Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 February 1898 — KILLED IN THE HOUSE [ARTICLE]

KILLED IN THE HOUSE

TELLER RESOLUTION MEETS WITH DEFEAT. After' a Lively Debate, Every Republican, with One Exception, Votes Against Measure-Result Is 182 to 132. Vote Against Silver. The National House of Representatives Monday buried the Teller resolution, declaring the bonds of the United States payable in silver, under an adverse majority of fifty votes. The Republicans were solidly arrayed in opposition, with two exceptions, Mr. Linney (N. C.), who voted with the Democrats and Populists, and Mr. White (N. C.j, the only colored member of the House, who answered “present” when his name was called. The desertions from the Democratic side were Mr. McAleer (Pa.) and Mr. Elliott (S. C.). Both voted with the Republicans against the proposition. Speaker Reed, although it is not customary for him to vote, had his name called, and went on record in opposition to the resolution. The vote was reached after five hours of debate, under a special order adopted at the opening of the session. The limited time allowed for debate and the pressure of members for an opportunity to be heard was so great that the leaders on both sides were compelled to farm out the time by minutes. This detracted much from the continuity of the discussion, but it also in a measure intensified the interest in the galleries, which were crowded all day, and the combatants on the floor were cheered by their respective sympathizers. Many of the Senators from the other end of the capitol were also present to listen to the arguments. The majority, under the leadership of Mr. Dingley, who made a carefully prepared speech sounding the keynote of the opposition, assumed the position that the last clause of the resolution was in reality a disguised declaration for the free coinage of silver, while the assaulting Democrats, under the direction of Mr. Bailey, maintained that the defeat of the resolution was another step in the direction of the establishment of the gold standard, to which they allege both the President and Secretary Gage had irrevocably committed the Republican party. The debate was at times fast and heated. I/imitation of Debate. The struggle opened immediately after the reading of the journal, when Mr. Dingley (Rep., Me.), chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, reported back his resolution, with the recommendation that “it do not pass.” Mr. Henderson (Rep., Iowa), one of the leaders of the majority, followed this by presenting a special order agreed upon by the Committee on Rules providing for the immediate consideration of the resolution and a vote without intervening motion at 5 o’clock. Mr. Henderson yielded a moment to Mr. Bailey, the Democratic leader, who said that while the minority strenuously opposed the undue limitation of the debate proposed, still, as his side desired as much time as possible for debate, they would not consume any of the time allowed on a roll call. There were evidences of disturbance and excitement on the Republican side, of which Mr. Johnson (Rep., Ind.) was the center in the confusion. The Speaker put the question and the rule was adopted 143 to 115. Dingley Opens Debate. Mr. Dingley then opened the debate in opposition to the resolution. The pending resolution, he said, was not one which if passed by both houses would have force. If adopted it would be oply an expression of the opinion of the two houses. After the close of Mr. Dingley’s speech Mr. Bailey was recognized for an hour. He first yielded twenty minutes to Mr. Wheeler (Dem., Ala.), a member of the Ways and Means Committee, who submitted an argument in support of the resolution. Before closing Mr. Wheeler yielded a minute each to half a dozen members on the Democratic side. Mr. Bland, to whom Mr. Bailey yielded ten minutes, said the course of the President and Secretary Gage in pressing the gold standard upon the country had driven the bimetallists to Congress to introduce and insist upon the passage of this resolution. Yet, said he, Mr. Dingley charged the minority with playing politics. Every Republican who voted against the resolution violated the St. Louis platform and voted against the coinage of silver in any form, free or unlimited. No one disputed the law, he said. No one denied it. Silver was a full legal tender. But every Republican vote against the resolution would declare that silver was not fit to pay the public debt with. Mr. Hopkins (Rep., Ill.) said this resolution had clearly shown that the Senate was not a Republican body, but was controlled by the free silver element. Mr. Clayton (Dem., Ala.) asserted that the defeat of this resolution was dictated by the masters of the Republican party, who gathered at a New York banquet table the other night at SIOO a plate, which meant, at Alabama standards, that every man ate a bale of cotton and a couple of mules.

From Different Tolnta of View, Mr. Grosvenor (Rep., O.), iu opposition to the resolution, said that throughout all the changes and mutations of the money question in this country the Republican party had maintained its unvarying devotion to what was denominated “honest money." Mr. Dollivcr (Rep., Iowa) made a tenminute speech. Mr. Maguire (Dem., Cal.) said he agreed with Mr. Dingley. Mr. Gannon (Itep., 111.), whoso record had beeu attacked during the debate, said, in speaking of bis former votes for free coinage and for the Matthews resolution, that the difference between silver aud gold then was but a few cents; it was now 50 cents. Mr. Hepburn (Rep.,. Iowa) in opposing the resolution, which he said was equivalent to a free coinage declaration, referred to ex-Gov. Boies’ refusal to longer follow the standard of free silver. Mr. Rhea (Dem., Ky.) created something of a sensation. In the course of his speech, while he was referring to the crime of 1873, he declared that if there was afly hole in hades hotter than any other |t would be reserved especially for John Sherman. Mr. Bailey closed for the Democrats In a speech which stirred his followers to a high pitch of enthusiasm. Mr. Bailey, owing to the great pressure for time, had only four minutes in which to close the debate for hta side. The resolution under consideration, he said, contained two propositions, one «Horol and the other le-

gal. One asserts as a matter of law that the bonds of the United States are redeemable at the option of the Government in silver, and the other as a matter of morals that ta restore to its coinage such silver coins as a legal tender in payment of the bonds, principal and interest, is not in violation of the public faith nor in derogation of the rights of the public creditors. He would not dwell, he said, on the legal aspect of the question. There was not a lawyer in the United States, nor in any country, who would venture on his professional reputation to deny that the bonds could be paid in silver. That went without saying. The Republicans in this matter must justify themselves, if at all, upon the proposition that in their consciences they believed that gold was the money of the contracts. Mr. Henderson (Rep., Iowa), the onelegged veteran* and Mr. Dalzell (Rep., Pa.) closed the debate with five-minute speeches in opposition to the resolution. Mr. Henderson recalled the President’s declaration in his New York speech. “His declaration,” said Henderson, “means that the best money in the world shall be paid to the bondholder, the plowholder, the hodholder, the penholder, the pensionholder and all who toil and all who sweat.” Result of the Vote. At 5 o’clock came the vote, which was followed with great interest, notwithstanding the defeat of the resolution was a; foregone conclusion. The Speaker announced that the vote would be directly on the resolution, not on the adverse report. It was soon evident that party ranks were being held intact. After the roll call was completed the Speaker asked that his name be called, and on the call responded with a vigorous “No.” He then announced the result—yeas, 132; nays, 182.