The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-10
AND CARTER SKILLED.

AND CARTER SKILLED.
Tho Montana Mans Part In Last Thurs
days silver Fight.
The correspondent Of the st. Louis Re-
public gives the following graphic account
of the battle for free coinage in the house
Of representatives last Tuesday:
In the caucus last night such western re-
publicans as Payson Of Kansas, and some
OF the Iowa members, most of the Cali
fornians and the representatives from Col
orado, Nevada and other northwestern
states, stated plainly that if free coinage
substitute for the bill was offered they
would feel bound to vote for it. OF course
If these men were really serious in trying to
protect the interests of their people they
would beat Reed and his outfit, but they
are not really serious, they are merely
playing into Reeds hand and keeping
themselves straight on the record for home
consumption. Reed promised them, how
ever, that, if they wouldssrefrain from offer
ing free coinage propositions themselv es
he would take care that no democrat should
be recognized to do 80 and consequently
that they would not have to 60 ON record as
opposed to free coinage.
This was the situation of affairs this
morning when the house convened. Nc
Kinley reported the rule for the committee
and asked for the previous question. The
democrats, of course, protested, Mr.. Bland
and Mr.. Blount taking the lead. Tho pre-
vious question, however was ordered and
then 20 minutes was allowed for debate. In
the course of that 20 minutes Mr.. Bland did
some very plain talking. He told the west
ern republicans that they could neither
humbug the house nor the country, and that
the people would understand their actions
it they voted in favor Of the gag rule to
prevent full debate Of the bill and opportu-
nifty to offer such amendments as might
be deemed necessary. He read the riot act
to the western republicans and told them
that vote in favor of the gag law would
be understood by the country as
vote against free coinage. This
had scarey effect on some of the western
republicans, and it required all the bull
DOING of Reed himself, Cannon, Mckinley,
Belden and the other republican bosses to
keep them in line. Asst was, when a vote
was taken on the gag rule few republicans
broke away-notably, Anderson, Kelly and
Funston of Kansas, Cornell of Nebraska.
DeHaven of California, Featherstone of Ar
kansas, Morrow of California, Herman of
Oregon and Townsend of Colorado. On the
proposition the vote stood 118 against the
gag rule to 119 in favor of it.
Mr.. Blount changed his vote and asked
that the vote should be reconsidered, and
Mckinley, of course, Immediately moved to
vote, Blount hoping to get in four or five
absent democrats Of the house in the mean.
time. It is an unfortunate thing, but it il
invariably the case that whenever an import
ant measure comes up on which the republi-
cans are not altogether solid and when
strict atten ton of democrats could be
effective, there are always several de mocrats
absent. This was the case to-day. The
absent democrats could not be got in, but
some absent and wavering republicans were
whipped up to the mark and ma de to vote
as Reed dictated. In consequen CO, the re.
publican bosses had their way, and the gag
rule was adopted by vote of 1A to 118
humbug tie people of his state with the
idea that he is fairly and squarely in favor
of free coinage, lodged the vote to-day on
the most material point in the discussion,
hid himself away in committee room
| until the matter was disposed Of and then
of Reed and tn advocates of the Wall
street combine on the floor of the house.
This being disposed Of satisfactorily to
the bosses, COnQ6f, of Iowa, chairman OF
| the committee on coinage, was recognized.
He offered substitute for the bill. Mr..
amendment to the substitute, Mr.. Bland's
amendment was il the nature of an addi-
tional section providing for free coinage.
The chair refused to recognize Mr.. Bland
stubbornly, tyrannically, indecently re-
fused to recognize the Missouri member,
although Mr.. Bland was within a few feet
of the chair, spoke at the top of his voice
and was sufficiently demonstrative to al
most make blind nd deaf man heed him
But Reed coolly ignored him, ignored the
entire democratic side of the house. He
recognized McConpas. of Maryland, to offer
an amendment I'd the substitute, and then
recognized TaylorIof Illinois, to offer an
to offer another amendment. This being
done he felt that the skirts of the Wall
street scheme were protected, and he bland
" inquired of Mt. Bland what he desired
Mr.. Bland stated to him that he desired tc
offer substitute for the last two amend
warrant of parliamentary law and
without warrant of decency or fair play de-
olared that Mr.. Bland was out Of order
and no further amendments could be
offered to the bill. This ruling was SO out
rageous in all it's bearings that there is
some reason to believe that Reed himself is
ashamed of it and he indecently hurried
out of the way, recognizing Conger of lowe
and signalling to him that he should COM
mence speak ing Immediately. Conger be.
gan his speech in mono tonous tone and
Reed declared out of order every person who
attempted to interrupt him either for an in
quiry, motion or any other parliamentary
purpose.
Reed has perpetrated many outrages il
the chair of the house during his occupancy
Of it. but to-day he outdid himself. Ii,
demonstrated to the country that, whe1
Wall street put up its so lid cash to buy
majority OF the republicans of the house t,
make him speaker, it knew its man. There
is no doubt that if vote on free coinage
proposition could be reached in the house
and it seems astonishing that in free
deliberative assembly, that a vote on a bill
in which majority are in favor of canno
be reached-free coinage would pass tn
house by majority of 20 or %.
TINT