Evening star., 1897-02-27
Mr.. DlNGLENS SPEECH
His Reasons for Advocating the Monetary
Conference Bill.

An interesting scene occurred IN ,ha
House yesterday afternoon during tho 10
bate upon the monetary conference hin
Mr.. Dingley of Maine was recognized 20
niske speech. and as he arose i'm his place
the House greeted his appearance with a
spontaneous and enthusiastic burst of an
pause. He has appeared but infrequently
III the House this session, owing to his
work on the ways and means committee.
ana ms colleagues chose the opportunity to
give an expression Of their regard for him.
Mr.. Dfnglev, speaking of the bill. said:
Mr.. Speaker in the six minutes which
have been allotted to me / can only briefly
suggest two reasons why L shall support
the pending bill. First ii is in response
TO the clear, distinct, unequivocal pledge
OF the republican party in the last cam
paign ApplauseD Mr.. Speaker, some
tunes resolutions are adopted in national
conventions hastily and inconsiderately
that have no binding force but every one
VINO is acquainted with the circumstances
cnder which the St Louis convention was
held understands that this feature of the
platform was a clear, distinct and we'll
considered declarat ton of the republican
party. Applause)
The republican party at st. Louis de-
clared against the free coinage of silver
by the Independent action of this country,
because they believed. as / believe and
as every scientific bimetallist in the world
outside of politics believes. that such in
dependent free coinage of silver at the
ratio of 16 to 1 would be nothing In the
world but silver monometallism and a sill
yer standard. But the party said at the
same time that they would promote. so far
as in their power, an international agree
ment for the free coinage Of silver under
conditions which should make every dol
lar H. silver good as every dollar in
gold. and that pledge il is out duty today
IN
to redeem. (Applause.D
'.Seconoly, Mr.. Speaker, I am in favor of
the passage of this bill because 1 believe
that its defeat Under the circumstances
under which it is presented, and in view
of the pledge which we made at the St.
Louis convention, would result in great
injury to the sound money cause. Jap
plause.) 1t must be understood that there
are in this country thousands-yes, mil
lions-of voters who. while opposed to the
free coinage of silver by this country
alone, because they believe that would
give simply silver monometallism. as 1
believe it would. are yet in favor of an
honest effort to secure an international
agreement upon this point, because they
believe that II that can be secured through
the cooperation of the great commercial
nations of the world Ii wo lid give a
currency every dollar of which would be
as good as gold, and that We should thus
have a gold standard or its equivalent.
That Is what they believe.
Now, in view Of the fact that there are
these millions of people who believe that
this can be accomplished, / hold. without
entering upon any discussion as to the
probabilities Of success, that IL would be
a great mistake for this side of the House
under those conditions not to meet the
wishes of those men and make an earnest
endea to obtain such an International
agreement. If II fails, then we shall have
done our full duty in the premises and no
harm will have happened. II IT succeeds,
then we shall have secured throughout the
commercial world a universal common
national trade. (Applause) / believe.
therefore, under these circumstances, with
out entering upon the discussion of the
various questions involved. that IL Is the
duty of every republican, in view of the
pledge that We made, in view of the fact
that we should damage the cause of sound
money by refusing to meet our pledge, to
vote for the pending bill.
THE suggestion that this is not the time
to act is purely technical The bill Is here
before us; and we must meet IL one way
or another. We as republicans or we as
sound-money men cannot go to the coun-
try and say that if this measure had been
would favor 1t; but now We are opposed to
II. We cannot dodge in any such way.
(Applause) s-.-.
One wcrd further. When the suggestion
is made that gentlemen i'm favor OF the free
coinage Of silver at 16 to by this coun-
try alone are voting for this bill, I want
you to read between the lines OF speeches
made here and elsewhere and you can
infer that nothing would please some OF
them so much a. to zee this bill defeated
today: and II their votes would do IL with
cut shouldering the responsibility for such
action, fear they would be 20 east"