Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-27
FREE SILVER AT BAY.
Both Sides Profess to Be Satisfied
With the Situation.
HARTER Is OPENLY DERIDED
But He Smilingly Goes His Way and Will
Not listen to Bland.
SAYS THE BILL WILL NEVER BE PASSED

WASHING GToN, Feb 26.-The free coin
age men of the House feel quite elated to-
day over the action of last nights caucus in
refusing to consider any proposition for the
delay of free coinage legislation. Although
the action of the caucus, in so far as results
are concerned, may be termed a draw, the
failure of Mr.. Harter and the other pro-
nounced opponents of free coinage to secure
any considerable support for the proposition
of postponement is great comfort to Chair
man Bland and bis free silver colleagues in
the House. They state with considerable
emphasis, to-day-and indeed, it is not de-
MED by their opponents in the Democratic
party-that the free coinage men could have
developed sufficient strength last night to
have passed a resolution expressing the
sentiment of the caucus in favor of an early
and decisive consideration of the Bland free
coinage bill.
Mr.. Harter and his friends content them
selves to-day by simply announcing that
they will oppose the Bland bill by every
parliamentary tactic in their power, when
it comes up in the House, and that it will
never pass the Lower branch of Congress, as
the generosity of the Democratic Commit
parliamentary weapons of obstruction neces-
sary to tire out and weary the friends of the
measure by weeks of delay.
Harter's Position Openly Derided.
The free coinage people openly deride the
pretensions of Mr.. Harter and his friends
that the passage of the Bland bill can be de-
feated when it comes up for consideration.
The Democratic members who are opposed
70 for fha
merely content themselves, by recording
their votes against it, and the vision
ary and somewhat belligerent schemes of
Mr.. Harter and the eastern Democrats will
not find substantial support in the Demo-
cratic party. They also insist that should
the latter call to their assistance in their
dilatory tactics the aid of the Republicans
of the House, they will thereby place them
selves outside the pale of the Democratic
party, and show that in secret their affilia-
tions are with the minority party in the
House.
Of course, the gold men quite vehemently
protest against any attempt to rule them
out of the Democratic party, and say the re-
suit of all the discussion will be that the
Democrats of the nation will come to their
senses ere the date of the National Conven-
tion, and that no plank favoring free coin
age will find place in the platform at Chi
cago on June 81
Petitions Arranged for Presentation.
Chairman Bland, Representative Pierce,
of Tennessee, and other leaders of free coin
age in the House, to-day arranged the Pc
to the Committee on Rules, asking for a
day to be set for the consideration of the
free coinage bill. These petitions have
been freely circulated on the Democratic
side of the House, and contain the sigma
lures of all the friends of free coinage The
petition is as follows:
The undersigned, Democratic members of
the House. request that the Committee on
Rules set apart time for the consideration
Weights and Measures, for the free coinage
of the silver question.
'It is our Intention said Representative
Pierce to-day, ''to present these petitions
tomorrow to the Speaker of the House,
who is ex-officio Chairman of the Commit
tee on Rules. l have no doubt in the
world, from the assurances that have been
made to us by the Speaker and by Mr.. Nc
Millin and Mr.. Catchings, that the COM
mittee will report an order to take up the
free coinage bill at an early day. L think
our bill will be made an order for the latter
part OF March or some time in April, and a
date will also be set when the final vote
will be taken on the passage of the bill.''
Only a Week Wanted for Debate.
$50 far as we are concerned we do not ask
for more than three or four days debate
certainly not more than week. Mr. Bland
himself says that a weeks debate will be
quite satisfactory to him, but that the mat
ter which he shall insist on is that final ac-
tion shall be taken when the bill comes up.
We will pass the bill through the House.
send it to the Senate, and then, if that BODY
fails to pass a free coinage bill, the on
sibility will rest with 1t. Our bill has a
clear majority of about 40 votes in the
House, SO that there is not the slightest
doubt of its passage with the ten Repub-
icans who are favorable to free coinage; we
will have about 210 votes in favor Of the
passage of the bill. "
"About 35 or 40 Democrats and the entire
Republican party, with the exception of the
ten men mentioned, will vote against the
bill. A thorough canvass has been made
and this is just where. we stand and the |
free coinage people of the country can rest
easy with the assurance that we are all right |
in the House. 1 think that by the middle |
of April, at the latest, our bill will have |
passed the House and be in the hands of |
those grave and reverend Senators who have
so assiduously striyen in an indirect way
to eyade the issue and kill the bill in the
House."
Harter Is Not Cast Down.
Mr.. Harter, of Ohio, who denies that he |
is discouraged by the result of last nights |
caucus, this evening gave his view Of the |
situation as follows: 'eThe result of the |
caucus is pleasing to the opponents of free |
silver 1t showed that the strength of the !
craze is not so great as it was supposed to |
be, and that returning reason is slowly but |
surely reasserting itself If, now, all |
classes of citizens throughout the country |
reach their members of Congress here with |
letters and protests, demanding that they |
oppose the Bland bill or any other measure |
giving to metal having market value of |
only 70 cents legal tender value of 100 |
demands of the silver people will be as |
sured''
cit is, however, no time for the millions |
of people at home to fold their hands It is |
as much their duty to resist the passage of |
the Bland bill in the way have indicated |
as it is that of their faithful representatives
here. The caucus demonstrated that the |
passage of the Bland bill will disrupt the |
Democratic party as completely as did the |
slavery question in 186O"
As matter of fact, it is generally con-
ceded tonight that the free coinage aues-
tion still rests with the COMMITTEE on Rules.
where it was before the caucus was called. |
This committee has not yet had any sum-
mons to meet The tariff bill will come up |
in the House next week. and the silver men
are insisting that the Bland bill shall be |
definitely fixed in the Democratic pro-
yramme before discussion of the tariff is |
entered upon. It is probable, therefore,
+l,a+t ! h. D,,l1