The age-herald., 1900-01-05
Says Democrats Are in No Wise
 BimetaIlists.
SPEAKER READ FROM MANUSCRIPT
The Other Senators Listened in Silence a7 and No One Offered an Interrup- tion-Every Section of the
 Bill Discussed.

Washington, January 4.-In accordance with the notice previously given by him, Senator Aldrich today opened the discus sion of the financial bill. in the senate with a speech in explanation of the senate sub stitute for the house bill.' The speech was carefully prepared and was read from man. uscript. It was delivered in clear and dis tinct language, but without any effort at oratory. Senators present gave him careful attention, but no one interrupted him with questions of otherwise, during the delivery, nor did any one manifest a disposition to reply after he had concluded.
 Senator Aldrich said:
 ''Mr. President-I propose to submit at this time a brief explanation of the substi- ute offered to house bill No. 1, and to state some of the reasons which led majority of the committee on finance to recommend Its adoption by the senate.
 "The general purpose of the bill is to de- clare anew that gold is the monetary stan- dard of the United States; to establish con- fidence in the intention and ability of our QOSSAcAS measure of stability in value to its curren- cy and to provide the means for securing for it at all times an equal purchasing pow CT with gold; to tighten in, every possible way the burdens imposed upon the tax payer by existing public obligations and to strengthen the public credit.
 Gold Standard
 ''The first section contains a clear and definite declaration that the 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 at all times be maintained on an equality with the gold coin adopted as the standard, and a specific provision that United States notes and treasury notes shall upon pre- sentation at the treasury be redeemed in standard gold coin.
 "These several declarations embody in new and more positive terms the law and practice in this respect interpreted and carried out in the administration of the treasury department since the redemption of specie payments. The act of February 12, 1875, 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 im- portant function
 q have recited the provisions of these several acts that it may appear that no departure is intended by this bill from the public policy adopted years ago and has been consistently adhered to through suc- cessive administrations
 Does Nos Deny Charge
 ''In the consideration of this section do not overlook the fact that before this dis cussion is over we are sure to be confront ed with the charge made by the senators on the other side of the chamber that by our reaffirmation of the gold standard we have deliberately abandoned the position which the republican panty and the coun- try have heretofore taken on international bimetallism. The charge is not in accord ance with the facts
 .'phe bill now before the senate contains mo disavowal of the position heretofore ta- ken upon the question of international bi- metallism, and places no obstacles in the way of its accomplishment in the future. If it is possible to secure permanence of relative value ito gold and silver coins with the free coinage of both metals at a fixed idtio, this perInanence can only be secured by concurrent action of all the leading commercial nations.''
 Democrats Masquerading
 MT Aldrfch said that the democrats while masquerading as the friends of bi- metallism, have for the past four years been engaged in a crusade in behalf of the single standard of silver, in a serious at- tempt to place the money and business of the country upon a silver basis; that the assertion of the free and unlimited coinap pe of gold and silver at the historical ratio of 16 to l, without waiting for the consent of any other nation on earth, will be The supreme issue in 1900, as it was in 1S96 has not been contradicted.
 "No sane man can be found" he said "outside of the ranks of the small hand of bold, aggressive leaders who at nresent dominate the policy of the democratic no rt,, who believes for an instant that the open- ing of our hints to the free coinage of stl- yer at the ratio of 1e to 1 will raise the value of silver bullion from it's current com mercial price to it's mint price measured with relation to gold.
 '"fhe democratic advocates of free coin age are not in any sense bimetallists. but