Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-03-29
BLAND GIVES IT UP.
Famous Free Coinage
Bill Now Dead.
AN AMlCABLE SETTLEMENT
Will Probably Soon be Reached in the
Behring Sea Difficulty.

wAsHTNoToN, March 29-Mr Pierce Of
Tennessee. who had been trying 10 secure
the signatures OF n majority Of the Demo
cratic members OF the house 10 petition
asking the committee on rules TO report
cloture rule In connection with the silver
free coinage bill, announced late yesterday
afternoon that the petition was withdrawn
and that the tree coinage men had given
up the fight In the house. Mr.. Pierce said
1--WE will make no further effort and have
decided 10 let the committee Oh rules as
sumo the responsibility I have seen Mr..
Bland and speak for him also"
The silver bill now appears to be quito
dead There are at least forty five silver
Democrats who announced their deter
mination to vote against the cloture propo-
sition II IL should be brought before the
house. This settled the question. and the
indications are that no further serious
efforts will be made to pass the Bland bill
or any other free silver measure. The Re
publicans and the anti-silver Democrats
are jubilant and feel that under the cir
eumstnnces they have accomplished great
victory.
There is much Ill feeling expressed by
the silver men on account OF Speaker
Crisp's stand yesterday on the claim that,
by deciding against reporting cloture
rule unless supported by majority Of
his party, he has broken his word given to
Mr.. Bland, Mr.. Pierce, Mr.. Stone and
Others.
Mr. Bland said yesterday afternoon that
Thursday night, just before he moved 70
adjourn the house and thus lost the sup
port of the special order for voting on his
bill. he had a consultation with Speaker
MI Lak H.. IL III
that II he moved an adjournment the com
mittee on rules would bring In another
special order providing for a direct vote
also provision for cloture.
Satisfied with this, Mr. Bland moved TO
adjourn, and next day, under the guild
ance and advice of the speaker. drafted
the resolution which he introduced, setting
apart yesterday for a vote ON the bill, and
also providing for q cloture. Mr.. Crisp
assured him, says Mr.. Bland that he
would vote for this order In the commit.
tee on rules, and that 1t would undoubt-
edly be brought In. In view of these as
surances Mr.. Bland thinks the speakers
present attitude Ia inconsistent and hard
10 explain, and be says he cannot under
stand why Mr.. Crisp went back on the
promises he gave 70 himself and the other
gentlemen mentioned.
Speaker Crisp, when shown Mr.. Bland's
statement, said he was surprised that Mr.
Bland should have endeavored TO mislead
the public by such a statement. A major
ity of the Democrats veted against tabling
the bill. and thereby demonstrated that
they favored its passage. The speaker
had assumed that gentlemen SO voting ia
vored rule which would bring the house
TO direct vote on the bill and prevent
flibustering, and so believing, had said to
Mr.. Bland that he had no doubt the com
mittee would report rule
Mr.. Crisp further declared that IL ma
iority of the Democrats In the house signi.
flying desire that the committee on rules
make report which will enable the house
TO come to direct vote on the silver bill,
the committee will make rePsrt. II they
do not So signify the committee will un.
derstand that the majority do not desire
II and tbs responsibility will rest with
the majority OF the Democrats Of the
house and not the committee on rules
The speaker stated that he still favored
and would vote for free coinage OF silver