The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-04
REASON WHY.
Senator Aldrich Explains the
Committee Substitute
For the Financial Bill Passed
by the House.
ATTACKS SILVER MEN.
Says They Are Not In Any
Sense Bimetallists.
His Bill Will Work No Injury
to White Metal.
SILVER MEN.

Washington, Jan AT the opening
of today's session of the senate, Mr..
Beveridge Ind.) presented the follow
ing resolution:
THAT the Philippine Islands are ter
ritory belonging to the United States;
that it is the intention of the United
States to retain them as such and to es
tablish and maintain such governmental
control throughout the archipelago, as
the situation may demand"
Mr.. Beveridge asked that the resolu-
tion lie upon the table until next Tues
day when he will speak upon it.
Mr.. Cullom from the committee on
foreign relations reported the bill pro-
viding a government for the Hawaiian
islands with amendments.
A message from the president was
read, transmitting the testimony taken
by the committee appointed to investi-
gate the conduct of the war by the
war department
A resolution was presented by Mr..
Pettigrew, calling upon the secretary of
the navy for the report of Admiral
Dewey, in which the admiral said he
could take Manila at any time. He
asked immediate consideration, but Mr.
Spooner objected and the resolution
went over.
Mr.. Hoar (Mass.) offered a resolution
| which was adopted, reducing the mile
age fees to be paid witnesses in cases
| before the senate to 50 per day while
| penses. This will reduce the amount
| for witnesses in the Clark case about
one-half
Senator Aliens resolution calling for
| correspondence between the treasury
department and the National City bank
| and the Hanover National Bank of New
| York was agreed to with notifications.
| The consideration of Mr.. Pettigrew's 5
| resolution concerning the advances re-
| ported to have been made by Aguinaldo
| through General Torres to General Otis
! after the beginning of hostilities in the
| Philippines was postponed until Mon
| day.
| A brief explanation of his attitude
| upon the contest of Mr.. Quay for a seat
| in the senate was made by Mr.. Hoar.
| He said he had received numerous let
| ters urging him not to vote for the seat
! ing of Mr.. Quay upon the appointment
of the governor of Pennsylvania, on the
! ground of charges against the personal
| character of Mr.. Quay. Mr.. Hoar re-
| ferred to the fact that he had frequent
| ly Investigated the subject of the right
| of a governor to fill a vacancy and to
| numerous speeches and reports he had
| made in support of the theory. 1t was
| not to be expected that senators sitting
| here as judges could change their con-
victions on great public questions upon
such appeals.
Such requests he considered in the
| nature of appeals to him to stuff bal
| lot box and make false returns simply
else should be appointed He hoped his
explanation would be a sufficient reply
to the writer's of the letters
Mr.. Pettigrew called up the bill pro-
| viding for a settlement of the account
of the national treasury with the public
| land states under the law granting 3
| per cent of the proceeds of the sales of
! public lands to the states and extending
| this provision so as to make it cover
| the lands embraced in Indian and mill
| farV reservations.
Mr. Pettigrew stated that the passage
/ of the bill would require the payment
| of about $12, ,00O, 900 by the national gov
| ernment.
Mr. Berry antagonized the measure
| charging that it's passage would in
! volve the wasting of public money and
| would be unfair and unjust to the states
| in which there were no reservations.
On motion of Mr.. Berry the bill was
| amended AZ to 4, SO as not to apply to
| reservation lands. 1t was then com
| mitted to the committee on public
| lands.
The senate then at LBS D. M, took up
the financial bill and Mr.. Aldrich ad-
dressed the senate on this bill as fol-
| lows:
| SPEECH OF SENATOR ALDRICH.
Mr.. President: I propose to submit
at this time a brief explanation of the
substitute offered to house bill No. l,
and to state some of the reasons which
| led a majority of the committee on
|
the senate.
.'The general purpose of the bill is to
| declare anew that gold is the monetary
| standard of the United States; to eStab-
| lish confidence in the intention and
| ability of our government to give the
greatest possible measure of stability
| in value to its currency and to provide
| the means for securing for it at ali
times an equal purchasing power with
| gold; to tighten in every possible way
the burdens imposed upon tax payers
| by existing public obligations and to
| strengthen the public credit.
1.-The first section contains a clear and
| definite declaration that the gold dollar
is and shall continue to be the standard
| unit of value; a new and more emphatic
| pledge on the part OF the United States
| that all forms of money it may issue or
coin shall be at all times maintained at
| an equality of value with the gold coin
| adopted as the standard and a specific
| provision that United States notes ana
| treasury notes shall upon presentation
| at the treasury be redeemed in standard
| gold coin
These several declarations embody
| in new and more positive terms the law
| and the practice in this respect as in
| terpreted and carried out in the ad-
| ministration of the treasury department
| since the resumption of specie pay
| mentS. The act of Feb. II, 1873, made
! the gold dollar the sole unit of value,
| and no serious attempt has been made
| in the tWenty-Seven years which have
elapsed since that act was passed to
| take away from our gold coinage this
| important function
| Il have recited the provisions Of these
/ several acts that it may appear that
| no departure IS intended by this bill
| from the public policy which was adopt
| ed years ago and has been consistently
| adhered to through successive admin
| istrationS.
In the consideration of this section,
| do not overlook the fact that before
| this discussion is over we are sure to