240 



CONGRESS. (SPECIAL SESSION THE SHERMAN ACT.) 



Aug. 29, Mr. Voorhees, of Indiana, reported 

 from the Finance Committee of the Senate the 

 measure that had passed the House with the fol- 

 lowing amendment by way of substitute : 



Be it enacted, etc., That so much of the act ap- 

 proved July 14, 1890, entitled " An Act directing the 

 purchase of silver bullion and issue of Treasury 

 notes thereon, and for other purposes," as directs the 

 Secretary of the Treasury to purchase from time to time 

 silver bullion to the aggregate amount of 4,500,000 

 ounces, or so much thereof as may be ottered in each 

 month at the market price thereof, not exceeding $1 

 for 371-25 grains of pure silver, and to issue in pay- 

 ment for such purchases Treasury notes of the United 

 States, be, and the same is hereby, repealed. And it 

 is hereby declared to be the policy of the United 

 States to continue the use of both gold and silver as 

 standard money, and to coin both gold and silver into 

 money of equal intrinsic and exchangeable value, 

 such* equality to be secured through international 

 agreement, or by such safeguards of legislation as will 

 insure the maintenance of the parity in value of the 

 coins of the two metals, and the equal power of every 

 dollar at all times in the markets and in the payment 

 of debts. And it is hereby further declared that the 

 efforts of the Government should be steadily directed 

 to the establishment of such a safe system of bimet- 

 allism as will maintain at all times the equal power 

 of every dollar coined or issued by the United States, 

 in the markets and in the payment of debts. 



Over the passage of this substitute, known as 

 the Voorhees bill, there was one of the most 

 notable struggles in the history of Congress. 

 Its advocates were eager to bring on a vote, be- 

 ing confident that a majority of Senators were 

 ready to support it, and its opponents were de- 

 termined to discuss it at their leisure, and 

 seemed disposed to prevent action by intermi- 

 nable debates. Under the rules of the Senate 

 there was no method by which debate could be 

 closed ; and as time wore on there was a dispo- 

 sition to force an amendment to the rules. But 

 such amendment was not feasible except through 

 violation of the rules as a preliminary. It would 

 be necessary for the presiding officer to compel 

 a vote by refusing to recognize a Senator who 

 rose to argue against a change. This course the 

 Vice-President would not adopt. The delay be- 

 came so discouraging to the friends of the meas- 

 ure that there was at one time a serious attempt 

 at a compromise bill, and one was prepared by 

 a committee with the approval, it was rumored, 

 of the Secretary of the Treasury, and nearly all 

 the Democratic Senators pledged themselves to 

 support ir. But the President refused to coun- 

 tenance the project for a compromise, and it was 

 abandoned. A few able speeches were made in 

 behalf of the Voorhees bill, but as the session 

 dragged its slow length along the champions of 

 the cause of free silver coinage were obliged to 

 do most of the talking, They spoke long and 

 well, but it would be idle to attempt any synop- 

 sis of the debate on the merits of the measure. 

 The chief interest centered in the incidents of 

 the contest and the controversies arising out of 

 them. One of these was the inconsistency of 

 certain Democratic Senators who had been ar- 

 ' dent advocates of free silver ; another was the 

 alleged interference of the Executive for the pur- 

 pose of controlling congressional action ; and 

 another was the respective rights of majorities 

 and minorities in legislative bodies. The Demo- 

 cratic Senators in charge of the measure were 



hampered by their own record in filibustering 

 against the passage of what is commonly called 

 the Force bill, in a previous Congress. 



On Oct. 11, Mr. Voorhees, who had been 

 threatening heroic methods for some time, un- 

 dertook to hold the Senate in continuous session 

 and compel a vote on the bill. Mr. Dubois, of 

 Idaho, said in the way of warning: 



" The statement of the Senator from Indiana 

 means that the Senate is to be held in continu- 

 ous session until the pending bill is brought to 

 a vote in the Senate, or until it is demonstrated 

 that it can not be brought to a vote. 



"I feel that this is a fair statement, having in 

 mind the notice served on the Senate last Sat- 

 urday by the distinguished chairman of the 

 Finance Committee, as well as the present atti- 

 tude of the Senator and his supporters. 



" I should be pleased to consider the situation 

 in a dispassionate manner with those who are 

 resorting to this unjust and unusual procedure. 

 Let us be frank with each other in an honest 

 presentation of facts in order to avert, if possi- 

 ble, the undignified and uncalled-for exhibition 

 which we will afford the country. 



" The question before us is far-reaching and 

 most important. I think that I do not overstate 

 when I say that its settlement for or against 

 silver will more directly affect this country for 

 good or bad than any legislation which has been 

 before Congress for thirty years. It should be 

 debated, then, with calmness and without preju- 

 dice. The reason of Senators should be ap- 

 pealed to. This legislation should not be 

 rushed through by inhuman methods and brute 

 force. There is no argument in that which will 

 satisfy Senators or the country. 



"Yon can not charge the opponents of the 

 pending measure with having resorted to ob- 

 structive methods. It is true they have debated 

 and discussed the question. You can not and 

 will not charge them with having willfully 

 wasted time for purposes of delay. I have been 

 at some pains to examine the " Record," and 

 find that while the 32 opponents of repeal have 

 spoken, 22 of its champions have also spoken. 



" I refer to carefully prepared and set speeches. 

 There have been as many, if not more, interrup- 

 tions and colloquies brought on by the friends 

 than by the opponents of repeal. The friends 

 of the pending bill have consumed about one 

 third of the time of the Senate in discussing 

 this measure. With this record all must admit 

 that if there has been any delay it can not be 

 laid at our doors alone. I desire to call atten- 

 tion to this pertinent fact, which is also taken 

 from the " Record." During the past three 

 weeks there have been numerous roll-calls to as- 

 certain if a quorum was present. On many of 

 those calls more Senators who are friendly to 

 silver answered to their names than antisilver 

 Senators. On no one of those calls did 32 anti- 

 silver Senators respond. At any time the silver 

 men could have stopped the business of the Sen- 

 ate by simply refraining from answering to their 

 names. We have been moi-e anxious to proceed 

 than have our opponents, and have constantly 

 furnished a quorum. 



" I desire, too, to state the position of individ- 

 ual Senators on the pending bill so that the 

 country may understand it. Any Senator may 



