Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-30
TARIFF AND SILVER
The Two Bugaboos for the
Dominant Party in the
Present House.
SPRINGER'S PLAN A GO.
The Mckinley Law Is to Be Attacked,
but Only by Piecemeal.
NO ENTIRE BILL TO BE PASSED.
4 Caucus Necessary to Settle the Free
Coinage Question.
1T rs rLTJgD TBOUGU EY THE ANTS
SPRINGER'S PLAN A GO.
NO ENTIRE BILL TO BE PASSED.
4 Caucus Necessary to Settle the Free
Coinage Question.
IT is CALLED, THOUGH, BY THE ANTS

cratic policy with reference to the tariff il
this Congress has been decided upon. Tht
Mckinley law will be attacked by separate
bills, aimed at few parts of the measures
and not bv general tariff revision bill.
This conclusion was reached this morning
bv the Democratic members of the Way
and Means Committee after q conference
lasting several hours. When a vote wa,
taken it resulted 3 to in favor of separate
bills The dissenting members of the COM
nit1ee gave their adhesion TO the policy Of
the majority of their associates on the com
mittee. and will act with them. thus making
the Democratic part Of the Ways and Means
Committee unit on the policy which it was
decided 10 adopt. Nothing was said about
which particular feature of the present law
should be attacked, and this will be left to
future determination.
The Separate Bill Idea Carried
After lengthy discussion, in which the
members of he committee in former Con-
crosses expressed their opinion in favor of
8 general tariff revision BILL and Mr..
Springer and his associates argued that the
proper method of procedure was bv attack
ing the tariff law in detail, Mr.. Bryan, of
Nebraska, offered resolution declaring it
to be the sense of the committee that its
policy with regard TO tariff legislation in
the Fifty-second Congress should be of re-
vision by separate measures instead of the
general revision of the whole system.
This motion was carried by vote of to
3 Those voting in favor of it were Messrs.
Montgomery, Whiting, Shivelv, Cochran,
Stevens BRYAN and Springer, the new men,
bers of the committee. The negative votes
were by Messrs. McMillin, Turner and
Wilson, who were members of the COM
mittee in previous Congresses The general
policy having been determined upon, all
the members present agreed to abide by the
conclusion reached.
Mr.. Wilson, of West Virginia, said later
that the majority of the committee would
act in harmony, and Mr.. McNIillin and
Mr.. Turner, of Georgia, subsequently con-
CURED in the statement. Chairman Springer
was naturally somewhat gratifed that his
policy of reportng separate bills had met
the approval of the Democratic majority.
No Indication of Trouble.
''There is no indication of trouble" said
he. Everything is perfectly satisfactory
so far as know. We have carefully con-
sidered the situation, and have to-day de-
caed, on motion of Mr.. Bryan, of Nebraska,
that it is the sense of the Democratic men,
bers of the committee that we proceed to
deal with the tariff by the introduction of
separate bills, instead of attempting a
general revision. Those voting for this
motion were Messrs. Montgomery, Whit
ing, Shivelv, Cochran, Stevens, Bran
and myself Those favoring bill for gen.
eral revision were Messrs. McMillin, Tur-
ner and Wilson. There has been a free in
terchange of views by the Democratic men,
bers in our conferences and the best of feel
ing has prevailed. Our differences were those
merely of policy, and not as to the great
vital principle. There was a consensus
of opinion that there should be no step
backward in our party opposition on the
outrageous features Of the Mckinley law.
We decided TO assail it in the manner that
would be most effective, and give the great
est assurance of success. The deliberations
of the Democratic members have always
been characterized by the utmost good
humor and kindly feeling. The statement
in some of the papers, that there is to be
Democratic bolt, is not entertained by
those best informed on the subject. Gen
tlemen NAV very consistently differ as to
policy without it necessarily following that
the party policy, when finally adopted by
thelnajority, is to be resisted by the minor
itv."
Harmony OF Action Predicted.
Mr.. Bryan, the mover of the expression
of the sense of the committee, had but little
TO say. II think" said he, that there
will be no doubt of harmony of action on
the part of the Democratic members, now
that a policy has been outlined
Mr.. McMillin declined to state what he or
anv other gentlemen had said in committee.
but did not hesitate to give it as his iudg- |
ment that general bill was preferable to
Individual or separate bills. He believed |
the Democratic position on the tariff now
hon hafn II
think a less vigorous policy should be |
adopted against the present Mckinley law |
than was adopted against the former tariff |
law, whose average rate of duty was 45 per |
cent. If that rate required general reyis- |
ion, as was claimed by all Democrats, the |
requirements of good legislation were not |
less against the present law, which imposed |
an average duty of 90 per cent, and, in ad-
iition. surrendered the right of imposing
taxation to the President But any one |
knowing him would not doubt that what
ever policy the party determines to adopt |
will receive his earnest support.
Caucus to Settle Silver
The decree of King Caucus is to be in
voked to settle the silver question in the
Democratic party. This was decided upon
to-day, and, singularly enough, the op-
ponents of free coinage are the ones who
have taken the initiative in demanding
party caucus. Representative Harter, of
Ohio, circulated among the Democratic
members Of the House to-day tine following
call for caucus:
To Hon. William S. Holman, Chairman of the
Caucus:
The undersigned respectfully ask YOU to |
cR Il the Democratic members of the House
Together 1T the House on Friday next, at $50
O'Clock ?. N, tc consider WHIST should be the |
notion OF our side OF tie House upon the
question OF whether any legislation concern |
ing the coinage of silver shall DC brought up
during the present session TOR discussion
ana final action.
Mr.. HarteT had no difficulty ih getting
more than the requisite number of sigma
lures TO the call Of the caucus, and on the
presentation of the paper TO Mr.. Holman,
that gentleman stated that he would at
once issue the formal call
Desirability of the Move.
81 believe, with many other members of
the House, said Representative Hartsr 10
the Associated Press representative, that
saca 2 caucus would be very desirable, from
the standpoint of those who favor free
coinage, as we'll as from that OF these who
are opposed to it. The signatures to the
all are not limited 10 the members who are
opposed TO the free coinage of legal tender
silver dollar which costs The silver miner II
cents and which everybody else, including
nen. wonen, children and the pensioners, !
would be obliged 20 take at its full value of
go cents. but include also those who hold
% the view that the free and unlimited
coinage Of silver would be beneficial to the
general interests of the country"
The Democratic caucuses on legislative
alters hare never been regarded as abso-
ely binding on members Of the House,