The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-04-11
Democratic Difficulties,
Defeat OF the Hard-Money Men-Ths
Eastern' Wing Decentralization Of the
Greenbaekers.

InelWashington correspondent of the Bcs.
.on advertiser, writing under the date Of the
9th, says:
Ine House spent the day on the amendments
70 tne rules, and while the debate was dry the
nnsl action was exceedingly important. At
me close OF the day the anti-Randall and infia-
tlon eiement of tns House proposed and carried
measures that will soon make the floor scene
OF contest over the widest financial schemes
which the Western Democrats have to PROPOSE
During the early part of the day this extreme
element allowed various propositions Of the
committee on rules to be carried. These re.
VlVed the special select committees of the last
session and increased the membership OF q
number OF prominent com q ittees as the regu-
lar report will show. The com mittee on COM
meIce obtained rule giving them control Of
the river and haIbor bill and power to report at
any time, and defeated a proposition which
would req1ire three-fourths vote to pass IL
under suspension OF the rules instead Of two-
thirds as now. This opens the way for the
heaviest swindliDg ever yet done in the name
of rivers and harbors. The vote on this propo-
stion was By no means partisan. The action
which developed the real purposes of the ms.
lority OF the Democratic side came last. The
Democrats and Greenback men proposed q
rule giving the ways and means, banking and
currency and coinage committees the right to
report at any time, and at the same time pro-
Viding that majority of the House may,
upon receiving such reports, Immediately fix
day for considering them This was carried
by 130 to 109. 1t was a great surprise to the
Conservative and hard-money Democrats, as
its purpose was to provide means for forcing the
Ewing and Kelley schemes of paper aud silver
Imitation upon the House aud the party The
rule really accomplished the purpose in view, in
calling Democratic caucus, and all that body
did, called as 1t was to approve initiation legis.
lstion, was TO vote that there should be Mon
day session, for a general Introduction of busi-
ness. This was done with a shout approach
ing war-whoop, and the caucus adjourned.
The action of the Western Democrats upon
the rule opening the floor at all times to the
banking aud currency and coinage committees
has caused general Generalization among the
Eastern Democrats tonight. In fact, there Is
an unmistakable panic in this branch of the
party. 1t is perfectly understood that the ex-
treme inaationists have carried the day and
placed matters in a shape where they can
torce the House to act upon the measures which
they present. The only possible check to this
sudden advance upon the Eastern aud cOnser-
vative men of the party must come through
Speaker Randall, by such organization of the
banking and currency and coinage committees
as will make it impossible for either Of them to
report measures which are contem plated by
the large majority which carried the amend
ment to the rules to day. This Mr.. Randall
cannot do without running great risk Of des-
perate quarrel in the party. Eastern hard
money Democrats are exasperated and greatly
say the party has been sold out to tbe Green
hackers in order, first, to accomplish local tri.
umphs in various parts OF the West, and sec-
Ondly, in order to force Messrs. Thurman or
Hendricks and their soft-money views upon
the East. and to do this by committing DEM
oeratic Congress to Western Democratic finan-
cial views. The action defeats the persistent
efforts of the conservative Democrats to pre-
vent general legislation, aud especially on
financial measures of the present session. The
same majority which forced the rule to-day,
will now proceed to press legislation hostile to
the national banks and try to pass law at the
earliest possible day retiring their notes and
replacing them with greenbacks. In regard to
silver, an effort will be made to secure its free
coinage, and to authorize the issue of silver
bullion certificates on the same basis as is now
provided for gold The aim will bs through
the ways and means committee to restore the in
come tax and to revise and reduce the tariff The
Greenback element is exultant tonight Its
leaders do not hesitate to declare that they have
defeated the Eastern hard-m0ney element, and
that henceforth they will retain control. The
Thurman-Ewing men say IL Is an overthrow OF
Tilden or Bayard, and that matters are at last
to the West That portion of the party here
represented by Messrs Randall, Bsyard, and
men of similar views are deeply concerned over
the situation, and altogether at loss to see
their way out OF unexpected and grave cond-
tions of affairs,
Several hard-money Democrats are so exas-
perated at the action of the House and caucus
to-day that they evince q disposition TO Join
with the Republicans to defeat the projsct of
the soft-money element to hold sessions on
Monday.