Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-27
TELLER RESOLUTION DEBATE.
No Sensational Incidents Yesterday-
Vote on the Resolution to BE
Taken To-day,

Washington. Jan. 26.-For more than six
hours the senate had under discussion tho
Teller resolution providing that the gov
erhment pay the principal and interest of
the bonds Of the United States in silver.
BY agreement, the resolution and pending
amendment are to be voted on before ad
journment tomorrow. The debate was de-
void Of sensational incidents and acrmo
NOUS colloquies, which characterized that
of yesterday. but it was replete with argu-
ments and oratory. The time was con-
sumed by Mr.. Teller, silverite, of Colorado.
the author of the resolution, and Mr.. Dam
lei, Democrat, of West Virginia, who sup
ported the resolution. and by Mr.. Hoar. Re
Republican, of Connecticut, in opposition to
II. All delivered set speeches except Mr..
Hoar. whose speech was in reply to some
points; advanced by Mr.. Teller yesterday.
No other business was transacted.
During the course of the debate MI. Teller
j. said he would be willing to retire from
public life. If, by so doing, he could bring
about an International bimetallic agree
ment.
Mr. Fairbanks asked Mr.. Teller whether
the present secretary of the treasury was
now paying out only gold in liquidation of
the bonded Obligations OF the government.
.. II do not know" replied Mr. Teller.
ing. My relations with the present admin
istration are not such as to enable me to
obtain information of its acts"
Being further pressed by Mr.. Fairbanks,
Mr.. Teller said his belief was that the ad
ministration was paying the interest on
coin obligations of the government. no such
obligations themselves having matured, in
gold.
IT have absolute information" retorted
Mr.. Fairbanks, that the administration Is
paying the obligations 1 refer to in legal
tender notes. On January /, SO, 600 of
bonds matured, and 1 am informed by the
secretary of the treasury that these bonds
legal tender notes.
Mr.. Lodge inquired whether Mr.. Teller
was in favor of the amendment to his res
olution, which provides that obligations of
the United States should be paid 'in the
money that is the highest money, of the
world. in gold. or its equivalent in gold,
whether that be silver or paper.'
Well, shall vote against it, replied the
Colorado senator.
Mr.. Teller did or did not think the amend
ment proper principle for congress to lay
Mr.. Teller still held that the government
and the governments creditors ought to
abide by contracts made.
Il desired to know" said Mr.. Lodge.
what the senator from Colorado thought
OF my amendment because 1 copied it, word
for word. from a speech made by the sem
ator, 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 its equivalent In gold.
whether that that l be silver or paper" r. so,
from Colorado (Teller) believed that his
statement was accurate when he made 1t.
he ought not now TO ODJect 10 supporting
it with his voice and vote.
Mr.. Teller replied that he had never adj
yocated the payment of government obli-
cations in deprecated currency and did
not now.
Mr. Hoar, of Massachusetts, followed in
n speech in which he maintained the po-
sition he took yesterday that the question
under discussion was not one of law, but
one of honor and integrity. He said that
the advocates of the pending resolution
maintained that by a crime the price of
silver had been reduced until the silver
in a dollar was worth only "A cents. yet
the same senators who made the charge
of that crime advocated the payment
Of the governments obligations in this de-
preciated money-money that had been de-
preciated. as they claimed. by crime.
Mr.. Hoar said that it had been made
evident by the statement of the senator
from Arkansas Berry to whom he re-
ferred as an honest stalwart old Con-
ferate who was willing to walk up to
the cannons mouth of the pending Ques-
ton, that il was the purpose of the silver
men to go into the campaign of 1900 and
declare it to be right and honest to pay
obligations in 10 cent dollars. and to Stig-
matiZe as ''srabbers'' and robbers" those
who differed from them upon the honesty
of such policy.
The Colorado senator. when he rose to
begin his speech, Mr.. Hoar said. expressed
a desire to resent something. In fact he
was always resenting something.