Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1898 — BIG VOTE FOR SILVER. [ARTICLE]

BIG VOTE FOR SILVER.

TELLER RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE SENATE. Forty-seven Senators Go on Record for the Measure, While Only Thirty-two Oppose It—Debate Is Lively—Amendments Lost. Majority a'Snrpriae. The United States Senate has put its veto-on currency legislation by the Fiftyfifth Congress. After a debate, animated at all times and occasionally acrimonious, which occupied the greater part of the week, the Senate Friday evening, by the decisive vote of 47 to 32, passed the Teller concurrent resolution. The resolution is a practical reaffirmation of that of Stanley Matthews, in 1878, and is as follows: That all the bonds of the United States issued, or authorized to be Issued, under the ssld sets of Congress hereinbefore recited, are payable, principal and Interest, at the Wptloa of the Government of the United States, in silver dollars of the coinage of the United States containing 412% grains each of standard silver; and that to restore to its coinage such silver coins as a legal tender in payment of said bonds, principal and interest, is not In violation of the public faith nor in derogation of the rights of the public creditor. All efforts to amend the resolution were voted down by majorities ranging from 5 to 29, Mr. Lodge’s gold standard substitute being defeated by the latter majority. The vote on the Lodge amendment was: Ayes, 24; nays, 53. The events of the day leading up to the final vote were full of interest and importance. It was a field day for the orators of the Senate, no less than twenty-five Senators embracing the opportunity to speak upon the subject under discussion. That the debate was interesting was attested by the attendance in the galleries, which were crowded throughout the day, and that it was important was evidenced by the statements of several of the speakers that the discussion was but the preliminary alignment of the great political parties for the contest of 1900. From 10 o’clock in the morning until 7 in the evening the contest was continued. When the voting began it was evident that party lines were being broken on both sides of the chamber, but it was on the substitute offered by Mr. Lodge (Mass.) that the most decided break occurred. On the Republican side Mr. Allison (Iowa) and Mr. Burrows (Mich.) did not answer to their names on that roll call, and many of the Republicans voted directly against it. Upon the final passage of the resolution, some Republicans, who supported McKinley and the St. Louis platform in 1896, like Carter (Mont.), Chandler (N. H.), Clark (Wyo.), Pritchard (N. C.), Shoup (Idaho), Warren (Wyo.) and Wolcott (Colo.), voted for the resolution. Mr. Stewart (Nev.) opened the discussion. In supporting the resolution he maintained that money, whether it be silver or gold or paper, was a creature of law, the creation of money being inherent in all independent nations. He said that this statement had been upheld by the highest tribunals and cited historical instances of such creation of money. Dollar Wanted by Silver Men.

Mr. Cannon (Utah) followed in support of the resolution. He firmly denied that the advocates of free coinage were in favor of anything but a 100-cent dollar. “We do not believe, however,” said Mr. Cannon, “in the deified dollar of Grover Cleveland, which is worshiped by the present administration.” Mr. Jones (Ark.) said he made the broad statement that no Democrat, silver Republican or Populist had ever declared in favor of paying Government obligations In a depreciated currency. Mr. Jones, continuing, said: “I believe that the people’s conviction upon this question is more firmly fixed than ever before. They are determined to restore silver to its status before 1873, nnd we shall do all we can to accomplish that result.” The first speech of the day in opposition was delivered by Mr. Burrows (Mich.). He said that the Republican party was pledged to secure, if possible, international bimetallism and the President would do everything in his power to carry out that pledge. Meantime the existing gold standard would be maintained. Mr. Fairbanks (Ind.) followed against the resolution. He said the purpose of the resolution was not frankly expressed on its face, and it was only in the course of the debate that it developed that the essential purpose was to give an expression of the United States Senate favorable to the free and unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1. Mr. Wolcott (Colo.) thought that -any Senator, whatever his financial views, could vote for the Teller resolution, as it involved nothing except the carrying into effect of the Government’s plain obligations.

Mr. Foraker (O.) was opposed to the resolution. The enforcement of its terms, in his opinion, would not bring about bimetallism, but would force the Government to a silver basis. Mr. Allison spoke of the circumstances attending the passage of the Stanley Matthews resolution in 1878. To him it had not meant at that time a declaration in favor of the free and unlimited coinage of silver. Other coinage measures were pending at that time, and when one of these came over from the house the Senator from Colorado (Teller) voted to strike out the provision for the free coinage of silver and voted for a limited coinage agreement. Mr. Allison declared that the clear purpose of the pending resolution was to commit the country to the free and unlimited coinage of silver at 1C to 1, when it was almost axiomatic, the Senator declared, that such a course without concurrence of other nations will lead us inevitably to the silver standard alone and to silver monometallism. Mr. Tillman (S. C.) thought this discussion was simply the maneuvering of the great political parties for position in the great contest that was to be fought in 1900. The people, he said, would win in that contest. Mr. Cullom (Ill.) announced briefly that he would vote against the resolution, because it was a step toward free silver. Mr. Aldrich closed just as the clock marked C, the hour set for voting, and the' vice-president promptly announced that the voting would proceed.

The trunk murder mystery which for nearly a fortnight had been baffling the police of New Orleans has been cleared up. The murdered man was Rosario Cusand he was murdered in that city. The police are hunting for Vineento Azzarilla, his godfather, who is accused by the dead man’s brother of having killed him. Prussia is commonly supposed to lead south Germany iu matters of education, but among the Prussian army recruits for 189(l-’7 there were 0.10 per cent who could not read and write, while in Wurtemberg the percentage was 0.03, and in Bavaria 0.02. The case of the Three Friends, on appeal to the United States Court of Appeals from Florida, which was to have been heard at New Orleans, La., has been postponed. Sumatra kerosene is competing with the Russian oil in the markets of the far East. The supply seems to be iu-xhaust-ible.