New-York tribune., 1886-07-19
4 NEEDED AMENDMENT.

There Is some anxiety as to the action OF the
Senate Committee and the Senate on the Nor
Iison resolution, which WAS passed by the House
last week. But the nature Of the difficulty,
and the ready way ont of it, can be understood
by observing the two votes taken Ill the House.
The resolution requires the purchase of bonds,
at the rate of so, 600, 900 per month, SO long
as there is any surplus of available funds above
SlO0,000,O00. AS originally Offered, il It.
Quircd purchases 80 long that surplus existed
of funds available or unavailable, but RI amend
ment excluding the unavaila bic from considera-
ton was accepted by Mr. Morrison and adopted.
Mr.. Mckinley then moved to instruct the com
mittee TO report the following amendment
Provided that said herein accepted and
reserved which purchased by the sale OF bonds
the extent of ninety and half millions and the balance by
from the under authority Of the act OF
January IL 1873 entitled An act 10 provide for the re
sumption Of specie PAYMENTS shall be maintained ~ pro
ydc said and set apart for tho purpose OF redeemns
legal tender Of the United States when presented for
payment funds shall DO used for other
pose
On this prOviso a separate vote was taken by
yeas and nays in the House Only eleven Re
publican members voted against 1t, but only
twelve Democratic members voted for It, and
it was defeated Had the amendment PIE
vailed, the resolution would not have been
blow ut the public credit, and therefore it,
adoption would not have been desired by a
great many Of the Democrats who voted for 1t.
Now il happened that there were hlty-one
Republican members who did not believe that
Tie resolution without tho amendment would be
so enforced bv the Treasury aS TO do any harm
They think it possible, under the resolution, for
the Secretary TO maintain the required reserve
md thus to preserve the public faith, and i'll
that belief voted first for the amendment, in
order to express their purpose. but then voted
FOR the resolution. 1t is probable that there
arc in the Senate some Republicans of the same
mind They do not want 10 impair the public
credit, or to violate any solemn pledge OF the
Government, nor do they want to have it sup
posed that the resolution is liable to that CON
stiuction. But if they are forced to vote for OF
against the resolution, without modification or
explanation, they prefer to vote for II, believing
that it can DC so construed as to do no harm.
Their opinion seems to THE TRIBUNE grave
mistake but their honesty of purpose can read
ily be shown by an amendment of the resolution.
The Senate Committee ought not to pnt these
Republicans in the embarrassing position OF be
ing compelled to vote for a Democratic meae-
ure, without the modification needed to recon
Gle their action with the pledges and principles
of the Republican party. These members de
not mean to have single dollar taken from the
bullion reserve which the Secretary is by law and
by pledges of the Government required to hold
Very well a committee can report the rcsolIr
ton if at all, with the prOvisO that it shall not
be so construed as to take any money from the
It'd h. .xI
With that amendment, the resolution would
mean exactly what il means now to every mem
Der of Congress who votes for 1t and yet Is not
a repudiator Without II, the resolution means
exactly what II meant when the Democratic ma
ioiity in the House voted down the provi>o that
it was not intended to violate public pledges OF
to impair the public credit.
There seems to be disposition at Washington
to treat tlis matter as only move ON the polit |
ical chess board. Many Western members want
smaller surplus held, and silver paid ont
more largely, and are disposed to make war on
the Presidents Administration in this paltic-
ular But if the political aspect of question
involving the honor Of the Nation and the safety
of business must be considered, members NAV |
well remember that six NewEnsland States |
New York, NewJersey and PENNSYLVANIA will |
certainly give heavy majOrities against any |
p esidential candidate who j. committed to the |
impairment of the public credit in any form |
There are several possible candidates in the
Senate several indeed, among the Republican
members. If they vote for the Denocratic
resolution without amendment, no Republican
convention can consider them the most eligible
candidates for The doubtful Eastern States. Tn
I'll the Republican party can confidently count
upon success without the votes of Massachu-
sctts Connecticut, Ncw-York or New-Jcrsey.
it will hesitate before putting mp any candidate
who has seemed to Eastern voters TO Disregard
the obligations OF the Government to lis cred