New-York tribune., 1878-01-22
THE NFLATioNIsTS IN CAUCUS.
THE wISr AND SOUTH sIRoNGLY REPRf~ENfEp-
HI-rITE's RADICAL sUGGEsTIoNs-ATTACks UPOs
TIE BANKS.


THE BANKS.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE IHiBUSEl
WAsnISGtoN. Jan. 2l.-The advocates Of the Sill
yer Bill hcd caucus after the adjournment of the
House this afternoon. About 100 Representatives
were present, including men OF both parties, the
most of them from the South and West There
were also several from Pennsylvania. and one Gen
cral Butler) from Ncw-Eng!and.
Mr. Buckner Of Missouri. Chairman of the Bank
ing aud Currency Committee presided. He said that
the caucus had been called for the purpose of organ
izing a movement in both Iouscs of Congress to
ACCOMPLISH three objects First the repeal of the Re-
snmption Act; second, the Temsnctizltion of
silver; and third, the Substitution Of green
backs for National Bank currency. Upon
the last point there immediately sprang up an
animated debate, which continued for IN hour and
a half The principal speakers were General BelJa-
min +. Butler and Mcssrs Mcmahon. of OHIO,
Toynshcnd, Carter Harrison, and Fort, Hooker
Bouck, Ewing aud Bragg The result WAS the de-
feat of the proposition respecting National Banks
ahd the unanimous adoption of the following reSo-
luuon presented by Mr.. Fort, of Illinois:
Resolrcd That the purpose OF the organization now
about he made shall be confined To thc reIhOu,
of the silver dollar and the repeal of the Resumption Act
II was not discovered in the course of the debate
that the National Bank question was one which the
least desired for the present to avoid.
One of the speakers said that the lesson of Hsops
fable WAS n true one; that the bundles of sticks
could best bc broken by breaking each one sep
aIatey.
Mr.. Mcmahon, Of Ohio, thought that the whole
subject might rs well be entered upon and the di-
rect issue made any time. lie was very
earnest and particularly bitter i'll his denunciaion
Of the National banking system.
MIR. Towns!lcnd of Illinois, likewise denounced
Nationa! Banks and declared that there was not
National banker in his district who was not opposed
TO tie silver movement.
Mr. Bragg, Of Wisconsin, took similar grounds.
General Ewing, who has been very pronounced III
his opposiion to the National banking system, and
who sought first to commit the House to that theory
seems since his recent experience in ONO, to have
undergone a change of heart, and very earnestly
opposed bringing the National Bank question into
the present controversy.
Mr. Fort, Of Illinois, whose resolution finally pre-
vailed, was of the sa'cc opinion. As an original
proposition. he would not favor the establishment
of National Banks, but that they established
n good many things can be said in their favor, es-
peciay as they help to keep the United States bonds
at home In any event the silver and resumption
issues ought not he said, to be complicated by the
introduction of the National Bank question.
The discussion was rather in the nature OF run
ming conference than in the form OF set speeches.
General B f. Butler made the speech Of the caucus
II was twenty-five minutes III length : commahdeu
universal attention. and abounded IN the most radi
cal suggestions The temper which he manifested
toward tho Administration is said to have Dech
personally very friendly, but the tone of his speech
was extremely determined. General Butler suggest
ed measure which n considerable number OF the
persons present at the caucus looked upon as very
practicable one in the event of the veto OF the silver
BIl by the President. He sad III substance that IL
the silver Bill should pass both Houses by respecia-
hle minority by two-thrds in fact, as IL now
seems likely TO do, and the President shonld
veto il. then it would be expcdieni, ana
Would nrobably be the duty of the Lower House to
attach provsO to all appropriation bills that GER
tain amount of the money appropriated shOuid De III
silver anG q certain amount IN gold GeneIal pntlcr
see Filth Page.