The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-05
NOBODY 5 BOND SLAVE
Senator Lindsay Defes the
Kentucky Legislature.
PEOPLE OF THE STATE
Are His Constituencies Whom
He is AnSWerable

washington, Feb. 4.-Speaking to
question OF personal privilege in the SEN
ate today, Mr.. Lindsay (Den., Ky.) com
mented sharply on the motives of the
author and promoters of the resolution
recently passed by the legislature of Ken
lucky demanding his resignation. Mr.
Lindsay, after defining his position on
the financial question, made it clear that
he was the representative of the whole
people of Kentucky, and not in any sense
the agent of the Kentucky legislature.
Above all, he was, he said, a senator Tor
the whole American people, and as cueh
would perform his duties and cast MS
vote in accordance with his convictions
and with the dictates of his conscience.
No business of Importance was transact
ed in the brief open session. After the
executive session of three hours, the SEN
ate adjourned until Monday.
Washington, Feb. AT the opening of
the senate today it was decided that when
the senate adjourn today it be until Mon
day next.
A bill providing for the erection of a
public building at Beaumont, Texas, at
a cost not to exceed 800, OOO was passed.
Mr.. Platt On. " offered a resolution,
which was referred to the committee on
military affairs, directing the secretary
of war to return to the Sixth regiment ar
tillery formerly the Thirteenth n. Y. V.
L. the fage of the regiment.
Mr.. Lindsay then took the floor to speak
on the resolution of the Kentucky legis-
Iature asking him to resign.
| lature asking him to resign. Mr.. Lindsay
said:
with the relations existing between
senator and his constituency this body
has generally no concern. But there are
exceptional cases in which a senator may
be justified in calling attention to trans
actions, semi-official in their character,
which, if left unexplained, might create
the impression that he stands officially
charged with conduct which would render
him unworthy of a seat on this floor and
an unfit associate for his fellow-senat-
ors.
81 hold in my hands paper purporting
to be an official copy of a resolution re-
Gently adopted by the two houses of the
Kentucky general assembly, and which
it is due to myself and TO the senate,
shall be fully understood"
He then had the resolutions read at the
clerks desk, and continued:
'"while this processes to request my
resignation, it is couched in language
which disregards the ordinary amenities
of life, and is, in effect, a demand that I
shall surrender my place in order to ere
ate vacancy and thus make room here
for some one holding political views in
harmony with the author and promoters
of the resolution. l desire to protest
against this usurpation of ungranted
power, and inasmuch as the resolution
has been made a matter of record on the
journals of the two houses OF the state
legislature, to which / have no access,
propose to give it a place on the records
Of the senate and in that connection to
make such comments as deem necessary
and proper under the circumstances.
at is to be observed that in the ar
raignment which precedes the resolution,
there is no charge that 1 have ever dis
obeyed the expressed will of the people
y
any act of mine as senator is subject to
animadversion or complaint; no intima-
ton that have ever given a vote which
did not reflect the views of a majority of
my constituents, or that 1 have at any
time failed to look after their interests,
or have been wanting in any duty owing
to them or to the country, or that am
now opposing legislation which a major
ity of the people of Kentucky regard as
essential to the public welfare, or that my
personal conduct at any time or in any
respect, has been, to the slightest de-
gree, incompatible with the high position
of an American senator.
by the silence of the arraignment in
these regards the resolution afflrmatively
implies that my conduct as senator is
free from all blame and open to no crti-
cism, even by those who are evidently
moved by the spirit of bitter political
prescription and intolerance.
The substance of the complaint is that
1 am opposed to the free coinage of sill
yer at the ratio of Is to ! and that I OPP
posed the election of the nominees of the
late Chicago convention, and by so doing
constituency. 1 shall not discuss the
presidential campaign of 1896. It is not
necessary TO do so to meet the charges
that l betrayed the trust of my constitu-
ents by opposing the election of the Chi
cago nominees. Ny constituency is made
up of the people of Kentucky, and that
people voted against these nominees, and
twelve out OF thirteen of the elctoraal
vots of Kentucky were registered against
them. If TO be opposed to the free coin
age of silver and in favor of maintaining
the parity of our gold and silver dollars
| is deemed betrayal of trust, then I may
be pardoned for calling attention TO the
history of current politics in Kentucky
! from 1896. when / was first elected TO the
! senate, up to the time of my second cleo
| tion.
Il was elected to fill an unexpired term
| in February. 1885 Ia August of that year
| congress met in extra session TO consid-
er the proposed repeal OF the purchasing
| clause of the act of July Il, 1890 COM
monty called the Sherman law. In Octo-
/ Der. 1898. 1 voted against a proposed
| amendment 10 the bill. providing for the
| free coinage of silver at the ratio of Is 10
1 l. I voted against an amendment provfd-
| ing for the free coinage of silver upon
| condition that the government should re
| ceive in the way Of seigniorage the diff
/ ference between the market and coinage
value OF silver bullion In the discussion
/ of the bin I declared that 1 would vote
| for no amendment which merely expert
mented with change OF ratio or that
did not provide reasonable safeguards tc