The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-06-21
WHERE IS THAT SILVER BILL?
The Technical Battle Again Wages
FIerceIy In the House.
The Democrats Still Without the
Fruits of Victory.
Senator Carlisle Says Speaker Reeds
Reference Was Correct.
Especial to the PREss.1

WASHINGTON, June 20.-Another day of
hard fighting has passed in the House.
Once more the Republicans review field
of reyerses after brilliant fighting Once
more the Democrats find themselves ap-
parently victors but possessing none of the
fruits of victory, and once more both sides
look to renewal of the battle on the NOR
row.
The Republicans received accessionS last
night but so did the Democrats and on the
divisions of today the Republicans found
themselves short the one or two votes neces-
sary for victory.
The net result to the Democrats for their
successes of today is this:
They have succeeded in approving the
journal as it was amended by yesterdays
fight. They have not come to vote on the
silver bill. They have not got from the
House any expression that the. Speaker
wrongfully referred the bill to the coinage
committee and they have not established
whether the bill is in that committee or on
the Speakers table.
Mr.. Conger, chairman of the committee,
says his committee has the bill. having re-
ceived it and received it through the regular
channels. The Democrats say he does not
have it, since the fact that they have de-
stroyed the record of its reference brings 1t
back to the Speakers table. Ii 1t be decided
that the coinage committee has 1t the Dem
ocrats must yet get it, and If it be decided
that the bill is on the Speakers table it
seems clear that the Speaker must again
refer IL to the coinage committee as he did
before, since the rules of the House are plain,
and the House has formally voted down that
part'of the Mills resolution which declared
that the Speaker had referred the bill wrong
fully and without authority of the rules.
The Republicans are straining every nerve
to bring in their men. Some of them are ex-
pected to be in some time tomorrow. The
normal Republican majority in the House is
IL. The detection Of the seven silver men
makes difference of IA, leaving margin of
three, but two Democrats, Andrew of Mass
achusettS and Tracy New York are acting
with the Republicans. So the Republicans
ought to win tomorrow if they can get their
men back.
Too many Republicans have gone away
without taking the precaution of pairing off
with Democrats. Twenty-Five absent Re-
publicans, including Mr.. Dingley of Maine,
are paired with free coinage Democrats, but
s aUne eSpOns6V 81 Of song Ma away ha WS
that precaution and thereby have
ent f: dificult position. siss Two 40 of them them
may be excused, as they are sick. and the
Democrats will not pair. a we'll Democrat
with sick Republican If they can help it,
although it was discovered today that
Democrat who is so sick that he has not
been in attendance for ten days this session,
was paired with two healthy Republicans.
Cheatham, the colored member from North
Carolina, is not paired, because the aristo-
cratic Democrats will not pair with negro.
The silver Republican dissidents feel
keenly the trouble which they are making
their party, but they are from silver mining
states, and say it would be political death to
them to change, as their peoplecould not un-
0QrStan0 that GUnl planOAc w0ul6 hn
thing but a desertion of silver, so they are
placed in the position of aid
ing Democratic raid on their
party and ON Speaker whom they admire
and whose course they acknowledge to be
right.
Indeed the Speakers course in referring
the bill is pronounced right by no less an
authority than Senator Carlisle, who came
over to the House late yesterday afternoon
and told his party that their course was
The absence of any fruits of victory after
two days of successful fighting is a striking
confirmation of the soundness of Mr.. Car
isles advice. With majority against him
on every vote since yesterday morning the
Speaker is yet master of the situation and
the Republican members have been ready to
take the offensive side after every adverse
ballot
On adjournment tonight the pending ques-
tion was on Mr.. McKinley's motion to lay on
the table an appeal from decision of the
Speaker in regard to the time when ''busi-
ness on the Speakers table" lin which the
Democrats hold that the silver bill is in
cluded) may be reached.
The Democrats will strain every nerve to
overrule the Speaker, for while speakers
have been overruled before, yet such thing
is not so usual that it would not give the
keenest delight to the Southern Democrats
to carry an appeal against the Speaker who
has so many times thwarted their schemes.