The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-07-06
FIGHTING FOR TIME.
Opponents of Free Silver Filibustering in
the House.

the House,
WASHINGTON, July 5.-The action of
the opponents of the Senate silver bill in
the House will probably prevail for sew
eral days. Every motion known to par
iamentary law will be used to secure de-
lay in the reference of the measure to
the coinage, weights and measures COM
mittee. Unless the free coinage members
return to Washington in force, the anti
silver members will be able to repeat al
most indefinitely motions to adjourn, to
take recess, and by not voting break a
quorum and compel call of the House.
Delay is what Col. Tracy and the Demo
cratic members hope to gain until influ-
ences from New Nork, Boston and other
Eastern cities can be had to convince
their colleagues in the House of the folly
of passing any bill this session. This
journment of the House after series of
dilatory motions, the only business ac-
complished being the revocation of alb
sent members leave.
Meanwhile, everybody is discussing
the prospects of the bill. 1t is clear that
Representative Culberson, the Chairman
OF the Judiciary Committee, has discom-
fitted his free silver friends by his state
ment that the Senate bill would destroy
the legal tender character of the Treasury
notes issued under the terms of the act
of 1890, which the bills repeals. The
result of that declaration has been to
create a division among the free silver
men. A number of them, including Mr..
Bland himself, accept Mr.. Culberson's S
opinion and believe that the bill will
have to be amended to cure the defect.
Even so ultra an advocate as Mr.. Pierce
takes this view, but he is very much put
out that Mr.. Bland should have made the
statement in advance of the eonsidera-
ton of the bill in committee, as he thinks
it will tend to strengthen the opposition.
On the other hand, large number,
probably majority of the Democrats
and no inconsiderable number of Repub-
licans, take issue with Chairman Culber-
sons view and hold that the bill does
not in any way affect the legal tender
character of the Treasury notes.
There are many different methods of
reasoning by which they arrive at this
conclusion, but probably one of the sim
plest and clearest is that stated by dis
tinguished Democratic Senator, who says
that Congress can do nothing to impair
a contract already existing, and that as
the notes show on their face, they are con
tracts pure and simple. A large number
of Republicans take the position that the
act could not be made retroactive, and
that therefore no amendment is necessa-
ry.
These opinions do not satisfy Mr..
Bland, who is evidently under the sus
picion that his political enemies are dig
DINO a nit for his feet hv faci1itatinr +bo
passage of bill which the President
might veto without committing himself
upon the merits of the silver question.
A Democratic member of the committee
on rules, who takes issue with Mr.. Bland.
said as to this objection that the Presi-
dent would not veto the bill upon any
such indirect ground as possible legal
construction of one of it's provisions, but
with his usual directness would stamp it
with his disapproval because it was a
free coinage bill.