Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-12-14

Washington, Dec l2,--The feature
of the opening day of the debate on the
currency bill in the house was the
speech of Mr. Dolliyer of iowa. 1t
was characterized by all the wit and
eloquence for which the Iowan is noted
and held the members without regard
90 party for more than an hour. Dol
liver declared that the last doubt III
the republican party as to the wisdom
Of enacting the gold standard into law
nad been solved by the experience oI
che business world during the past
| three years. He scored Bryan gener-
Ally and ridiculed the alleged false
prophesies of the democrats in 1895.
| Dearmond (Mo), was heavy sun on
the democratic side. He warned the
republicans from the west that they
could not deceive their constituents
in the coming congressional elections
| by claiming they had yielded to the
wisdom of their colleagues In caucus.
Ovcrstreet Qnd), opened the debate
| in support of the bill In the course
of his speech Shafroth (silverite,
Colo), interrupted to ask If the bill
would not result in contracting the
currency to the extent OF $3.50, 000, 900 in
silver lmpounded 1T would not re-
piled Overstreet, because For every
silver dollar which goes into tie treas
ury gold dollar win go
into circulation" Maddox (dem.
| GaD, was the first
speaker in opposition to the bill The
enactment of gold standard legislation,
he declared, had never been an issue
before the people, The treasury under
! the bill, he predicted, would be raided.
The bill would convert every obliga-
ton of the treasury into a gold obliga-
ton and would compel the government
to see millions of gold to the amount
of per cent of all outstanding notes
Of whatever character. He assailed
the republican advocates to the objec-
ton of the gold standa d for apostacy
particularly Messrs. II nburn (Iowa),
Dingley (Maine), and Grosvenor
(Ohio) who he said advocated silver
coinage by international agreement in
1897 Maddox summed up by decar-
ing the measure a bill designed to
legalize the authority usurped by the
secretary of the treasury to put the
country on a gold basis, to demonetize
one-half of the nfial money of redemp-
ton, to alter the Obligations of tho
people without their consent into gold
- a. n Of.
the will of the banks and to create
gigantic bank trust for the beneht of
few thousand people.
Mr.. Dolliver Qowa), the next speak
er, read from the speech by Governor
Altgeld to the effect that the repubh
can congress would obey orders and
enact gold standard legislation. For
himself he said he was proud TO say he
was obeying orders-the orders OF the
people Of his district-and trying to
put the laws of the country into har-
mony with their opinions. The pend
ing bill was compromise represent
ing the united wisdom Of all. This
was a bill to set at rest all doubt as to
the standard in this country 1t
should be presented to the business
men Of the country as a Christmas gift
Deliver said he believed the result OF
the campaign Of SO settled the silver
issue In 1896 the cry Of Bryan, he
said. was for more money. Money
was scarce. It was boarded The day
after election It came out from its hid
; ing. In three years Of republican
administration $500 600 600 have been
added to the volume Of currency, more
money than could have been coined by
the minis in ten years il the minis had
been opened to silver. In other
words said he, we have done for you
in three years more than you could
have done for yourselves Why don't
you get out of the road and let the
main procession pass on. Dolliyer
also called attention to Bryan's predic-
ton that wages would fall and men be
thrown out OF employment, yet at the
end Of three years Of republican ad-
minstration under the gold standard
there was not an Industrious man in
the country without employment II
could not have been done two years
ago. but today the republican party is
packed up by the experience Of the
business world. In concluding Dolli-
yer said: Here as the American peo.
pie stand up on the verge Of a new era
we propose to equip our business world
with the best tool OF exchange known
to modern commerce. We propose 70
send our ships into all parts Of the
, world as We have raised our flag in the
, uttermost parts Of the earth. And We
want II understood In Europe Amer
, lean, Africa, Asia, and the Islands OF
; the sea that there Is no longer de-
J bate in the United States as to what
the standard dollar Of the American
; people Is. We are going TO write IN
: the laws Of this country what al.
ready is the practice ofour government,
: that every obligation Of the United
J states shall be paid in gold"
{ Mcclellan ~. ~. opposed the bill
: land appealed 20 the sound money