The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-15
WAS TAME AND PR0SA|C
Debate on Currency Bill in the
House.
SIBLEYS VIEWS CHANGED
He Will, However, Vote Against the
Biil-Conspira of the Gold
Syndicate Against the
People

| washington, Dec. l4.-The debate on
the currency bill in the house to-day
was tame and prosaic. The attendance
both in the galleries and on the floor
was light and none of the speeches made
attracted special attention
Mr.. Sibley. dem, Penn, who
had 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, demo-
crat, was the only member of the op-
position who made speech for the
bill to-day.
Owing to the Washington memorial
services held at Mount Vernon to-day
the house was well nigh deserted when
the house met at II o'clock to resume
debate on the currency bill.
BY unanimous consent, bill was
passed to extend the time for examina-
| tion of monthly accounts by bureaus
and officers Of the war department.
Mr.. Cox Of Tennessee, who was rank
Ing minority member of the banking
and currency committee in the last con-
| gress, opened the discussion to-day in
opposition to the currency bill. Mr..
Cox paid his respects to Grosveno:.
whom he characterized as the spokes-
man of the administration on the floor.
He was most adept representative of
the chief executive, he said, for when
| placed in the hole he never experienced
the least difficulty in getting out Oaugn-
| ter)
| Langham, Texas, opposed the bill, and
said it was proposition to change the
character of the obligations of debtors
without their consent.
| Crumpacker, Indiana, believed it i'm
Ia Hnf .fx,1n ~ft ~ N,t
into law might enhance the prospects
| of the necromancer from Nebraska
But" said he, ''if Mr.. Bryan should
be elected, the law would act as a sort
of legislative straight Jacket and reas-
sure the country by minimizing his ca
| pacity for evil
When Mr.. Sibley, Pennsylvania, arose
to speak, much interest was manifest
! ed owing to the report that he had
| changed his views upon the silver ques-
tion. Mr. Sibley, however. disa ppoint-
ed his audience. He had only risen 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 candi-
| dates in q states in 1896, he did not
desire to accept favors at their hands.
On the other hand. he did not desire
to embarrass the democrats by accept
| ing the So minutes they had rendered
him. He would vote against the pend
ing bill, he said but he did not entirely
agree with the views OF the members of
the minority side.
Mr.. DAILY, New Jersey, and Mr. Burke,
Texas. opposed the bill. and Mr.. Lover
| ing, Massachusetts, and Mr. Olmstead.
PENNSYLVANIA, supported it,
| Mr.. Terry, Arkansas, said the bill
| would consummate the conspiracy of
the gold syndicate against the plain
| people.
Mr.. Ball. Texas, said in order to sup
port this bill almost every republican
in public life had to recant the profess
sions of a lifetime.
| Mr.. Cleary, Minnesota. remarked up
on the change which had come over the
democrats. During the debate not a
democrat had come forward with a free
silver substitute. Mr. McCleary made
himself the target of fusillade of ques-
tions from the democrats by asserting
| that during the whole century not
| single silver dollar had been coined on
| private account.
During a PASSAGE -at-arms with Mr..
Sulzer of New York, Mr.. McCleary
said neither Mr.. Sulzer's father nor
grandfather had ever seen silver dol
lar except as a curiosity.
And II you and your associates keep
on" replied Mr.. Sulzer, neither will
my grandchildren" Iaughter).
THAT depends on the grandfather
| laughter.
Mr. Boutelle Of Illinois devoted con-
siderable time to showing that both
Jefferson and Jackson were directly
| opposed to the present democratic the
| ory of finance.
Mr.. Gilbert of Kentucky. in opposing
the BILL read letter from the comp
| troller Of the currency in answer to an
| inquiry of his, saying that the surplus
and circulation Of national banks, if
he 0ir fo fhn
minimum under the pending bill, would
| be $2.7O9, 900. The total tax collected
| from national banks last year was
| $3, 744 900.
Mr.. Berry of Kentucky said if the re-
publicans had declared for the pend
ing 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
the bill would unhorse the republican
| party.
. After some further remarks by Mr..
Lewis of Georgia, Smith of Kentucky
| and Jett of Illinois against the bill and
Mr. Graft, republican. of Illinois for it,
Mr.. Thayer,- democrat, of Massachu-
setts concluded the debate for the af-
ternoon with a 10-minute speech in ia
vor of the bill. He said he regretted
| the indifference of his colleagues, but
his conscience compelled him to dis
| sent.
| ne SpohS III lHe SnlCaSO PLATFORM OF
1896 as great mistake made by por-
tion of the democratic party created
| by Jefferson, defended by Jackson and
protected by the immortal Russell of
Massachusetts at the sacrifice of life
| itself. He said he believed that If the
| question of silver at 16 to l could be
left to the democratic voters unaccom-
panied by illustrious names they would
reject it by an overwhelming major
| ity. The time had come. he said, when
| the financial interests should be re-
| lieved from continued agitation of the
| financial question which had been
| hanging over the country for the past
| eight years like a funeral pail MI