The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-12-15
CURRENCY BILL DEBATE
NUMEROUS SPEECHES FOR AND
AGAINST THE MEASURE.
~rosvenO Ridiculed by COx-SibIey
Not Yet Out of the silver Camp
McCleary and Sulzer.


WASHINGTON. Dec. 1.-THE debate on
| the currency bill In the House to-day
was in the main prosaic. The attendance
| both in the galleries and on the floor was
light. and none of the speeches made at
| tracted special attention. Mr.. Sibley Dem.,
Pal. who has publicly announced his
| change of views on the money question.
and who, it was thought. might vote for
| the bill. stated that he would vote against
it. Mr.. Thayer. of Massachusetts, (Dem),
was the only member of the opposition
who made a speech for the bill to-day.
The other speakers to-day were Messrs.
| Crumpacker, of Indiana; Lowering, of
| Massachusetts,; Olmstead, of Pennsylvania;
| McCleary, of Minnesota; Boutell, of Illi-
nois, and Graft, of Illinois, Republicans,
in favor of the bill, and Cox, of Tonnes
| see; Lewis, of Georgia; Lanham, of Texas;
| Sibley, of Pennsylvania; Burke, of Texas;
| Terry, of Arkansas; Ball, of Texas; Gill
bert, of Kentucky; Smith, of Kentucky:
| Berry, of Kentucky; Atwater. of North
| Carolina. and Jet, Of Illinois, Democrats,
| against 1T.
Mr.. Cox, who was the ranking member of
the banking and currency committee in the
4 ldSl SOHSICSSs civ tDC OtDdtc.
In the course of his remarks, he paid his
| respects to Mr.. Grosvenor, whom he char
acterized as the spokesman of the admin
istration on the floor. He was a most
adept representative of the chief execu-
tive, said he, for when placed In a hole ne
never experienced any difficulty In getting
out. ILaughter.1
Mr.. Crumpacker believed it possible that
the enactment of the pending bill into a
necromancer from Nebraska. But" said
he. IF Bryan should be elected, this law
would act as a sort of a legislative
strait-jacket and reassure the country
by minimizing his capacity for evil"
Mr.. Sibley disappointed his audience. He
had only arose to say that he proposed
to print his views In the Record. He had
been offered time by the Republicans. but
as he had spoken against the Republican
candidates In twenty-seven States in 1896,
he did not desire to accept favors at their
hands. On the other hand he did not de-
sire to embarrass the Democrats by ac-
cepting thirty-fve minutes they had ten
dered him. He would vote against the
pending bill. he said, but he did not en-
tirely agree with the views OF members on
the minority side.
Mr.. Terry said the bill would consummate
the conspiracy of the gold syndicate
against the plain people. The Democrats
in this fight stood against corporate and
banking greed.
Mr.. Ball said that in order to support
this bill Utmost every Republican in public
life had TO recant the professions of a life
time. -1lrs
ar. McCleary remarked upon the change
which had come over the Democrats. In
past Congresses they always had seemed
eager and anxious to offer a free silver
proposition as a substitute for almost any
thing that happened TO be pending. During
the debate not a Democrat had come for
ward with a free silver substitute.
Mr.. McCleary made himself the target of
a fusillade of questions from the Democrats.
by asserting that during the whole CEN
fury not a single silver dollar has been
coined on private account.
during a passage at arms with Mr.. Sui
ger. Mr.. McCleary said that neither Mr..
Suffers father nor grandfather had ever
seen a silver dollar except as a curiosity.
And II you and your party associates
keep on" retorted Mr. Sulzer. neither will
my grandchildren ILaughter.1
That depends on the grandfather" OBJ
served Mr.. McCleary, amid renewed laugh
ter.
Mr.. Boutell devoted considerable time to
showing that both Jefferson and Jackson
were directly opposed to the present DEM
ocratic theories of finance.
Mr.. Berry said If the Republicans had
declared for the pending bill when they
got together to fool the people at ST. Louis
there would not be enough Republicans in
the House to-day TO get a roll call. He
predicted that the bill would yet unhorse
the Republican party.
Mr.. Thayer concluded the debate for the
afternoon with q ten minute speech in
favor Of the bill He said he regretted to
differ from his colleagues, but his con-
science compelled him to dissent. He de-
clared that the Republicans would not have
had the courage to bring in this bill If the
little band of heroic Democrats in 1896 in
the spirit of self-sacriice had not declared
for the gold standard. Mr.. Thayer was
literally a~pplauded by the Republicans. At
5 o'clock the House recessed until s o'clock.
At the night session the following MEM
bers made speeches.: Messrs. H. c.. Smith
of Illinois, and Gibson of Tennessee. Re-
publicans, in favor of the bill; Messrs.
Sheppard of Texas. Shackleford of Mis-
souri,, w. E. Wilson of Illinois, Burnett of
Alabama, Allen of Kentucky. McLain of
Mississippi. Breaseale of Louisiana. Little
of Arkansas, Talbert of South Carolina,
Stokes of South Carolina, Democrats, and
Ridgeley, Populist, of Kansas, against the
bill. At 1851 p. m. the House adjourned
till tomorrow at IL a. m.