The semi-weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1890-1891, 1890-12-27
IN ASSOCIATE JUSTICE APPOINTED.
The Passage Of two Important Meas
ures Mark the Closing Hours
of the Session.
The Eastern and Western Men pla.
Gated and the Bills Will
Probably Become
Law.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.--The legislative
history OF the year has practically closed
today. The house has adjourned over
until Friday, with the understanding that
no business shall be done before the new
year and the senate will dou tless adopt
the same programme, as the leaders have
found their ranks could not he kept full
against the attractions of the holiday
season at home. The closing day was
marked by two important events in the
senate--presentatio of the financial bill
by the committee on finance and the
cloture resolution by Aldrich The
financial bill was the formal outcome of
the hours session of the committee this
morning, hut in reality it represents the
result of nearly solid weeks cons,lta-
ton and planning and contriving bv the
most adroit minds on the republican side
OF the senate chamber. The common
understanding when the financial bill
was agreed upon in caucus week apo
was that it represented party measure.
This understanding was based on an
erroneous assumption that the senatorial
caucus committed its participants to the
support of the proposition commanding
the support of the majority, whereas the
senatorial caucus has from. time immem-
orial been nothing more than CON
ference, and bound nobody So it soon
appeared that the caucus bill would not
be supported by all the eastern senators
The principal objection was-to The
eastern mind-the heretical leaning, not
only toward free silver coinage, out
towards actual fiat money as evidenced
by section 4, providing for supplying
the deficiency In the national bank circu.
lation by the issue of treasury notes.
Sherman set himself to work to reconcile
the conflicting views and today's bill is
in large measure attributable to his in
genuity. He believes he has placated
eastern men by striking out section and
inserting the per cent bt nd provision
which promises lease of life to the
national banks. He has sought to re-
move the objections of western senators
to this action by reducing from 80 to 10
years as the period during which the
bonds are to run without redemption. A
point has also been made-this time
again to western men-that the silver
purchases that would follow under sec
tion 4, If it had been retained, would
have been insignificant in amount, as a
stimulus conveyed to the national banks
by that section would soon have resulted
In an increase of their circulation to the
lega! maximum and have stopped further
silver purchases. These arguments have
evidently been effective. Save Morrill,
of Vermont, who objects to any bill
legalizing the legal tender character of
the greenback, eastern men appear to
think we'll of the proposition. There are
some irreconcilables among the silver
men, notably Teller, Plumb and Stewart,
but it Is thought not enough to break the
republican majority. Others like the
bill either on the principle that half a
loaf is better than no bread, or because
they believe the party section will bring
free coinage in year or two and allow
them to keep in parity lines. The under
standing today was that the bill would be
called up next week and this under
standing seemed to be confirmed by Al
drich's action In reporting the cloture
rule as per caucus direction. Certainly
it would appear to be useless to prevent
this rule, 50 dear to eastern senators, un-
less there was warrant for the belief
that some kind Of assurance had been re.
ceived that it was to be used and it car
only be used with the aid of the silver
senators.
The programme Of the republicans il
believed to be in this line: At a conven
lent time the rule is to be called VI
(when a republican majority is at hand)
When the democratic senators attempt tt
attack it with the intention of talking i
to death. or until the fourth of March tn,
presiding officer will rule that the debat,
is not in order, taking his stand on tn,
broad ground OF general Parliamentar,
law, that motion to close debate woult
in itself be defeated by the debate, whicl
must therefore be out of order, as wa
ruled in the British parliament when tn
celebrated cloture rule was adopte,
against the vigorous opposition of til
Irish members What will follow no on
can sny, but if the RUE carries the elec
Aon bill it will come very near the statut
books.