New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-19
rprr rOTVAGE IMPOSSIBLE

The vote of the Senate for a Frce-Colnage
bill is surprise because it is such sllpefla''c
folly. The very men who JON with Demo
Gratis in this vote know that the bill CANNOT
become a law for the votes of thirty Repub-
licons and three Democratic Senators more
than suffice TO sustain the President In veto
oven if the House should pass the Dill
Financially and industrially, therefore the vote
is sheer fooishncss, since il throws away an
opportunity to pass measure that would 40
good, and ncurS the risk OF preventing an!
legislation whatever at this session on the
money question.
Senator Edmunds hit the nail on the head
when he spoke of the irresponsible complhal'oN
by which this measure was passed IN 'he SUI
ate 1t is merely temporary union OF men
who have no possible ground Tor ac'lhg 10
cether on political questions generally. lheS
renrosent constituents radically opposed TO each
other uDcn all questions save one, ana not
really agreed upon that The great majority
of rho Senate would not dare to vote Tor free
coinage if they had the slightest notion that II
would become a law Mr.. Edmunds referred
with telling force TO the absolute inactivity OF
= Democratic President and a Democratic
House IN this question for four long years,
during which, as the vote now SHOWS uhe
scanty Republican majority in the Senate couiu
at any time have been broken and beaten had
democrats then been willing to assume Tor
their party the responsibility OF free SILVER
coinage They did not dare, and would not
now vote after that fashion if the slightest
nolitical responsibility attached to their action
The Republicans who separated from their
marty ON this issue also merit the term ire
sponsible in a peculiar manner. They are not
the men who have made the history OF the he
nublican party. They are not the men who
have achieved its many victories sense o.
responsibility makes the real leaders O Il great
marty prudent and conservative. but lhe Ic
straint of such a sense Of responsibility is lIh
some and scarcely endurable to some men, VINO
long 70 assert their independence when they
feel sure that somebody else will save them
from the consequences Of their acts. ne
Ronnblican Senators who voted for free com
age were assured that the House, ana mat a'
all events the President would save them from
the responsibility of an act which some OF
them at least had the sense TO know would be
the worst thing possible for the silver interest
and at this time for the country.
In this matter thirty Republican Senators ana
three Democrats voted or were paired IN OPP
position to the Free Coinage bill. The seven
teen Republican Senators who broke from the
restraints of responsible party management
were scarcely third of the whole and they
come with scarcely an exception from Western
and sparsely settled States. Some OF these
Senators felt that they were forced into false
position by rivalrics at home, and are to be
pitied Others are so new in the Senate ana
in public life that they do not seem to have
learned how to make a great party respected
and successful No one will credit them with
the foolishness of seeking party ASSOCIATION
with Democrats, most of whom would fatty
refuse to vote for free coinage if their party
were responsible for the conduct OF public
"a,