New-York tribune., 1878-02-18
THE SPIRIT OF THE BILL.

THE POSSIBILITIES OF SECURING The VOTES
NOW NEEDED FOR THE CAUSE OF SOUND
POLICY.
iBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBUSE.l
WAsHINGToN Feb. 17.-Therc can be only one IN
terprctation of the vote OF the Senate on the SILVER
Bill yesterday morning. Ii means that the act as IL
goes back to the House Tomorrow will become a
law.
1t would be fortunate if the country could have
the assurance that the movement in Congress tor
cheap money is likely to stop with the issue of from
two to four millions of silver dollars month. The
rest from agitation would compensate. in some
degree for the mischief that will be done by the
abandonment of those cardinal principles OF
sound financial policy which it was hopeu
would finally prevail through the firmness OF the
President and the Secretary Of the Treasury. bu'
the passage of the Silver Bill settles nothing III Is
shoTn of some Of the provisions which majority OF
the advocates of il consider OF first Importance,
and while they will not postpone action on the
amended Bland bill, endanger its passage over
the Presidents veto by insisting on free ana uniiin-
ted coinage and the issue of bullion certificates,
they will immediately undertake to pass these
measures independent propositions.
TIIH ELL Sur. To PASS.
The bill will pass over the Presidents veto. The
negative vote on Saturday morning was tweniy-onc,
ana OF those absent, EtTiio4S A)uti'l' i'''''' "'
Hin if present, would have voted No" Their
votes would make only twcnty-four against the
bn which is the strongest force that can possibly
be mustered and is two less than onc-third OF the
Senate with Mr. sharon either present or absent.
Three Senator'S who voted for the bill have been
couuted among those whose action was doubtful
Mes,rs. Window, Paddock and Cameron, OF Wiscoh-
SIN Neither of these Senators will change his vote
after veto.
Mr. Window explained his position just before the
final vote was taken and sought 20 JUSTLY his course
by the assumption that the enactment Ot THIS Ia"
would quiet public clamor, take the silver question
out of the arena of politics, and remove the DOUBT
and uncertainty which now hang over our hnahclai
affairs 1t Will do nothing of this kind, however
Mr. Window ought to have read the future from the
utterances and votes which he had heard and wit
messed III the Senate during that long night session
even if he had forgotten his own experience Inc men
who are behind the Silver Bill accepted the Senate
amendment simply because they believe that nan
loaf is better than 10 bread; but they do not give
I'D the hope OF securing the whole loaf. neither VIII
they stop this agitation, which has already cost the
country 80 dearly. Nor is it any Senator's duty
TO sacrifice a principle as Mr.. Window acknowl-
edges that he did when hc voted to put into the
new national currency u dollar that lie knows IS not
worth n hundred cents and which he does not be-
lieye Will become 80 even after the amended Bland
bill IL made a Law, simply because the people con-
tiuuc. and may continue, to demand such dishonest
legislation.
Mr.. Window should remember his own experience
in 1874 when misled by false representations, he
voted for initiation against his better judgment. or
nj least in spite OF "A doubt "a TO its wisdom. Few
weeks after the adjournment of Congress. III 1874
| called on Mr. Window at his home in Winona
Mimi. and he there told me that lac and the other
members Of the Minnesota delegation had
been mistaken in their information about
publc sentiment in their State. Inc people
were not asking for initiation, and there was 10 pc
ouliar demand that their representatives should
vote for it, 1t Is true that there no" seems To De
public sentiment in favor of the remonetizaion of
silver but if it is rs strong Sir. Window thinks 1t
j. il will not be satisfied with the bill for which
he voted. If the present depression is not re-
lieved before Summer, the men who have msled
the peopIe thus far will have the silver act only
orotbrr argument in favor Of unlimited issue of the
chcan coins. They will not stop the agitation.
They will make this question of the issues OF the
campaicn and Mr.. Window will discover that the
onlv good which he hoped would come from the
massage of tho bill bas not in any degree been
realized
Dut Mr.. Window has taken his stand, and there
il no probability that anything will occur 10 make
him change his vote. He will not vote to sustain
the veto. nor is there any reason TO believe that
Mr.. Paddock or Mr.. Angus Cameron will do So
POLITICAL INFLUENCE A ToRLOEN HOPE.
II will not do to hope that the influence Of the
Administration will be sufficient TO prevent the
final passage OF the Dill.
Look over the list Of Republicans who were re-
corded in the Affirmative. OF the few who have be-
come known as the distinctive friends of the President
and who have supported his nominations when ma
iorty Of their party has opposed them, one only Air
Nattlrews voted for the bill. Nobody supposes
that Mr. Matthews in spite of all the favors
,be President has shown him, will change his vote
when he has to choose between the reconciliation
Of silver and the sustaining of the Presidents veto
Nor is there the faintest hope that there is single
Democratic Senator who voted for the bill whose
ounrccaton of the Administration Will cause him
to stand by the President in this crisis The Presi
dent and the Cabinet are helpless in this matter
They cannot command the two votes that are neces-
sory TO save the country from cheap silver
The men who are the real leaders of the party,
men wh0 during this very session OF Congress,
have demonstrated their influence over their asso-
ciates have not made any great effort to save their
party from this folly. They have voted right them
s,rs and nobody has doubted their desire to have
tbc Bland bill defeated. Ii is reported about the
Capjto that some of them will come forward when
Inc question Of sustaining the veto israscd and Will
oppose the final passage Of the bill with all the
nr,yer they can command. Bat 1t may be too late
then. 1t probably will be too late.
RANK INFLATION IN VIEW.
Rut tLe most Alarming feature of the work of the
Senate on Saturday morning not the passage
of the amended Bland bill, but the adoption Of an
amendment offered by Mr. Ferry, which showed
that large majority in the Senate are in favor OF
paper imitation. Mr.. Herman had proposed an
amendment providing that the 81 and - green
backs shall he redeemed with silver dollars, and
that when 80 redeemed they shall be "cancelled."
Mr. Ferry moved to substitute the word 'Teissued'
! . ~ - a. I... l.