The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-01

review of the same history that Mr.. Gros-
venor had invoked to prove that the RepuD,
lfcan party on the money question mad
'somesaulted like a circus tumbler.
Mr.. Grow (Rep., Pa.) contended against
the resolution. that the creditor had the
right to demand the payment of his debt in
whatever legal tender he elected. For the
government to exercise the option would
be dishonest and in bad faith. Otherwise
the government could set its printing
presses at work and soon turn out enough
legal tender to discharge the government
debt
Mr.. Brumm (Rep., Pa said he would
have voted for the resolution had 1t not
contained the latter clause declaring that
the free coinage of silver was not incon-
sistent with the public faith.
Mr.. Baird CDem., La asserted that in
voting against the pending resolution the
Republicans would simply obey the COM
mands of their masters in Wall street.
Mr.. Bailey yielded fourteen minutes to
parcelled the time out to the Populist MEM
bers, giving each of them couple of min
utes: All advocated the adoption of the
resolution.
II. L. JOHNSON HAS TEN MINUTES.
Mr.. Johnson (Rep., Ind got ten minutes
from Mr.. Steele (Rep., Ind.), with which
TO oppose the resolution. He said the res
olution was adroitly worded. 1t was. in his
opinion, nothing more nor less than a re-
affirmation of the Chicago platform, dec
lardtion for free coinage of silver. While
the advocates of free silver contended that
under free coinage silver would be at a par
ity with gold, he declared that they knew
otherwise. and charged that the purpose of
this resolution was to enable the govern
ment TO pay in a deprecated silver dollar
after gold had been driven out of circula-
ton.
Mr.. Evans Rep KY said he construed
the resolution as declaration for free sill
Yer and as such he opposed it,
Mr.. Walker (Rep., MaSs), chairman of
tne banking and currency committee, in OPP
posing p',sl the resolution. asked if members had
ever stopped to calculate the commercial
value of undoubted honor, whether among
natons or individual.
Mr. Bartlett IDem, Ga.) declared that the
present attempt to vitiate the contract be-
tween the bondholders and the taxpayers
was made In pursuance of the demand of
annapolis declared that the business men
would force the gold standard on the cOun-
try, in spite of the law. if necessary.
After some brief remarks in support of
the resolution by Messrs. Brucker Dem,
Mich), Norton (Dem.. o., and Cochran
stirring ten-minute speech against it, He
said he was ready to agree with Mr.. Nc
EVAN who, in describing the decentralization
almost ready to endure all the horrors of
the gold standard IL by so doing they could
get rid of the noise of the advocates of
Mr. Mcguire Dem. CALI said he agreed
with Mr.. Dingley that there were but two
sides to this question-justice and extortion.
the creditor and the debtor. concentrated
wealth and manhood and the bonholder
ana the people; 1t was, he said, the old
story or Shylock and Antonio over again.
with Shylock demanding more than was
nominated in the bond.
Mr. Cannon (Rep., lid. whose record had
peen attacked during the debate, said, in
speaking OF his former votes for free coin
age and for the Matthews resolution that
the difference between silver and gold then
was but a few cents: it was now 20 cents.
me Republican party had always been for
n s. sound money the Democratic party
SINCE the war for cheap, unsound money
Mr.. Hepburn (Rep. la. in opposing the
resolution which. he said was equivalent 10
e free-coinage declaration. referred to ex-
the standards of free silver.
Mr.. Rhea (Dem., KY. created something
OF sensation In the course of his speech.
Whlle ne was referring to the crime of
1873, he declared that if there was any hole
In hades hotter than any other it would be
Many Kisses from the Republican side
greeted this statement. Later, speaking of
the republican cry of parity between gold
and silver Mr.. Rhea said man who
hugged his chambermaid or cook had as
well talk of maintaining the honor of his
household as those who, debasing silver in
every way, prated of preserving the parity
of the two metals.
BAILEY CLOSES FOR THE SILVER
TIES.
After some further brief remarks by
Messrs. Lacey and Hepburn, of Iowa,
against the resolution, Mr.. Bailey closed for
the Democrats, in a speech which stirred
his followers to high pitch of enthusiasm
Mr.. Bailey, owing to the great pressure for
time, had only four minutes in which to
close the debate for his side. The resolution
under consideration. he said contained two
propositions, one moral and the other legal
One asserts, as a matter of law, that the
bonds of the United States are redeemable
at the option of the government in silver
and the other, as matter of morals, that
to restore to its coinage such silver coins as
q legal tender in payment of the bonds
principal and interest, is not in violation of
the public faith, nor in derogatiOn of the
rights of the public creditors. He would not
dwell, he said, on the legal aspect of the
question. There was not lawyer in the
United States, nor in any other country,
who would venture: on his professional rep
utation, to deny that the bonds could be
paid in silver. That went without saying.
The Republicans in this matter must justi-
fy themselves. If at ALL. upon the PROPOSE
ton that in their cOnScienceS they believe
that gold was the money of the contract.
Does one of you believe, said he, adj
dressing the Republicans, that if the
bondholder owed the government under
similar contract that he would not exercise
his option? If it is right that he should ex-
erciSe his option, as he would, we believe
the government has the same right with
their positions reversed. Democratic APP
plause.) We are ready to meet you on this
issue-the issue that the money which is
good enough for the people who produce the
wealth is good enough for the idlers who
IL
enough for the poor is good enough for the
rich; that the money the laborer receives for
his toll and the merchant for his wares is
good enough for the bondholders and, by
the eternal, he shall be compelled to take
it," At this point the hammer fell amid
burst of enthusiasm from the Democratic
side.
Mr.. Henderson (Rep., Ia.). the one-legged
veteran. and Mr.. Dalzen CRep Pa
closed the debate with fve-minute speeches
in opposition TO the resolution. The former
created intense enthusiasm as, with the
right of the speakers chair and his clutches
by his side. he rallied his followers. This
resolution he said. reminded him of one of
the monograms he used to see on the Bryan
banners
Here Mr.. Bailey broke in with: "You will
see it again in 1900" Democratic applause.)
THE OLD FAMILIAR HOWL
Mr.. Henderson replied: Yes, and we will
tear it down again. Republican applause.)
1t was the three RS" continued Mr.. Hen
derson-" Radiealism, rascality and repudia-
ton. This scene reminds me of a Popo-
cratic convention. 1t is the old familiar
howl against the bondholders. But gentle
men must remember that they cannot cut
down the money of the bondholders without
cutting in half the money that goes TO the
old soldier or his widow or orphan; or the
money of the men who TOLL
Jerry Simpson here asked: How about
the taxpayers?"
Mr.. Henderson waved Mr.. Simpsons in
terrogatory aside. The resolution, he re-
Sumed. was In reality part of the programme
that sought to commit the country to the
single-slver standard. He recalled the
Presidents declaration his New York