The National tribune., 1900-02-15

letter was dated at Ithaca, n. Y :, FeD s,
1900, was addressed to Senator Depew,
and read:
Il see from page 1862 of the Congress
sionot Record that Senator Pettigrew,
speaking of myself, says: The fact of the
matter is that he tried to bribe the insur,,
gents, as near as we can ascertain, and
failed. but they would not take gold for
peace
Had this preposterous statement been
made anywhere else should not have ps id
any attention to it; but as it has been made
in the Senate of the United States. desire
to say to You that it is absolutely withou:
| foundation
| Senator Depew. in commenting upon the
matter, said:
| AT the very time this speech of the
Senator from South Dakota was being de-
livered President Schurman was in the
city assisting in the preparation of the
report of the Philippine Commission. At
! that very hour he was in conference with
t the President with regard 10 the Philippine
Question. and was competent to he sum-
moned as witness.
admiral Dewey. whom the Senator
quoted in support of his charges. Was
also in the city. at his residence. and W2s
most easily accessible. He might have
summoned both President SchlIrman and
! Admiral Dewey, and any statements they
| made with reference to the matter would
| be unQueSti0nably acct pied by the Amer1-
can people as true.
| Instead. however. of calling them as
witnesses. he reads an alleged proclamation
| of Aguinaldo. translated by some unknown
person. without any evidence of authcn-
tclty. and published in a New England
newspaper. and then reads an interview
purported 10 have been had with President
Schurman by an unknown reporter"
Mr.. PettiereW- said:.
at is well known that this Government.
fbrpIluh tho Dbilinnir Co,,1rn cSip pfiprpI
money for the rifles of the insurgents. but
no rifles were turned in except a few that
had been captured and given to friendly
FilipinoS by American officers. in order
that they might be turned in 10 get the
price offered for them. 1t is quite as well
known that the Schurm2n Commission Of
fcrcd 10 Aguinaldo what amounted 10 $1,000
a wear if he would lay down his arms.
Il charge Mr.. Peltigrew continued,
that the facts of this question are being
withheld. ard whGt information is sent 10
lis is garll led: and lchargc that we attack
ed an ally and in:.dc q compact with siav-
cry"
The finantial bill was then considered.
Three speeches We're made on tho gold
standard bill. Senator Turner. of WGsh-
! ington. said that the measure Was put for
ward by the Republican party in the ir1"r-
csts of the moreyed classes. It's results
would he the enhancement of thn value of
money and the depreciation of the value
OF things produced by the farmers and Ia
boring CLASSES.
NIr. Bate. Of Tennessee. followed in "A
speech in favor of bimetaliism. and in op-
position 10 the proposed gold standard.
saving that the bill Was framed in the III
terest of the National Banks and Of the
bOndholdcrS. who were the stockholders in
the National Banks.
Mr.. Allen. who spoke next. said the
money question was the most momeutouS
before the people to-day, and declared his
adherence to free coinage at the ratio of
rs 10 1.
In the House the diplomatic and consular
appropriation bill was discussed.
Although general debate closed yester-
day by unanimous consent. Mr.. Shat
roth tColo) was allowed 45 minutes in
which TO complete n speech he made last
week in favor of medi.:iion by the United
States in the South African war. Under
The Hague treaty he contcnded that Eng
land could not consider an offer OF media
ton an unfriendly act.
In reply 20 questions he insisted th2t the
South African Republic was an Independent
Government. Notwithstanding Great Bri-
tain'S claim of su7crainty.
Mr.. Shafroth said he did not advocate
armed Intervention or even mediation. but
only the tender OF our good offices under
section 3 of The Hague treaty.
Mr.. Grosvenor (Ohio> replied briefly TO
Mr.. Shafroth. He said he wished the gen
tleman from Colorado had told the House
whether either of the contending parties
had asked the United States for mediation.
They have not" interrupted Mr.. Shat
roth, "but The Hague treaty.
The ratitications of that treaty have not
been exchanged" interposed Mr.. Gros-
yenor. Mr.. Grosvenor said he sympathized
with any people struggling for liberty. Pro-
ceering, he set the House in a roar by run
ming over the history of Europe, pointing
out here and there the wrongs suffered
by Hungarians. Finlanders. Poles, etc, all
of which were represented in his district, yet
the United States had not felt called upon
TO interfere. He concluded with the sug-
geStiOn that commission Of % members
at salaries of $4,000 each. should be ap-
pointed to roam over the earth to discover
where wrongs have been committed and
report to the House in order that the United
States might go to war every time the kin
Of any constituents were oppressed.
In the Senate on Feb. s Mr. Allen con-
cluded his speech on the gold standard bill
by attacking alleged fraud practced by the
Republican party in failing to restore silver
to its former position as standard money
and was followed by Senator Cockrell,
who discussed first the bill passed by the
House. and then the Senate substitute
presented by the Finance Committee. Re
ferrIng TO the proposition IN the House bill
to fix the standard in gold. he declared:
| Such unqualified. unblushing repudi-
alton of legislative obligations has not
been proposed in the history of the country
II was in plain violation of the Constitu-
ton, which provides that each State shall
make gold and silver coin as legal tender.
not gold or silver coin"
He challenged anybody to say how the
bill would benefit the great producing
classes although he said il was easy 10
realize that the measure would be largely
| beneficial to the holders of accumulated
! wealth.
! In discussing the Senate substitute. Mr..
| Cockrell asserted that the legal tender
quality of the standard silver dollar was
taken away absolutely as 10 Treasury
notes and the greenbacks. It's legal ten
der quality was nuliified absolutely
| He then criticized sharply the power
vested in the Secretary of the Treasury.
| TO issue bonds Of the United States i'll order
! to maintain the gold reserve or the parity of
| the several kinds of money. He main
tanned that the bill contained the initial
movement for the perpetuation Of the Ma
! tional debt. For the next 30 years the
| [ nited States would be tied down by debt
| of more than billion of dollars, with no
option Of extinguishing that debt and no
possibility even at the end of the 30 years
period Of paying the debt. "'7s
In the House three divergent reports on
| the bill to impose tariff on products from
! Porto Rico were received. Chairman
| Payne. of the Ways and Means Committee,
presented the ma jority report signed by all
the Republican members save Representa-
tive Mccall, of Massachusetts. Mr.. Payne