The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-16
ITS CAUSE INJURED BY COURSE OF THE
BRYAN DEMOCRATS.
so DECLARES SENATOR W0LGOTT
He Attacks the Chicago Platform and
Mr.. Bryan's Louisville speech-Sen-
ator Butler Argues Against the Cur
rency neutrality-suspicious. for Monu-
ments TO Nash and Davidson Bill to
Permit Transit of Goods without
Paying Customs Duties.
SENATE.

I@@ 80 A-c8NN
constitution was passed, the measure
providing that the ship should be re-
stored as nearly as possible to its orig
inal condition.
A bill was also passed extending the
powers and functions of the court OF
private land claims until June 80, 1902.
The financial bill was then called up
and Senator Elkins addressed the SEN
ate. He said Senator Chambers
speech of Saturday would be distribut-
ed by hundreds of thousands of SEN
ator handler political
Senator Elkins commended the gem
eral provisions of the bill, but criti-
cised h sixth section. providing for
the funding Of the public debt. I'VE
should not" he said, reach conclu-
sions and legislate from the standpoint
of vision on the highest wave of pros
perity the country has ever mad. The
conditions which surround US in the
financial and commercial world are
extraordinary. Present favorable con-
ditions will be followed naturally by
a reaction that will bring new expe-
r1ences. The senator suggested that
the government might find it difficult
AAAiN IL ~ 1oNolC ~ hCCp III
proposed 2 per cent. bonds at par, and
asked would it not be better and in the
public interest to make the rate of
interest higher, say to 3 per cent, and
offer no inducements to the national
banks.
The following bills on the general
calendar were passed: to carry into
effect two resolutions of the continent
tai congress directing to be
erected to the memory of General
Francis Nash and William Lee David
son, of North Carolina appropriating
$4,000 for each; to encourage enlist
ments in the navy by providing sue
cessful applicants with an outfit valued
at $45; to authorize Hon. A. S. Handy,
at present minister of the United
States to Greece, Roumania and Ser
via, to accept the decoration rendered
him by the Shah of Persia; to author
ize the following naval officers to ac-
cept orders and decorations rendered
to them by he government of Vene-
zeula: Rear Admiral w. T. Sampson,
Captain H. c.. Taylor, Captain F.. w.
Cook, Captain c.. D. Sigsbee, Captain
F. E. Chadwick, Captain c. F.. Good
rich. Commander w. w. Mead, Com
mander j. HI. Dayton, Commander F..
M. SimondS n Commander C. C.
Todd.
Senator Wolcott, whose position as
chairman of the ~nternationa bimetal-
lie commission, made his u~tterances of
more than usual Importance, then
spoke. Referring to the first section
of the senate bill declaring the gold
dollar should continue to stand as the
unit of value, Senate VOL
colt said: "Of course it willard it
would so continue if this section were
eliminated from the bill. The section
has been the law since 1873 and is hard
ly worth discussing now.
1.-The provision requiring the pay
ment of the principal and interest OF
the new bonds, in gold, represents, l
think, a mistaken view as to our ma
tional credit. / cannot but express
my regret that the committee felt that
the exigencies of the money market
required a departure from the terms
heretofore used in government obli-
cations"
Adverting to national banks and to
the provisions Of the bill which affords
them opportunity to increase their cir
culation to the par value of all govern
ment ond deposited, Senator Wilcott
said: Succeeding years have only
more firmly implanted them as an in
tegral part of our financial system. not
to be uprooted without a more radi-
cal change of policy han any party or
administration should care to attempt.
1t is estimated that within the next
few months at least two hundred mil
lions of additional national bank cir
culation will follow the passage of the
bill.
1.-The enactment of this measure into
a law without at the same time &C
companying it with a re-aff1rmance of
the position of the republican party
respecting international bimetallism
would be an apparent abandonment OF
the principles and policy and the
amendment reported by the finance
committee conveys a positive assur-
ance to the world that this country
able to hold it's own among the nations
of the earth, with gold as it's standard
is still ready to meet n treat with
the other leading commercial coun-
tries looking to an international agree
ment to open the minis Of the world
to silver as we'll as gold.
lin this country bimetallism has re-
ceived its greatest injury and suffered
it's severest blow at the hands of the
Bryan democracy.
In close alliance with the populist
party, which still demands an ire
deemable and inflated paper currency
clamoring for free silver at Is to l by
the United States alone, to the exclu-
sion of any other settlement Of the
question; advocating openly depreciat-
ed money; ridiculing all idea of inter,
AoSioIdl dSICCliCAl oSSo1idlihS liz
demands with a snarling protes
against every policy which seeks the
enforcement of law n order and the
maintenance of the honor of our coun
try and the fulfillment of our obliga-
tons to mankind, ii is not surprising
that they have sc clouded the minds
Of men that many of them see no diff
ference between the free silver of Bry-
an and bimetallism, are inclined tc
seek an end of the whole matter and
hesitate to deal with the subject in any
form"
He attacked the Chicago platform
which he rescribed as a Heterogeneous
patchwork of negations and populistiC
notions, and n omission of refer
ence to international bimetallism In
the pending measure o minimize
the contrast between the financial de.
mands Of the two parties, which he de
preciated as a great mistake.
Mr.. Bryan, il he were president and
a majority of congress shared his
views. would never dare, Mr.. Wolcoti
charged. to seek the imposition upor