Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-24
A CURIOUS COMPACT.
THE RESIGNATION OF SENATOR Ed
MuNps ACCOUNTED FOR.
The Coinage vs.. the Force Biii--The Colo
RADIO Senators worried Him--An Inn
portant fssue In isea.
iron Our Regular ccrrospOndoni.l


about here that Is full of interest IL there
Il any real basis for the assertion made. II
has bearing on the reasons for rendering
bis resignation as senator by Hon. George
r. Edmunds, Of Vermont. The author of
the story, however. appears to have only
half of tho names concerned in the re-
marksble yarn that he has been spinning,
and this Is what renders his statement
somewhat dubious, but in view OF tho
light Of recent events il IL given for all it
IA worth. II is to tho effect that last win
ter when the western Republican senators
who wero determined TO have free. coinage
of silver AZ the expense OF the force bill
Senator Edmunds and three other Repub-
lcans entered into q compact TO resign If
the coinage bill was passed and the force
bill defeated through combination of the
free-coinage advocates among the Repuo-
hcans and the Democrats under the leader
ship of the able Mr.. German.
KoAB AND TWO OTHERS.
The man who il telling this story says
that Senator Hoar was one of the others
who entered into the compact, but that
the Massachusetts, man backed out. and so
did the other two. The other two names,
be says, he has not been able to locate def
niteiy, but he is positive from what ne
CLEANED in Republican circles that there
were four of the mad and disguised Re
publicans. and when the thing was over
the Vermont Senator was tho only one
who had the nerve 70 resign.
HIs POWER GONE.
whether this statement is true or false
o. regards q compact there is not the
slightest doubt in the minds of well-in-
formed people here that Senator Edmunds
concluded to tender his resignation partly
from a sense of the fact that his power IN
the councils of the party had waned to
zach an extent that he was no longer con-
sidered the leader OF the majority In a
body that he had been accustomed TO rule
even when such men as Conkling and
blaine were members of the Senate.
When the first free-coinage silver bill was
passed in the Senate during the last Con-
rress Nr. Edmunds was so enraged that ne
lost his wits, and those who heard his
speeches that day will never forget has
anger. He handed OVERTIME country 10 the
Democrats for the time being and severely
rasped the Republican senators who aided
the democrats TO pass the measure.
ANOTHER SOURCE OF WORRY.
The Colorado senators have been asource
of great deal of worry to Mr.. Edmunds.
The idea of q young man fresh from the
people. in the first term of his service, cut
ting up such capers as the brilliant VOL
colt Of Colorado! Then, again, the rough
Mr.. Plumb was no respecter OF either age
or dignity. Tho Kansan, whenever he got
mad last session, had fashion of pitching
into the Vermont statesman, and heAtold
some things that were not good for the
outside world to hear. That dig at Messrs.
Edmunds and Morrill, in relation TO
bounty for maple sugar, and what they
would do in reference to the tarln bill pro-
yided maple sugar was not fixed, was a
.%oA hot haart9
Vermonters.
ONE OF THE NEXT ISSUES.
The slender majority by which the Re-
publicans hold the Senate will not do the
Administration much good. There are not
less than from four to SIX Republican
senators who will carry on bitter warfare
with President Harrison. They are deter
mined to have a free-coinage bill, and If
Harrison remains in the way they will fight
him at every turn. That he WIN veto any.
thing approaching free coinage there IS
not the slightest doubt, so that 1t may be
concluded that this issue will go over to
be fought out again at the polls in the con-
test Of 1892.
RFpUBLIcAN JEOPARDY.
From the best information obtainable at
this time the silver question Is going to
give the Republicans no end OF worry. In
many of the States whose electoral votes
are reliably Republican, if the silver-men
are given concessions, those votes will be
jeopardiZed if Harrison and his friends
persist in sticking by the gold policy. IL
Is the general belief that the Democratic
platform of 1892 will either declare out
right tor free coinage or for something so
close 10 it that the Republicans will have
TO look sharp to prevent wholesale STAN
pede from their party on the part OF the
farmers of the western agricultural
hot lamnprQfa
mean to give up this issue IN
the West and the South is evil
denced by the events of the past two
weeks. Not only have q number OF Demo-
cratic senators like Messrs. Pugh, Colqultt,
and Others asserted that free silver IS
greater issue than the tariff and must not
be subordinated, but the Kentucky Demo-
cratic convention insisted by an over
whelming majority in putting free-coin-
age plank in the platform. That fight was
led by Senator Blackburn. No recent
gathering has attracted so much attention
here as the Kentucky convention, for the
reason that Kentucky has been foremost
in demanding tariff reform and somewhat
In advance OF the rest of the country, and
now through her dominant party she says
that silver must be kept TO the front
equally as prominent as the tariff.
cARLIsLE's POSITION.
The fact that senator Carilsle was not
at the Kentucky convention has been
generally commented on. Senator Car
isle has often declared here that
while he is not prepared to say
that the free coinage Of silver is tho
proper thing, vet he will again vote for the
bill in Congress. He admits that, nine
tenths of his constituents demand free
coinage, and he believes that q large ma
jority of the people of the United States
are determined to have free coinage.
Mr.. Carlisle does not take this position
because no favors Cleveland for President or
because he expects that he may possibly
be on the ticket for Vice-President in the
event of Cleveland's being ominated in
1892. The Kentucky Senator does not
think that Cleveland will again be the
nominee, and moro than three months ago
MIR. Carlisle expressed the hope that Nor
rison. of Illinois, might be nominated. lie
considers Colonel Morrison as about the
strongest and most available man to noml-
nate. but is not sanguine of having his
friend from the West nominated by any
mana