The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-18
THE PASSING OF BLAND.
Some Interesting Political Reminis-
cences Recalled.
From the LOUISVILLE Courler-Jonrnal.

cences Recalled.
From the Louisville Courier-Journal
Washington, June 15.-The father Of the
silver question Is dead al Lebanon, Mo.
Richard r. Bland began the crusade more
than twenty years ago, and never fall
tered for a moment in his devotion to his
idea Of "bimetallsm." He entered Con-
gress in 1873, the year of the great crime.
and it was in the very next Congress
that he began the agitation That was
the FOurty-fourth grand inquest of the
ration, and IL was the theater of many
stirring scenes. 1t began with the debate
OF Raudalfs amnesty resolution, made IL
lustrOus by the speeches OF Blaine ana
Garfield on one side and Ben Hill ana
Lamar on the other. There were giants
in those days. IL impeached Belknap. It
Investigated the Mulligan letters, and al
most broke Blaine'S heart and totally
ruined his political fortunes. IL created
the tribunal that tried the election case
OF Hayes and 11lden. 1t had no time 10
think OF the coinage question Bland was
99pSout ne only man IN that Congress who
In the succeeding Congress the famous
Bland bill was passed. II was a straight
Tree coinage bill, and Bland introduced
Il - every Congress since, except one ana
II he had been member of that body
ne would have introduced it in that too.
Nearly everybody voted for his Dil in the
fofty-SlNlh Congress. Nobody except a
rev Eastern men had studied the ques-
ton, though, as l now recollect, old Bin
dofrlson voted against it, There is a man
win as strong native, instructive com
mon sense as Abraham Lincoln. He ought
70 nave been President. The administra-
tion was opposed to the free coinage OF
silver and the result was a compromise
known as the Bland-Allison act, under the
operation of which an enormous volume
OF silver coin and silver certificates was
ddued 20 the currency II was during that
Congress that Mr.. Carlisle made that
speech which the silver.tes are so fond
o. quoting. They take good care to leave
u In
speech that he was opposed to the fires
anu unlimited coinage of silver at the ra-
ton OF ID to ]. That was in 1873. | have
often wondered why the Palmer and
Buckner national committee did nor pr.nt
and circulate the whole speech If only
70 snow what a shameless lot of expur-
was. 1o'1
Slavery persisted in this country because
me me elylAzauon Of the nineteenth century
deereed IT, Old Tom Carlyle was the
only great man in England who thought
African slavery could be made good in
sutton. Inc enlightened civilization OF
the world has doomed silver as money
OF fnal redemption" as the phrase goes
ana there IS no getting around it, But
l biahu Rerslsted- Carlisle made him chair
man OF coinage, weights and measures
in 1883; but no free coinage bill was passed
Dy that congress, though ma jority would
have voted for one had the sneaker eiIer
the opportunity. SO Carlisle was vel on
posed 10 free silver in 1888 Ii is true th6t
nearly every DEMOCRAT In both houses
Nottu LOT SILVER IN lS9Ot but that was nm.
der the lead of German who gave me
promise to Senator Stewart of Nevada
The bargain was that Father Stewart, In
consideration of Democratic votes for sill
yer, would bring enough silver Rennb-
llcan votes TO kill the Lodge force hin
stewart Killed the Lodge bill; the Demo-
crats-nearly ell of them-voted for silver
That was all there was of that
Bland would have been nominated for
President In 1896 II the senatorial junta
had not been for Teller Isham q Harris
was the man who dug up the silver corpse
alter II was buried in 1885 Buck Heinrich
sen thought he did i, but il was the "old
man who was the Jerry Cruncher of thar
occasion. Harris purpose was ia carry
| every state west of the Mississippi incl,j
| lqg Iowa, and he chose Republican for
| that Work-Ieller. Had Teller been nomi-
mated Harris would have been chairman
| OF the national committee and he would
nave been mighty dangerous man. The
| 1unta second choice was Bland Mean-
| time Bryan stampeded the convention with
| the crown Of lhorns and cross Of god
Burke had employed in his great speeeS
| on the "regency bill" more than 100 wears
| beiore, The senatorial crowd were dis
| gusIed and Old Harris was furious He
| used some cuss words about "a rwentt-
| hundred-dollar man" and sDenf he
! time Till election on his Texas ranch.
mere were no fringes and furbelows
One of the strange things of our politics
was the capture OF George f. Williams by
| Band. George Fred had much TO do with
| The slaughter of the Bland bill OF the Fif-
| ty-second Congress. He was The gold
bug ''whin' that night. He, Burke Cock
| ran and Tom Reed We're in constant con
ference. Later Williams and Bland he
came bosom cfonies. Bland looked moro
like farmer than any other man in con-
gress unless il is Old Joe Cannon; Will
Jams looked more like a dude than any
man IN Congress unless 1t was Harry
bingham. All Of sudden Williams dis
covered, what everybody else had known
an the time, that Bland was a thoroughly
honest man. He went home and proclaimed
IL from the hOusetops. His brother mug
wump, Cherman Hoar indorsed the state
ment and all Massachusetts was duly in
formed that old Dick Bland was straight
man. You see ii was this Way-BIand
had promised then that he would not hold
any snap" session of the coinage COM
mittee. Williams seemed to be aston
ished when the old fellow kept his word
AS suqare a man ever lived passed
over the river when Dick Bland died