Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-01-27
Fairbanks Says Government
Did So Recently.
VOTE IN THE SENATE TODAY.
Agreement Reached to Take Action on
the Teller ResoIution-Lodge Quotes
From old Speech Made by Teller.
Others In the Debate.

discussion the Teller resolution provid-
ing that the government may pay the
principal and interest of the bonds of
the United States in silver. By agree
ment the resolution and pending amend
ments are TO be yoten upon before adj
jouremnt today.
Mr.. Teller said he would be willing
to retire from public life IL by do doing
be could bring about an international
bilnetallic agreement. He maintained
that the existing contract concerning
the money i'll which bonds of the United
States were payable could not be
changed without action of congress
one Of the parties to the contract-and
chat the government had a right to all
the advantages t. e contract afforded it.
Mr. Teller said his belief was that the
administration was paying the interest
Oh coin obligations of the government,
no such obligations themselves having
niatured, in gold.
- have absolute information, die
tated Mr.. Fairbanks, chat the admin
istratioa IS paying the obligations re-
ferreG 20 IL legal tender notes. On Jan.
/, So, 100000 of bonds matured and [
ana altormed by the secretary of the
treasttlJ iAat these bonds were paid not
i'll gold, not in silver, but III legal tender
notes"
''If that be so, said Mr.. Teller, eve
might as well discontinue this debate
and take vote upon the pending reso-
luton now
The point had been. reached, thought
Mr.. Teller when an effort is being made
by the national ADMINISTRATION to put the
country on a gold basis.
IN respone to a statement by Mr..
Teller, that 1862, 900, 600 of bonds We're
sold for the purpose of maintaining the
gold standard, Mr.. Gear Ga. said that
it was known that more than 5000, 000,-
900 of these bonds were sold to meet a
deficit in the treasury.
This statement was fatty contradicted
by the Colorado senator, who main
tanned that there was no necessity for
the sale of bonds to meet current ex-
penses when there was plenty of silver
to meet pressing obligations of the gov
eminent.
Referring in the course of his remarks
to the presidential contest of '96, Mr..
Teller said that no political campaign
in t1.S country had ever been charac-
terized by so much bitterness, acrimony
and vindictiveness. He conceded the
right, he said, of others to differ from
him upon this and other questions, but
he held he ought to be accorded the
same right and liberty of the people not
only of this country, but of the world,
depended upon the rightful solution of
the financial question. He had right
to speak here for the great masses of the
people and he took advantage of it, be-
cause 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.
At the conclusion of Mr. Teller's
speech, Mr.. Lodge called attention to
some statements i'll criticism of an
amendment offered by him Iodge) the
day before to the pending resolution.
The amendment declared that the obi
cations Of the United States should be
paid Gin the money that is the highest
money Of the world, in gold or it's
equivalent iii gold, whether that be
silver Or paper.
Mr.. Lodge inquired whether Mr.
Teller was in favor of that amendment
"Well, I shall vote against it, re-
piled the Colorado senator.
Mr.. Lodge insisted upon knowing
whether Mr.. Teller did or did not think
ol4e olhehttilChv d proper principle Tor
congress to lay down.
Mr.. Teller still held that the govern
ment and the governments creditors
ought to abide by contracts made.
81 desire to know" said Mr.. Lodge.
'twhat 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 declared that
every dollar this government owes will
be paid in the money that is the highest
money of the world, in gold or it's
equivalent in gold, whether that be
silver or paper"
Mr. Lodge thought that if the sena-
tor from Colorado (Teller) believed that
his statement was accurate when he
made it, he ought not now to object to
support it with his voice and vote.
Mr. Teller replied that he had never
advocated the payment of the govern
ment's obligations III deprecated cur
rency and did not now
Mr. Hoar Mass followed in a speech
In which he maintained the position he
took the day before, that the question
under discussion was not one of law,
but one of honor and integrity. He
said that the advocates of 4he pending
resolution maintained that by a crime
the price of silver had been reduced I'M
til the silver in a dollar was worth only
A cents, yet the same senator's who
made the charge of that s'crime'' advo-
Gated the payment of the government
obligations III this Deprecated money
money that had been depeciated, as
they claime,. by crime, yet, he said,
thew DroDOSed tn advocate the same doc