The Portland daily press., 1891-01-07
The Feoera, Elect ons ai,,

Eight Republicans from the far western
states combined with the Democrats and
enabled the latter to put aside the Federal
elections bill and substitute in its place a
bill for the free coinage of silver Those
Republicans were Stewart, Wolcott, Teller.
Washburn. Stanford, Mcconnell, Shoup and
Jones. That the coup d'etat was arranged
beforehand is evident enough from the
character of the prOce edings. George would
never have yielded in the midst of speech
to the Republican Senator St-wart unless he
had known In advance that the motion the
latter was about to make was one which
would meet his approval. The presence in
the chair of Isham G. Harris of Tennessee.
the ablest parliamentarian on the Democratic
side and the most Bourbopish of the South
ern Senators greatly assisted th6 cOnspira-
tors to carry out their design Indeed it Is
not exaggeraton to say that without Demo.
crat In the chair willing and anxious TO make
- any ruling that would tend to the defeat of
the eleetions bill the trap lad by the Demo-
Gratis and their Republican allies could not
have been successfully sprung. To their
credit be it said that several of the silver
Senators. notable among them Senator
liver the Senate into the hands Of the Demo-
Gratis.
The ultimate effect of this maueuvre upon
the elections bill cannot of course be abso-
Eutely determined. The only thing the Sem
ate has actually done is to put it aside in
favor of the free coinage bill. When the
latter bill is passed, aud it soon will be, the
Senate Of course can take up the elections
bill again If majority are so disposed. Bot
It is greatly to be feared that the purpose of
the eight Senators who voted with the Dem
ocrats, was not merely to give preference to
the silver bill, but also TO kill entirely the
elections bill. and that If motion is made
In the future to take up the latter bill
they will antagonize it with a motion to take
up some other bill, and be able with the as
sistauce CT the Democrats to carry their me-
ton. 1t iS the almost unanimous opinion of
the Washington correspondents that the
action of the Senate sounds ire death knell
of the elections bill, and this opinion is con-
Cured in by many of the Senators, among
them Senator Hoar who Is reported as COM
menting as follows:
The federal elections bill Is dead; the RepubIi.
car senators who killed it mast take he RESPONSE.
season. believing II to be the most important
measure pen0ing, TO secure by every means that
was Just and right its . issage by the Senate. On
the very eve Of success As bell We, my efforts
have been tbwarted by an unhOlv alliance be-
tween mAll minority of Republicans and Demo-
eva 8 Against such combination the friends of
fht federal elections bill are poweIless.
''For the most. the best We coul do. If we had
every Republican sitting in the Senate, ana even
n : had the Vice Presidents vote, would be TO
tie the Senate, so that motion to take up the
fedeTaI elections BIZ you'd tail even II financial
bill saw of the free coinage variety, should have
passed before the motion was made.
The Republicans who voted 10 take up the
financial bill today did SO to defeat ths federal
elections bill. for there were other Republicans
Just as Jealous for free coinage as they who voted
sgaanst me motion, because they btfIeved that
nndncial legislation could walt q little on more
important measure
Ot course If the bill is not passed at this
session the opportunity to enact 1t into a law