The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-15

The consideration of the Currency bill
reached a stage yesterday in the Senate
when the set speeches and the general de-
bate came to a close. The amendments
then came up for consideration under the
down to real business in considering the
measure. When the President pro tempore
Mr.. Frye, stated that the question on
the amendment reported from the Com
mittee on Finance, objection was made by
Mr.. Pettus to taking any vote before to-
day, such, he understood, being the agree
ment made several weeks ago. On this
point he was overruled by the presiding
officer. who stated that the vote on the bill
proper had been set for today.
At this point Mr.. Chandler offered an
amendment to the committee amendment.
declaring It TO be the existing policy OF
the United States to continue the use of
both silver and gold as standard money,
and to coin both gold and silver into money
of equal intrinsic and exchangeable value,
such quality to be secured through an in
ternational agreement or by legislation.
The amendment was bitterly fought by the
adherents of the pending bill. and was
finally defeated by vote of IS to %.
The question then came UP on the COM
mittee amendment to the effect that the
act is not intended to put any obstacles in
the way of International bimetaliism. pro-
.yided 1t can be secured by concurrent ac-
tion of the leading nations of the world.
The discussion on the amendment lasted
so late however that no action was taken.
II will be the first to be voted on at the
session to-day.
When the routine business of the day
had been disposed of Mr.. Teller rose to
address the Senate on the Currency bill
His speech has been made. in sections
throughout the debate and these were his
final views on the pending question. His
remarks were in the nature of a reply to
Mr.. Allison. who spoke the day before. He
took exception to the statement of the Iowa
Senator that we are now on a gold basis.
Not en- n Gold standard.
I'VE are not on a gold standard he
continued. except by the unauthorized
action of the Treasury. We are on what
is sometimes called a nmping silver stan
dard and sometimes lirnping gold stan
card
Nobody outside of the United States |
has considered the United States on the 4
gold standard but il may be said that we |
v
usurpation and transgression of the law to
proceed as IL were a gold standard
Mr.. Teller said there never had been an
hour since 1879 when there was the slight
est doubt that the greenbacks would be ].
redeemed in gold. Through the severest
nanics they had always been as good as
gold. for 1t was realized the Government
would not IN any event repudiate its OBJ
legations. He maintained. therefore. there
was reason for the legislation proposed
In the pending measure.
When Mr. Teller had concluded Mr.
Aldrich asked unanimous consent that the
committee amendment relating to bimet-
allism be considered simply as a new sec
ton OF the Senate substitute.
Mr.. Pettus objected TO this proceeding,
and insisted that the committee amend
ment should remain pending.
In the eolloquy that succeeded Mr. Vest,
Missouri. bitterly assailed the amendment
as deuson. Pass this BILL he de-
claied "and the last chance for bimetal
lism has been destroyed. II would be an
absolute roaring farce to send a bime-
tallic commission abroad Are these for
eigners idiots and asses: VIII they not ,
say: You have just gone on the gold !
standard. You have passed an act which ,,
was opposed by all the friends of silver
in the United States. and was supported by
all the gold standard advocates (
Mr.. Chandler New Hampshire, then pro- ,
posed an amendment to the committee ,
amendment providing that the President =.
pe authorized TO appoint commissioners to
any international conference called by the
United States or any other country TO ar
range bimetallic agreement
Mr.. wolcott suggested that this was ex-
listing law. and asked Mr. Chandler to with Q
draw the amendment
Mr.. Chandler replied that IL the amend c
men. was existing law il could do no harm !
TO adopt 1t. He declined to withdraw the ]
amendment.
Mr.. Stewart opposed both amendments a
and said that he stood with the Senator ]
from Missouri (Mr. Ves.j I
Mr. Lindsay also opposed the amend [
nenis. but on different grounds from those
of Senators Stewart and Vest He believed q
that point had been reached when the I
country intended to declare in favor Of the ,
gold standard. and that the declaration c
should be unequivocal and should not be [
accompanied b. a pretense thar under (
some other conditions the country was a
going back to the silver standard a
Mr.. Caffery OF Louisiana said that while +
he would vote against the two amend
ments he would vote for the bill He be-
lieved that the country had been on the
gold standard ever since 1879 and was SO
now, and that the purpose of the bill was y
10 perpetuate the gold standard. There !
was no use for any agreement as to BIZ v
metallism. The battle of the standards I
had been fought and lost by the silverifes .
In 1896. There might be a recurrence of /
the fight, but 1t would only be a skirmish. v
The forces OF silver had been completely a
annihiiated and routed. The adoption of 1
the amendment. he declared, would only a
b a small tub thrown to a large whale. y
? sop to cerberus, piece of politics in |
iected into financial bill.
Favored the Amendment
Mr.. Money of Mississippi doubted the
utility of the amendment, but neverthe- &
less favored its adoption. He argued that a
It's adoption would have no binding effect | q
even on the most Conscientious of Repub- e
Leans. and would certainly have no effect l
Dn the average politician. 1t was incon- p
sistent with the declaration that the gold I
was the correct standard Its T
'nly purpose WAS TO gain votes in the next II
Presidential campaign by telling the peo- s
pie that there was no obstacle TO inter
national bimetailism
Mr.. CockrelI put a question TO Mr.. Al
lrich and asked him TO answer It "as an /,
honest man. good Indian" TLanghter =,
rhe question was how much Mr.. Aldrich :.
would take for 10000 ounces OF silver bull Il
ion held by him in London IL the United !.
states mint was open TO the free coinage y
4 silver.
Mr.. Aldrich-Just what ! could get for O
l. II sent il here I might get Il coined 81
nto silver dollars at sl-2g an ounce, but D
| II
A HI1