The National tribune., 1899-12-21
IN CONGRESS.
Synopsis of the More Important
Proceedings of that Body

Proceedings of that Body
In the Senate on Dec. II resolutions
directing the Committee on Privileges and
tors Clark. of Montana. and Scott, of West
Virginia, to their seats were reported from
the Committee on Contingent Expenses,
and were agreed to-
Mr.. Pettigrew. of South Dakota, offered
a resolution directing the Secretary the
Navy to inform the Senate whether the
flag OF the Philippine republic was car
ried by vessels in the Bay of Manila. and
whether it was ever saluted by Admiral
Dewey or any of the vessels Of his fleet
at any time since the 1st of May, 1898, and
also whether the Spanish prisoners were
delivered over to the Philippine forces at
the time of the surrender of Subig Bay.
The resolution also asked whether YES
sci commanded by the forces under Agui-
naldo, flying the Philippine flag accom-
panied the vessels Concord and Raleigh
back to Subig Bay in June, 1898, in order
to compel the surrender of the Spanish
forces. He asked immediate considera-
made by Mr.. Chandler, of New Hampshire,
and the resolution went over.
After an Executive session the Senate
adjourned.
In the House, as soon as the preliminary
plans had been agreed to, the House went
into Committee of the Whole, Mr.. Hep
burn, OF Iowa. taking the chair to further
of Ohio, first addressed the committee.
He said that within the past six months
he had witnessed such disintegration OF
the forces that in 1896 had stood for the
free and unlimited coinage of silver at 16
to 1, he had hoped the Democrats would
Il ft,n l.
and not bring up again that old issue, but
they were in the House with the same
old battle-cry. The gentleman from Mis-
souri,, Mr.. De Almond, with pertinacity
that approached audacity, insisted that
the victory of 1896 had been won by fraud,
corruption, and intimidation. A party
that induced a Presidential candidate to
indorse a Goebel election law ought not to
come in at this late day and complain
about intimidation. De Almond had. in
effect, stated that large numbers of his
own party were ready and willing to sell
their votes at a general election.
Two-thirds, certainly more than one-half,
of the National Republican campaign fund
Of 1896, Mr.. Grosvenor said, had been
expended in printing and publishing docu-
ments for the education and information
Of the voters. He asked if any Demo
crat could tell one thing that they had
declared on the stump in 1896, affirmative
or negative, that came true. They had
said there would be no foreign trade. The
country never had such foreign trade.
They said if the Republicans won there
would be a great decrease in the volume
of money. Since that campaign there had
been S400, 100000 added to the currency
Of the country, "and we propose to fix it SC
that no contingency shall arise to undo
the work the people have said should be
done"
I'bo Do,,ooro+, lo oo,,f;n,,oJ e4;II bornod
upon the free coinage of silver, the most
disastrous agitation that ever came upon
the country. The providence Of God
and the wisdom of a man working together
so fixed things politically that for eight
years at least there could be no hope OF
securing free coinage, unless death came
in to effect the result.
Mr. Newlands, of Nevada, followed Mr.
Grosvenor, antagonizing the bill. He
Joined with Mr.. Grosvenor in his felicita.
tons upon the present condition of affairs
in this country, he said, a prosperity coin
cident with the present Administration, but
not caused by it,
perity had come, and that the country was
enjoying it. But he insisted that its ex,
istence was the vindication of the theory
held by those who believed with him that
good times depended upon the amount of
money in circulation. When the supply
was increased proportionately with the
growth OF business and population then
planation and the cause of the present
prosperity.
Advocates of the bill were Messrs Parker,
of New Jersey; William Alden Smith, of
Michigan; Prince, of Illinois; briggs, of
New York; Powers, of Vermont, and Law
renee, of Massachusetts,. Mr.; Driggs's
speech attracted unusual attention, being
that Of Democrat who opposes his party
associates on the financial question. His
declaration in favor of the gold standard
was bold and unequivocal.
The bill was opposed by Messrs. Shat
roth. Of Colorado; Cochran, of Missouri;
and Sims, of Tennessee.
Mr.. Shafroth said that the pending bill
proposed an absolutely new step in the
treatment of money; no other Nation in
the world redeemed its silver money in gold
The step thus taken, he said, meant in
evitably the total extinction of silver as
money, and, therefore, he believed it would
result in wrong, injustice, and distress to
the American people.
Mr.. Parker said the question presented
was: Shall the policy Of the Government
for the past 20 years be enacted into law?
There was necessity for it, because without
legal force the policy might be reversed
by a single man if elected President in
sweep 1t was not a party question.
L.
that no Democrat was more loyal to the
party than himself, but in this matter of
the free and unlimited coinage of silver
at the ratio of 16 to he proposed to assert
the liberty of action taken by Jeffeison,
Randolph, Calhoun, Randall, William E.
Russell, and other prominent members of
the party, who had differed from the Or
ganization on one or another proposition,
but were accounted therefor no less Demo
Gratis. To his party associates, in con-
Guiding, he said:
Drop the free and unlimited coinage
of silver at a ration Of 16 to 1 from the
next National platform, and we can win.
Drop it not. and we will as certainly lose.
Instead of rainbow chasing in Republican
States, why not bring back into line the
Democratic States of New York, New Jer-
sew, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland,
Kentucky, and West Virginia"
Mr.. Cochran said every assertion by the
majority convicted them of the Indictment
against them, being confession that their
claims in 1896 were unfounded. Regard
ing the increase of gold since 1896, which
had been larger than was ever dreamed
of, MIR. Cochran said it had not relieved the
situation, for while conditions We're easier in
the United States, every money center in
Europe was in delicate and critical con-
dition.
81 reiterate," he said, "the grandest ut
terance of all: You shall not press down
upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns:
Won shall not cruelty mankind upon this
nrocS of GOLD I" (ApDiauSe and deriSi,a