The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-02-01

SO 1ubilantly when the pending TeSo-
tuition was Drought into this hall-are
| among Its MOST priceless possessions,
| aye. its title deed ito permanenoe and
prosperity.
Mr. Speaker, the sting and dishonor
of the pending resolution. like the
sting OF THE deadly snake. is in dts tail.
AND THAT sting. we'll nigh harmless
twenty years ago, under conditions
omen existing. Is made deadly by the
changed conditions of to-day The
deadly tall of hhis resolution reads as
| follows: THAT ito restore ito It's coinage
such silver coins as a legal tender in
| 'tne payment of said bonds (meaning
practically all bonds of the United
States now outstanding is not in vio-
iatlon OF the public faith nor in dero-
gatlon Of the rights OF the public cred
ftor The declarations of the movers
ana supporters of this resolution in the
Senate during Its recent consideration
| IN 'uh9t body throws a flood of light on
What is meant NOW by THE phrase, To
restore to Its coinage such silver coins
"a phrase which, in 1878 was with good
reason interpreted by many who sup
ported a similar resolution to mean
| something vitality different from Yha,t
| 1t must mean now"
MT. Dingley argued that the govern
ment had no moral right to pay Its
| ponds in dollar of inferior value to
| the standard gold dollar. He begged
the House not to trif1e with the national
| honor. He believed the passage of the
resolution would injure our credit and
standing as a nation.
| The appearance Of Mr., Bland OF
| Bland dollar fame, to whom Mr.. Bailey
yielded ten minutes, was greeted with
applause. The course Of the President
and Secretary Gage Mr. Bland said,
| IN pressing the gold standard upon
the country had driven the bimetallsts
| IN Congress to introduce and Insist up-
on the passage of this resolution. Every
Republican who voted against the nas-
sage of this resolution, he said. violated
the st. Louis platform and voted against
the coinage of silver. free or limited
Mr. Bland created great applause on the
Democratic side by reading from the
record the votes of Messrs. Hopkins,
Grosveno: and other prominent Repub-
licans against the bill to pay the bonds
| of the United States in gold which was
voted upon In the last Congress at the
time the last administrat alton negotiated
| the $260, 600. 900 loan. .-s-. ,a,4s4 t,i,s
Mr.. Swanson (Dem., Of VirginIa), In
support of the resolution, contended that
| II was not violation of the faith and
| honor OF the government to pay our
bonds, principal and interest In silver,
| M:. Swanson declared that the effect OF
defeating this resolution would be to
serve notice to the bondholders that
they would be paid only in gold, where
on they would haze no further interest
In silver and the present parity would
| be destroyed
Mr. Iehea Oem OF Kentucky created
something of sensation. In the course
| of his speech while he was referring to
the crime Of 1873 he declared that if
there was any hole in Hades hotter than
any other 1t would be reserved espe-
cially for John Sherman. Many Kisses
from the Republican side greeted this
statement. Later speaking of the Re-
publican cry OF parity between gold and
silver, Mr.. Rhea said a man who hugged
his chambermaid or cook might as we'll
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.
| MT. Bailey. owing to the great pres
! sure for time, had only four minutes
In which to close the debate for his
side. The resolution under consde1a-
ton, he said. contained two PROPOSE
tions, one moral, and the other legal.
| One asserts as matter Of law that the
bonds of the United States are redeem
able at the option of the government
in silver, and the other, as matter Of
| morals that to restore II TO It's coinage
such silver coins as legal tender in
payment Of the bonds, principal and in
terest. is not In violation OF the public
faith nor in derogation Of the rights of
| the public creditor. He would not
| dwell, he said, on the legal aspect OF
the question. There was not lawyer
In the United States or in any other
country who would venture on his pro-
lessional reputation to deny that the
bonds could be paid in silver That
went without saying. The RepubIicans
In this matter must justify themselves,
II at all, upon the proposition that in
their consciences they believe that gold
was the money of the contract
Does one Of you believe" said he,
addressing the Republicans, that if the
bondholder owed the government under
a similar contract that he would not
exercise his option?
IF 1t is right that he should exercise
his option. as he would we believe the
| government has the same right with
thelr positions reversed. We are ready
| 10 meet you on this issue-the issue that
the moeny which is good enough for
the people who produce the wealth Is
good enough for the idlers who spend It;
that the money which is good 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 bondholder and
by the Eternal, he shall be compelled
to take IT." At this point the hammer
fell amidst a burst of enthusiasm from
| the Democratic side.
Mr.. Henderson CRep.. OF Iowa) the
onc-legged veteran, and Mr.. Dalze1,
| Rep.. of Pennsylvania) closed the de-
bate with eloquent 1ve-minute speeches
In opposition to the resolution.
Promptly at o'clock the Speaker an
nounced that the time for the vote had
| arrived