The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-15
Amendment Providing for BimetaIIic
Conference Commissioners Defeat
ed by a Majority of Twenty.
VOTE WAS As NAYS TO rs YEAS
AN INTERESTING DEBATE UNDER
THE TEN-MINUTE RULE.
Missouri Political Methods Aired I'm
the HOuse-DemOcrats Accused
of Goebelizing st. Louis.

session to-day the Senate had the financial
bill under discussion. After 2 o'clock the
debate proceeded under the ten-minute rule
and at times became spirited and interest
ing. Late in the afternoon a test vote in
dicating approximately the majority on the
passage of the bill was taken. Mr.. Chand-
Ter, of New Hampshire. offered ar amend
ment to authorize the President TO appoint
| commissioners to any international BIZ
metallic conference that might be called,
and it was defeated by a vote of As to Is.
as follows:
Y~eas-Allen, Bate. Berry, Butler, Chand-
Ter, Chiffon, Clay. Cockrell, Culberson,
Harris, Heitfeldt, Jones of Arkansas. Jones
of Nevada, Kenney. McEnery, Martin.
Money, Morgan, Pettus, Rawlins. Sullivan,
Teller. Tillman. Turley. Turner'S.
Nays-Aldrich, Allison, Burrows, Caffery,
Carter, Clark of Wyoming. Cullom, Davis.
Deboe, Depew, Eikins. Fairbanks, Foraker,
Foster. Frye, Gallinger, Hale. Hanna.
Hansbrough. Hawley, Kean, Lindsay.
Lodge. Mcbride, McComas, McCumber,
Mcmillan. Mason, Nelson, Penrose, Per-
kins, Plat of Connecticut, Platt of New
York, Proctor. Quarles. Ross. Sewell.
Shoup, Simon, Spooner, Thurston, Vest,
Warren, Wetmore, Wolcott-5.
The Chandler proposition out of the way,
the discussion proceeded on the amendment
brought in by the finance committee pro-
viding that the provisions Of the bill are
rot intended to place any obstacle in the
way of international bimetallism. The
Democratic senator's arraigned the Repub-
licans for reporting the amendment. de-
z.--s-- 49, ;ncir1aro and fhaf tho
proposition was intended to boodwink the
people and to catch votes. No vote on
the amendment was reached. The final
vote on the bill will be taken some time
Tomorrow.
AT the opening of the session to-day Mr..
Teller was recognized to reply to the speech
Of Mr.. Allison delivered yesterday. He had
waited in vain, he said, for an explana-
ton Of the House bill, which technically
was the measure under consideration. He
approached all questions relating to the
finances of the country with suspicion. He
thought the House bill ought to be con-
side-ed carefully, as it might possibly be-
come the law. 1t had been drafted by a
commission composed of acute lawyers and
there was force and strength behind it.
Mr.. Teller took strong issue with Mr.. Alli-
son that the United States was now on
the gold standard.
Mr.. Chandler then proposed his amend
ment.
CHANDELIERS PLAN OPPOSED.
Mr.. Vest announced his purpose to vote
against both the Aldrich amendment and
the Chandler amendment to it, because he
regarded the proposition for an interna-
tional conference a fraud and pretext just
as was the adopted McEnery resolution
after the ratification of the Paris treaty,
which was merely for the purpose ot sup
plying some senators with a shallow ford
over which to cross the stream and had
since been entirely ignored. The intention
of the pending bill was to kill silver and it
would prove as effective in that Office as a
dagger or a dose of prussic acid would be
in disposing of animal life. 1t would be
absurd to send a commission abroad ask
Ing for a bimetallic conference in view of
the declaration for gold.
Mr.. Aldrich declared that Mr.. Chandler
was deceiving no one with his amendment
end was sure that the proposition was not
enc that would meet with general approba-
ton.
Mr.. Stewart referred to the amendment
as a subterfuge and said he would not sup
port IL.
Mr.. Lindsay said If there was any virtue
IT. the present bill ii was thai 1t settled
the question of finance. He did not believe
ia encumbering the bill with either the COM
mittee or the Chandler amendment. Now
was the time, he believed. for the definite
determination of the financial question
and 1t could not be determined If only a
halfway law was enacted. The amend
ments were either wholly unnecessary, in
view of existing law, or were not offered in
good faith.
Mr.. Gallery said the country, in his
opinion, had been on a gold standard since
1873, and that this bill was intended merely
tC perpetuate Ii.
The amendment, In the opinion of Mr..
Money, was entirely pertinent, but he was
SatlSfled there was no desire or the part
of the administration or of Republican
senators to advance the interest of BIZ
metallism.
through the country was opposed to the
bimetallic amendment. He said it would
be ridiculous to put such an amendment
on this bill as 1t would have no force or
enect. Ii was trifiing with a grave question
simply to catch votes. 1t was a great let
ting down on the part of the finance COM
mittee and childish treatment Of the SUBJ
ject.
The vote was taken on Mr.. Chambers
amendment and ii was defeated, IS to %.
ANOTHER PROPOSITION.
Mr.. Chandler then asked Mr.. AIdrich IL
he would consent to the insertion before
the finance committees amendment CT
these words from the national platform of
the Republican party of 1892: ''The United
States. from tradition and interest. favors
bimetaliism.' He would vote for the meas
ure If his proposition were accepted.
IT object" replied Mr.. Aldrich, ito the
re-enactment Of Revised Statutes and to
the recital in this bill OF the various plat
forms of political parties" He maintained
there was no provision in the bill which
was an obstacle to bimetallism.
Mr.. Allen declared the bill was a gold
measure from core to cuticle. that ii would
be necessary to repeal the bill in order 10
obtain bimetallism.
Mr.. Rawlins said the bill was pra cticaIiy
a declaration against bimetallism.
Mr.. Allison suggested that the trouble
with senators on the Democratic side was
that hey were not bimetallists. They
stood for the free and coinage
of silver and were silver monomentaliists.
He said: There is not a single lire or
syllable in this bill which puts In the path
way OF international bimetallism a single
obstacle He did not think il would be
wise for the United States TO make another
proposition TO Europe for an international
bimetallic agreement, but he believed that
the United States ought to wat for other
nations TO take the initiative and be pre-
pared TO receive their advances.
Mr.. Jones. of Arkansas, expressed his
surprise that the biinetallic amendment
had not been made a part of the bill when
the latter was reported. He believed II
was an afterthought and had been brought
about by demands OF Republican, hfnefar-