Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1898-02-09
The Teller Resolution.

The passage OF the Teller Sol
ton, declaring that national obliga-
tions may be paid in silver, and the
defeat of the resolution in the house,
really amounts to little, unless to
show to what extent the senate, as
now constituted, does not represent
the people. In the senate the reso-
luton was passed by a vote OF AZ to
81. In the east and south party
lines were strictly drawn, except in
the cases of Caffrey, Of Louisiana,
and Chandler, of New Hampshire,
the latter voting for and h former
against the resolution. These votes
offset each other. But who thinks
for a moment that Chandler repre-
sents the state of New Hampshire / n
| voting for silver monometallism-
for that is just what the resolution
amounted o Caffrey may or may
not represent his constituency, we
do not pretend to say. Western SEN
ators, with the exception of Wilson,
| of Washington, cast their votes with
the Democrats and no doubt repre-
scented the majority OF their constit-
uency in SO doing. But what small
part of the people OF this great re-
public is that constituency? Leav-
ing out Wilson and the thirteen
other other senators from western
states the vote would have stood
yeas "a, nays 81. These seven states,
which have fourteen senator's, have
but nine votes in the house, Ia mem
bership of which Is based on popula'
ton, and twenty-one in the electoral
college. In electing a president the
seven states have one less vote than
Ohio, three less than Illinois, eleven
less than Pennsylvania and fifteer
less than New York.
The Helena Independent essays to
criticise several western congressman
for not voting for the resolution, al
leging it was 1.-The party whip
But the Independent says nothing
about Senators Gray OF Delaware
Murphy of New York, Smith of New
Jersey, Mitchell of Wisconsin, and
German of Maryland. Was it not
1.-THE party whip" in these case
For surely the Indepenent would
not claim that they represented
their constituency in voting for sill
yer monometallism. The state o
Maryland las already chosen Cor
: mans successor and had he beer
seated at once he would not hav,
been found with those who voted
I for the resolution. Does the indie
/ pendent believe for a moment tina
/, New York favors silver monometal
Ilism?
The Times Herald last week pub
lished an interesting comparison q
the population and interests repre-
scented by the senator's who favore,
the Teller resolution and those VIII,
were opposed. In point of popula
= ton the states, both of whose sena
tors cast their vote for the resolution
d. is four million less than of thos
I states both Of whose senators vote,
s against the resolution. States reI
resented by one senator who vote,
r for and another who voted against
are not taken into consideration, be
cause one vote offset the other. Tn
silverites claim they represent tn
e agricultural classes. Let us see
r The value OF farm products, accord
ing to the census of 1890, in the state
Y which voted solidly against the res
olution was $11 900 900 greater tina
in the states which voted solidly TO
! for it. The silverites also claim the,
represent the debtor class. The to
tai membranes upon farms in tn
t states In question is $3.50, 000, 900 les
in the states casting their votes 70
the resolution than in those whic'
voted solidly against it. Neithe
does the vote represent the laborin
class, for there were in 1890 but 53S
1863 men employed in the states whic
cast both their votes for the resolu
ltion against 2.243,6SO laboring me