The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-27

Washington, Jan. 26.-Upon motion Of
Mr.. Vest of Missouri the senate took
up the Teller resolution. The debate
was opened by Mr.. Teller of Colorado,
the author of the resolution. He said
he would permit no man TO excel him
in honor or good faith 4 would do
nothing he said. that would bring
about such a condition Of affairs as
would be disgraceful. whatever the
opinion of the senator from Massacbu-
sets CAIr. Hoar) may be of my opinions
or convictions This Massachusetts
senator tried to make it appear that my
/ position was on a parallel with the dol
| lar piece with copper cent me
! proposition l do not advance and DO
not think it would find much support IN
this or any other legislative body" Mr.
Teller said he was willing to retire
from public life if by so doing he could
/ bring about an international bimetal-
] lie agreement. He maintained that the
existing contract concerning the money
| in which bonds of the United States
were payable could not be changed
/ without action of cOngress-One of the
parties to the contract-and that the
government had a right to all the ad-
vantages the contract afforded it,
WHAT GAGE PAYS OUT.
Mr.. Fairbanks asked Mr.. Teller
whether the present secretary of the
treasury was now paying out only gold
in liquidation of the bonded obligations
of the government.
4 do not know" replied Mr.. Teller,
what the secretary of the treasury IS
doing. My relations with the present
administration are not such as to en-
,f 70
acts"
Being further pressed by Mr.. Fair
banks, Mr.. Teller said his belief was
that the administration was paying
the interest on certain obligations of
the government, no such obligations
themselves having matured. in gold.
I have absolute information, re-
tOrted Mr.. Fairbanks, that the admin
istration is paying the obligations I
refer to in legal tender notes. On Jan.
l, $29, coo 900 of bonds matured, and I am
| informed by the secretary of the treas
ury that these bonds were paid. not
. in gold. not in silver, but in legal ten
der notes.
If that be So" said Mr.. Teller, I'VE
might as well discontinue this debate
and take vote upon the pending resO-
luton now
The point had been reached, thought
MIR. Teller, when an effort was being
AAAciuG Dy lllC ucliOlitil ctlAliliStIdlloil
to put the country on gold basis. He
thought there had been too much soph-
iStry and evasion of the financial ques-
ton among those who discussed it dur
ing the past 20 years. and in his opinion
the time had arrived for all parties to
walk squarely up TO the lannon's
mouth of the question and deal fairly
and honestly with themselves and the
people.
GEAR ANSWERED.
In response to a statement by Mr..
Teller that 1852, 0OG,G coo of bonds were
sold for the purpose of maintaining the
gold standard, Mr.. Gear OF Iowa said
il was well known that more than $780,
100000 of those bonds We're sold to meet
u deficit in the treasury. The state
ment was fatty cOntradicted by the
Colorado senator. who maintained that
there was no necessity for the sale OF
bonds to meet current expenses when
there was plenty of silver 20 meet
pressing obligations of the government
Referring, in the course of his re-
marks to the presidential contest of
1885, Mr.. Teller said that no political
campaign in this country had ever been
characterized by SO much bitterness,
acrimOny and vindictiVeness. He con-
coded the right, he said, of others to
differ from him upon this and other
questions, but he held that he ought to
NC diGOiuEQ lllE SAINT ana 1lDEEIN.
Tor the welfare OF the people, not only
of this country, but of the world. de-
pended upon the rightful solution of
the financial question. He had a right
to speak here for the great masses of
the people, and he took advantage of
1t because he felt that the fastening of
the gold standard upon the country
would simply make of the plain people
hewers of wood and drawers of water.
In conclusion, after speaking about two
hours and a half, Mr.. Teller replied to
some statements made yesterday con-
corning savings banks.
LODGE AND HIS AMENDMENT.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Teller's
speech, Mr.. Lodge called attention to
some statements in criticism of an
amendment offered by him Lodge)
yesterday to the pending resolution
The amendment declared that the obli-
cations of the United States should be
paid in the money that is the highest
money of the world, in gold or its
equivalent in gold, whether that be sill
yer or paper" Mr.. Lodge enquired
whether Mr.. Teller was in favor of that
amendment
Well, 1 shall vote against it, replied
the Colorado senator.
Mr.. Lodge insisted on knowing
whether Mr.. Teller did or did not think
the amendment a proper principle for
congress TO lay down.
Mr.. Teller still held that the govern
ment and the governments creditors
ought TO abide by contracts made
Il desired to know said Mr.. Lodge,
what the senator from Colorado
thought of my amendment, because I
copied it word for word from a speech
made by the senator, in which he de-
clared that every dollar this govern
ment owes wiz be paid in the money
that is the highest money of the world.
in gold or its equivalent in gold.
whether that be silver or paper" Mr..
Lodge thought that if the senator from
Colorado tTeller) believed that his
statement was accurate when he made
it, he ought not now to object to sup
porting il with his voice and vote.
Mr.. Teller replied that he had never
advocated the payment of government