The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-05

the State, and Not the Agent of
the House and Senate-OpDosad
to Free Silver at the BRYAN r.,
ito of I6 to 1.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4.-speaking to
question of personal privilege in the
senate today, Mr.. Lindsay Dem. XVI
commented on the motives of the au
thor and promoters of the resolution
recently passed by the legislature NJ
kentucky, demanding his resignation
as senator. Mr.. Lindsay, after deffning
MS position upon the financial ones.
uon, made 1t clear that he was the
representative of the whole DeODIa NJ
Kentucky, and not in any sense the
agent of the Kentucky Legislature
Above all, he was, he said, a senator
Tor the whole American people, and, a.
such, would perform his duties and
cast his vote in accordance with hil
convictions and with the dictates of hi,
conscience.
I hold in my hands a paper purportlng
10 De an Official copy of a resolution re-
Gently adopted by the two houses of the
kentucky general assembly, and which il
IS due to myself and to the senate shall
be fully understood.
While this processes to request nv
resignation. 1t IS couched in language
winch disregards the ordinary amenities of
-4AS' anu LSI III eUGCJ, q demand that | shall
surrender my place in order to create a
vacancy and thus make room here for some
one holding political views in harmony
WIN WIN the author and promoters of the reso-
tuition. desire TO protest against this
usurpatlon of ungranted power, and mas
much as the resolution has been made a
matter OF record on the journals of the
which have no access, l PROPOSE to give
l. place on the records of the senate.
ana IN that connection to make such com
IDS MS aS deem necessary and proper
under the circumstances.
IL Is to be observed that in the ar
ralgnment which precedeS the resolution
tnere Is no charge that I have ever dis
Kentucky.
Opposed to Free Silver.
The substance of the complaint is that
l am opposed to the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at the ratio of IS to /,
and that l opposed the election of the
nominees Of the late Chicago convention,
ana by so doing, betrayed the trust re-
pcsed In me by my constituency. I shall
not discuss the presidential campaign of
80. 1t Is not necessary to do so to meet
the charges that | betrayed the trust Of
my constituents by opposing the election
OF the Chicago nominees. My constituency
Is made up of the people of Kentucky and
that people voted against those nominees
ana twelve out of thirteen electoral votes
OF kentucky were registered against them.
II to be opposed to the free coinage OF sill
yer and IN favor of maintaining the parity
OF our gold and silver dollars is to be
deemed betrayal of trust, then l may be
pardoned for calling attention to the his
Tory or current politics in Kentucky, from
1893, when l was first elected to the senate
up TO the time of my second election.
was elected to fill an unexpired term in
February 1898. In August of that wear
congress met in extra session to consider
the proposed repeal Of the purchasing clause
OF the act of July H. 1890, commonly called
the Sherman law. In October, 1893, 1 voted
against a proposed amendment to the bill
providing for the free coinage of silver at
the ratio Of is TO l. | voted against an
amendment providing for the re-enactment
or the Bland-Alllson act. l voted against
the amendment providing for the free coin
age of silver, upon condition that the GOV
eminent should receive in the wav Of
seigntorage the difference between the mar
ket and coinage value of silver bullion. In
the discussion of the bill l declared that I
would vote for no amendment which merely
experimental with change of ratio or
that did not provide reasonable safeguards
to secure the maintenance OF the parity of
gold and silver dollars.
Those votes and declarations were known
TO all the intelligent people of the state OF
Kentucky.
Views Well known.
In the month following the adjournment
OF the extra session, the general assembly
charged with the duty Of selecting nv sue
cessor was chosen. 1t convened i'm January
1891. My name was the only one presented
TO the Democratic caucus, and when the
election came to be held | received The
vote or every Democratic member present
My views of the silver question were as
well known then as they are TODAY They
were then the views of an overwhelming
majority of the Democrats Of Kentucky and
or an overwhelming majority Of the Repub-
mean party in that state. / stand today
precisely where | stood when | received that
unanimous Endorsement by the Democrats OF
kentucky. If those who were in accord with
me four years ago are not so today. it ia
because they have changed their opinions
whilst l have remained steadfast. / criticiso
no one for changing his opinions bur I
protest against being denounced as a be-
manned unchanged.
represent not merely party or a fac
tlon, but all the people of Kentucky NV
constituency Is equal to the combined CON
stituency of all the members Of the pres
ent assembly, and [ feel the utmost conf
dence that my views on all questions ey-
citing public interest are the views of a de-
cided majority of voters of nv state Nv
term of service is fixed bv the constffu
ton of the United States 1t cannot h,
abridged by the action of the Kentucky leg
islature and an attempt by certain mem
DerS or that body to abridge it is the asSer-
ton of right which does not exist
and could not exist without imperiling the
Independence of this great branch of the
federal legislature.
In questions local to Kentucky I am al
ways ready to serve her interests to the
pest OF my ability, consistent with the Obliga-
ton Of honesty and far dealing, and re-
gardful of the limitations of tho constitu-
ton. When great public interests. affect
ing alike every portion of the Union are
to be acted upon. they are to be considered
from the standpoint of the broadcast ma
triotism. and this I propose to do. no mat
ter VINO may condemn my action or who
No business of Importance wa,
transacted in the brief open session
After the executive session of three
hours the senate adjourned until Mon.
day.