New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-10
The Soft Money Triumph in the House OF
Representatives.

The Washington correspondent OF the
New York Herald writes under date of Au-
gust 5:
The soft money Democrats celebrated the
appearance Of Mr.. Tilden's letter to-day in
the House. by reporting and with determ-
ined effort forcing through q repeal of the
resumption clause. Mr.. Cox, once a hard
money man. and so considered when Speaker
Kerr made him chairman Of the Banking
and Currency Committee, reported the re-
pealing bill. There was lively debate
upon it, in which Mr.. Hewitt took an early
and determined part in opposition to the
repeal; but the other opponents were Re-
publicans, led, and very ably led, by Mr..
kasson, who made forcible speech,
and was suRRSrted R.ae By MssEss aTs Hale sna
others. Arguments, however, were of
not much avail, for the soft money men
knew they were strong enough to carry
their measure; they contented themselves
with eaying that their people wanted paper
money; were not anxious for resumption,
and thought this repeating bill too weak,
rather than too strong. They appealed to
Governor Tilden's letter in justification of
what they were doing, quoted its language
and denounced the resumption act as in
creasing the burdens of the debtor class
and beneficial only to capitalists. There
was no pretense, even with Mr.. Cox, that
the repeal was asked as q measure looking
to resumption; on the contrary, those who
voted for repeal would evidently have voted
for new imitation far more gladly.
When Mr.. Cox closed the debate and de-
manded the previous question Mr.. Hewitt
offered as substitute tor the repeating bill
one creating q commission to sit during the
recess to inquire into measures needed for
npfi nd IN hxyh on (.
teenth of December. At this sudden propo
eltion there was an uproar in the House.
The Republicans vigorously demanded that
Mr.. Hewitt's substitute should De con-
sidered, and before Mess. Cox, Holman and
Landers knew it they we're taken of their
feet. They were extremely anxious to
get their repeal through to-day, and
agreed to consider HeWitt's substitute
if the Republicans would not flibuster;
this was promptly, promised, and there.
so fair, honest and wise a proposition
that it threw Messrs Cox and Holman into
a panic. lest it should be adopted. Holman
demanded, amid general laughter, that it
should be treated, not as q substitute, but
as an additional section to COx's bill; but
shouts of Regular order!' put him down,
and, after some further attempts to evade a
vote, the yeas and nays were called. Ut
course the Hewitt bill received the vote of
all the hard money Democrats, as we'll as of
the Republicans, and it came near passing,
the yeas being 80, nays l04. Several West
ern Republicans voted with the soft money
side, then the Democrats, having thus put
themselves on recond against commission
Of inquiry, the vote came on Mr.. Cexs repeal
bill, and Mr.. Cannon, Republican, Of llli-
nois, who is q rank soft money man, and
had voted against Hewitt's bill, moved to
tack on to the repeal Kelley's silver dollar
bill, but he was promptly silenced, and on
the yeas and nays the resumption clause
was repealed by LOG yeas to &c nays. It re-
peals not only the date, but the whole au'
thority to resume at any time. A number
of Democrats, among them Meesrs. Hewitt,
Morrison, Elijah Ward, Smith Ely, Randall,
Gibson, Levy, Lamar, Willis, Cutler, Har-
denburgb, Schleicher, Meade, and Thomp-
son, of Massachusetts, voted against the re-
peal, and the same men supported Mr..
Hewitt's bill for commission.
It has been very good day for the Dem
ocrats The Communist wing OF the party
got the upper hand, and took the occasion
to show how unreasonable, ignorant and
intolerant it is; and they took care in all
they did to declare that they were follow
ing the message. as they called it, of Gov
ernor Tilden. Mr.. Bland threatens now to
bring forward his silver bill in every morn
ing hour for the remainder Of the session;
and those Democrats who to-day repealed
the resumption clause hope yet to put them
selves and their party on the record in favor
Of this silver initiation bill.