The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-01

similar resolution TO mean soii Q Q
vitally different from what it must mean
now -
"This brings me, proceeded Mr.. Ding,
ley to the consideration of the Viea. M
questions to whether the government has
the moral right, in other words whethef
1t would be an act which the moral sehse
of the world would regard es in accoru-
anoe with honor and good faith for the
| United States to pay it's outstanding
bonded indebtedness in dollars OF SO
materially less value than the dollar
which has peen the practical standard OF
value since 1884, barring the war ana re-
construction period, and which has been
the legal and practical standard OF vaiue
since 1879, and the dollar in which our
bonded indebtedness has been paid thus
| far, by every administration from
Lincoln to Mckinley, to wit, the doliar
| equal in value to 25.S grains of standard
gold. (Applause.)
Bear in mind that we are discussing
this question from 5he point of honor ana
good faith, and not from the point OF
power or technical legal right; for have
already said that the government can ao
as 1t pleases. More than three-fourbhs
| of the outstanding bonds were, as a
matter of fact, issued and sold after 1878
when the silver dollar Was dropped from
the list of coins. Now, in view OF these
facts would it be good faith Tor Congress,
now that silver has so greatly depTeciaSeu,
to restore its free and unlimited coinage
at the ratio of 16 to /, by this co country
alone, when the market ratio is 50 20 1,
and then use such dollars to pay 5he
bonds which we had sold for gold unoer
such circumstances? q
81 do not think it would Ifear that
many of you are resting on the eSpeota'
tion which you feel that nothing OF THIS
kind will be done and. are eXcusing your
Of.l on fia0 fhry fhAf
are playing politics.
If SO beg of you not to trifie with the
honor and good faith of the nation 1or
any such miserable end; fer, rest assured,
such an expression of opinion as 60 the
sense of honor of the people OF this
country contemplated by this RESOLUTION
under existing conditions, would serious
ly injure the credit of the country and
tend to weaken reviving confidence, |
believe, as does every scientific biInetaiiist
in the world outside of politics, that 10
to free and unlimited silver by this
country alone would make the United
States a silver Inonometallicc country, ike
silver basis that would obstruct cur trace
with gold standard countries that now
| take 80 per cent of our exports, and prove
a serious menace to our progress; and be-
cause I believe that it would seriously
| iujure our credit and standing rs q
nation, that I appeal to gentlemen on thls
side of the House to maintain the pledge
which the Republican party made OF St.
| Louis, to keepsall our currency, whether
silver or paper as good as gold and pre-
serve inviolahly the public faith ana
| credit, and to gentlemen on the other side
| of the House to maintain the standard OF
value which Jackson's administrator
gave the country sixty-four years ago and
the honor and good faith Of the nation 80
r. Hryf fI1a fo<h n
Democratic party and to take the oppor
tunity offered by the resolution now be-
fore the House to show to the country and
world that the good name of the nation is
safe in our hands. prolonged Republi-
can applause.
| After the outburst of applause which
greeted the close of Mr.. Dingley's speech
had subgided, Mr.. Bailey was recognized
| for an hour. He first yielded twenty
minutes to Mr. Wheeler, Democrat OF
| Alabama, member Of tbs ways and
means committee, who submitted an
argument in support Of the resolution.
minute each to half dozen members on
the Democratic side, each OF whom, as
Mr.. Cowper, Democrat of Missouri said
erected n hook on which to hang speech
in the Congressional Record.
Mr. Dockery, Democrat Of Missouri,
declared that the efforts of the President
and secretary of the treasury to more
firmly establish the gold standard would
vacate many seats on the Republican
side.
The appearance of Mr.. Bland of Bland
dollar fame, to whom Mr.. Bailey yielded
ten minutes, was greeted with applause.
Mr. Bland said that the course OF the
President and Secretary Gage in pressing
the gold standard upon the country had
<l.i,- atal lliStG in tfOnpphGS tn
trofIuce and insist upon the passage OF
this resolution Yet Mr.. Dingley charged
the minority with playing politics. Livery
Republican who voted against this resoiu-
tion violated the ST. Louis platform and
voted against the coinage of silver in any
FORM free or limited. NO ono dlsputed
the law, he said. No one denied 1t.
Silver was full legal tender. But every
Republican vote against the resolution
would declare that silver was not tit to
nay the public debt with. Silver would
then in truth become subsidiary coin.
Mr. Bland created great applause on the
Den cratic side by reading from the
record the votes Of Messrs. AoPklnss'
Grosyenor and other prominent Republi-
cans against tho bill to pay the bonds OF
the United States in gold which was voted
upon in the last Congress at the time the
last nistration negotiated the $780,
900, coo loan.
Mr.. .GrOSvenor on that occasion, ne Salu,
had stated on the floor that he was glad
to ray SIC ,00O coo for the privilege of pay
ing silver in redemption of the bonds.
Mr. Payne, Republican of New YORK, a
member of the ways and means commit
tee, followed and enthusiastically cham
pioned the defeat of the resolution.
d Mr.. Swansou,g Democrat of west
Virginia. in support Of the resolution
contended that it was not d violation cf
the faith and honor of the government to
pay our bonds, principal and interest IN
silver.
Mr. Hopkins, Republican Of Illinois,
said this resolution had clearly shown
that the Senate was not d Republican
body, but was controlled by the free silver
element. By decisive vote in the last
election the people had spoken against the
free and unlimited coinage of silver And
yet tho Senate passed this resolution IN
defiance and Misrepresentation OF the
public will.
Mr.. Clayton, Democrat of Alabama,
asserted that the defeat of this resolution
was dictated by the masters of the he
publican party who gathered at New
York banquet table the other night at
| 800 plate, which meant, at Alabama