The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-28

Some Heated Passages Senators
Senator Butier's Measure to Extend the
Rural Free Delivery of MaiI-The Houre
Discusses the Wave of Prosperity
Similarity Between the Cleveland Panic
and the Mckinley Boom.
SENATE.
Washington, January Ex-senator
Butler, of North Carolina, offered an
| amendment to the postoffice appropria-
ton bill providing for an extension of
the experiment of rural free delivery
to every state and territory of the Union
and to as many sections of those states
and territories as possible. The amend
merit appropriates $250,O00 to I'VE
the xpense of the proposed extension.
Senator Butler spoke briefly in support
of the amendment, saying that it had
been drawn after full consultation with
the postmaster general.
The pension bill was passed after a
number of amendments offered by Sen
ator Allen had been defeated.
The Teller resolution was laid be-
fore the senate.
Senator Teller asked Senator Allison
whether the last statement in the pend
ing resolution was true-that Is, ITO
restore to its cOinag such silver coins
as a legal tender in payment Of said
bonds, principal and interest, is not IN
violation of the public faith nor in de-
rogation of the rights of the public
creditor"
TT is not true in two respects" re-
piled Senator Allison. w rave re-
stored the silver dollar, in the first
place; and in the second, the silver
dollar is a legal tender"
Senator Berry, democrat, Of Arkan-
COG i'm ON extended Spaozch dlC19 rad
THAT the pending resolution was pre-
cisely the same as that for which the
senator from Iowa (Allison) voted
twenty years ago.
Senator Loge, of Massachusetts,, said
that it was we'll understood that the
bond purchases were to be paid in gold
as they paid gold for the bonds n
he quoted from a speech of Senator
Teller showing that he (Teller) had
the same idea.
Senator Berry denied that there was
such understanding and he would defy
anybody to establish as a fact that
there was such In the course of his
remarks Senate Berry said that the
country had before it The spectacle Of
a secretary OF the treasury who want
ed to redeem silver dollars in gold
INK firmly to fasten the gold standard
upon the country, yet the president
a not the nerve ito kick him out
of the cabinet"
Senator Teller commended that he had
quite as much regard for the national
honor as had other members of the
senate. II am getting tired" shouted
Senator Teller, 'of the position assum-
ed by certain senators here because
they live in the eastern part of this
country. Thy are no more honest,
they are no more strenuous in uphold
ing THE public honor than I am. I
want to say here and now that I be
lieve in paying the debts of the gov-
ernment in silver even if that is the
cheaper metal. The secretary of the
Treasury is now bound by law to re-
gard the Interests of the people but
that department has been making law
to suit itself for twenty years."
tor Teller declared in conclusion that
he had seen the national treasury rob-
fbed-a transaction h most disgrace
full ever accomplished by a national
administration. In view of that fact,
he Thought that the arrogation to
themselves by the opponents of the
resolution of all the honesty was not
warranted by the facts.
Senator Allison asked Senator Vest
whether he thought h Bland-Allison
act in substantial compliance with the
concurrent resolution of twenty years
ago.
This is no financial Kindergarten
said senator Vest. THE senator from
Iowa ought to know what the Bland
Allison act meant, because he framed
it himself"
Senator Vest did not deem it neces-
sary, he said, to extend the colloquy
further at so late an hour, but he ask
that an oYopn6rn mont No tho resolution
offered by Senator Lodge earlier in the
day he read for information.
The amendment provides that all of
the resolution except the resolving
clause be stricken out and the declara-
ton substituted that the bonds of the
United States are payable, principal
and interest, in the money which is
the highest money of the world, i'm
gold or it's equivalent, whether that be
silver or paper.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Under the parliamentary fiction of
discussing the Indian appropriation
bill, the house devoted almost the en-
tire day to a political debate in which
the main question was whether pros
perity had come to the country as a
result of the advent of the present
administration. las the speeches were
limited to five minutes each, many
members participated and partisan
spirit kept the interest keyed up to a
high pitch. The acrimony which usu-
ally characterizes such debates was
almost entirely absent, but, although
good natured, some hard knocks We're
given and received.
Mr.. Richardson, democrat, of Ten
nessee. speaking to a. pro forma
amendment, adduced figures and
financial authorities to prove that pros
perity had not yet appeared. He
quoted Mr.. Wharton Barker to prove
that there had been a decline equal to
1 per cent. in the price of 100 standard
commodities.
IF prOSperity has not returned ,,