questions and an
swers ran on along this line. Mr..
Sherman had made a talk in which
he had taken strong ground in
favor of the gold basis with
paper money. The dialogue was re-
sumed with a discussion of the mean
ing of the republican platform of 1892.
when Mr.. Allen resumed: Il simply
wanted to say to the republicans in
this chamber, you have A votes. If you
want to take your tariff bill with a
free-coinage amendment attached 10
it. the populist party stands here
pledged 10 give you six votes to carry
that measure. Now. will you do it?"
he
with the senator from Nebraska is that
his only definition of bimetallism is the
unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio of
I6 to l by the United States alone. l say
that is no honest definition OF bimetal-
lism. The only honest definition of bimet-
allism-
Mr.. Teller. VIII the senator from Con-
necticut give us a definition of bimetal-
ism?
Mr.. Platt. The only honest definition of
bimetallism that has been put forth in
this country Is the definition put forth in
the platform of the republican party in
1892. What the senator from Nebraska
means is silver monometallism and moth
ing else. If he supposes that the repub-
lcan party
Mr. Allen. Now. Mr. President, let me
make a suggestion to the senator right
there.
Mr.. Plat. The senator will allow me.
Mr. Allen. Less than ten minutes ago
the financial chief of your party stood i'm
this chamber and said gold monometal-
lism is what we should have in this coun-
try, and not one of you arose to correct
him or object TO his statement.
Mr. Plat Mr.. President, have but a
moment before the morning hour will ex-
pire. The republican party is going into
the next campaign on the platform of
1892 with reference to silver and gold and
our currency. II needs no other plat
form.
This brief summary of the assertions
OF republican leaders is worth yards Of
newspaper profession as to what the
republican party will do or ought to do
or must do. Some of our local repub-
lican contemporaries would like to have
free coinage and protection go hand
in hand" That is a pretty profession
for use in western constituencies. The
trouble with 1t is that the men who
manage the republican party reject 1t
with derision.