The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-19
THE DEBATE CLOSED.
REPUBLICANS ATTEMPT TO MAKE A
DRAMATIC SCENE.
TRAP SET FOR THE DEMOCRATS.
An Effort by the Republicans to Show
Discord Among the Democrats on the
Free Silver Question-Thefr Scheme
Acts as a BoomeYang-GagL Law, and
Not Democratic Apathy, the Reason
for Silence of the Free Silver Men.
Some Lively Tilts.

| Washington, December 16.-The six
days debate upon the currency bill
| closed in a sensational manner. The
republican leaders had evidently set
! trap for the minority to show that dis
cord existed on the money question,
and it was timed so to make the scene
as dramatic as possible. Just at the
close of the debate today, three of the
heavy weights-General Grosvenor, of
Ohio; Mr. DalZell, of Pennsylvania,
and Mr.. Dolliver, of Iowa, were put
| forward to call the attention of the
country to the fact that in the long
debate very little had been heard about
free coinage of silver at 16 to 1 from
the minority side of the house, and
that not one had offered an amendment
containing such a proposition. Mr.
Grosvenor said it was one of the signs
of the coming regeneration of the dem
ocratic party.
Mr.. Richardson, the minority leader,
Indignantly denied any intention of
abandoning silver and called attention
to the fact that under the special or
der under which the house was operat-
ing neither a substitute nor a motion
to recommit was in order.
| Then Mr. Dalzell challenged a mem
Der of the opposition to offer free
coinage amendment. In response half
the democratic membership rose and
demanded the privilege, but here and
there was an eastern democrat shout
ing his disapproval. There were cries
lrf I'LL
but the republicans, after the parlia-
mentary obstacles had been removed
through Mr. Grosvenor, who was in
charge of the BILL asked unanimous
consent for an amendment to the rule
to permit the amendment to be offer
ed. Then Mr.. briggs and Mr.. Levy
two New York democrats, blocked the
game with objections. No amendments
were offered to the bin today and only
one section of the bill was read.
The whole time was occupied in five
minute speeches. The incidents of the
day were sensational speech by Mr..
Lentz, democrat, of Ohio, denouncing
the prosecution of the war in the Phil
ippines, and charging an alliance with
Great Britain and the United States
to subVert lberty-one in South Afri-
ca and one in the Orient-and an at
tack upon the memory of eX-President
Hayes by Mr.. Clark democrat of Mis-
souri,. Mr.. Brown, an Ohio republican,
warmly defended the memory of Mr..
; Hayes.
The vote on the currency bill will
be taken Immediately after the read
| ing of the journal on Monday. Mr.
Overstreet, in charge of it, says it will
, have thirty-five majority. He says
eight democrats will vote for it, and
seven will not vote either way.
The debate was enlivened by a bout
Brown. rpDnDIican
Ohio, and Mr.. Clark, democrat, of Mis-
souri,, over the latter's references to
the late President Hayes Mr.. Brown
paid a glowing tribute to the memory
of Mr.. Hayes.
In reply Mr. Clark declared that Mr.
Hayes was a counterfeit president, -
2 for whom he had a supreme contempt,
: even though he was dead. HE stole
the presidency said he, savagely,
the greatest crime in the tide of
times. 1 wish he could have lived for
ever and borne the scorn of decent
men to the end of the world. His sep
ulcher should bear the words: This
man was guilty of the monumental
crime against human liberty
f Now" concluded Mr.. Clark, as he
: retired to his seat, ''if they can make
anything of that let them make it."
!, Mr.. ClarkS words were received in
1 silence on both sides of the house
Mr. Lentz, democrat, of Ohio, charg-
:, ed that the pending bill had been pre-
1 pared by the $500 national banks, a
D secret combination that welded more
2 influence than the Masonic fraternity,
y the Odd Fellows and the Red Men
t combined. The bill was intended to
increase the power of the national
. banks. All the rest that was in it
i was already in the law. AS he proceed
ed, Mr.. LentZ's remarks became sensa-
= tional.
I'VE are in favor of re-nominating
5 William Jennings Bryan" said he,
e and we Will put in a plank against
e trusts we will put in a plank against
Imperialism, and we will put in plank
y against the British alliance, an alliance
; that is now open and apparent. Gap
plause on the democratic side). They
= are shooting down liberty in South At
n rica while you are shooting it down in
the Philippine islands. (Applause on
the democratic side.) That is evidence
sufficient that both governments are
! operating upon parallel lines. The
s first blossom of liberty in the Orient
:. to be cut off by the republican party
r of the United States, the first sub
stantial struggle for liberty in Africa
to be moved down in it's infancy by
the queen Of England, with the car
: asking for a peace conference If
N things are not inside out how can the
n republican party stand impotent and
silent while England is shooting to
v death a republic in South Africa and
d while under the military and imperial
! istic powers that patronage had de-
!, livered TO the president here, the crime
J, of crimes is being committed under the
l. Stars and Stripes Of the union. The
1t president at Madison, Wis, said: One
l. small fraction of one small tribe re-
v sists our authority in the orient Ay!
II my friends, with an army there and on
e the way, Of $1,000 men, to subdue one
small fraction of one small tribe. an
! army larger than Sherman needed to