The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-09
SUFFRAGE AND SILVER.

Democratic journals are displaying their
usual cunning in attempting TO make it
appear that the Republican friends of free
suffrage are hostile to free coinage of sill
yer. This is the real animus of their ef-
fort to show that the test vote of last Mon
day, in the United States Senate, was in
any respect a test of sentiment for and
against free coinage.
Brief consideration will demonstrate that
this view does not apply to the twenty
nine Republican Senator'S who voted
order to take up the financial measure,
nor 20 those others who were paired TO
stand by the elections bill until it should be
disposed of. Senator Squire, who belonged
TO the latter class, has given conclusive
evidence ON this point, so far as he is con-
cerned, by telegraphing peremptory notice
that he wishes 10 be paired in favor of free
silver. That the Senators from the great
silver producing state of Montana, and
those from Wyoming, with Plumb of Kan
sas and Allen of this state, all belong in
the same category cannot be questioned or
doubted, though all of them voted or were
paired against the displacement of the
elections bill.
1t is open TO conjecture how these twenty
nine senators would have voted If it had
been presented as an original proposition.
on the question OF giving the one or the
other of these measures precedence in the
order of consideration. But the elections
bill had been given the post of honor. 1t
has been taken up. 1t had passed the house
and should have passed the senate months
ago, al former session, and in the senate
has been carried forward on a distinct
understanding that il was TO have prece-
dence. The other was new matter, intro
duced at this session.
The former had been fully considered
and sufficiently discussed. II should
have been forced TO vote and there would
have been abundant time 10 consider and
dispose of the other. The friends of silver
among the twenty-nine Republicans who
stood firm were fully justified in resisting
the Democratic trick for Side-tracking the
elections bill by an appeal TO their friend
ship for free coinage or other financial re-
lief. Ii was not that they loved free SILVER
less and free suffrage more, but because
they were not disposed 10 be tricked out OF
the passage of the pending bill by an ap-
peal to their desire to pass the other.
That on the part of the Democrats it
was mere trick; piece of characteristic
low cunning. has been made abundantly
manifest by their subsequent action. The
financial bill which they were so eager
10 take up, on the ground that its imme-
date passage was imperatively demanded
to avert great national disaster, is being
subjected to the same obstructive tactics
as were directed against the ele ctions bill.
and in fact for the same purpose. And if
they can prevent it the bill they pretended
TO be so anxious TO take Up viii not be
passed while there is any danger that its
passage VIII promote resumption of con-
sideration Of the elections bill.
1t IS plainly and much to the credit Of
I the twenty-nine friends Of free suffrage
| that they were not deceived or diverted
from their suppo-t Of il by specious pre-
tense that their fidelity to that principle
would be construed as evidence of hostility
to free silver. Il is TO be hoped that those
who were hoodwinked last Monday viii
have their eyes opened BY the present atti-
tUde Of their new allies. and viii force the
/ fighting until both measures are enacted
| into law.