Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-19
G. A. R. In POLITICS.
A New Phase of Grand Army
Dominance.
The Veterans Asked to Oppose
Free Coinage.
Bland Denounces the Attempt as a
Base Conspiracy.
Senator Palmer Speaks in Advocacy of
His Bill to Change the Method
of Choosing United States
Senators.
Associated Press DISPATCHES.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S.-The Grand
Army of the Republic has not infre-
-quently been accused of being used to
subserve partisan ends, but today the
grave charge Of seeking to divide the
party against itself, was preferred
against this great organization in the
house. Bland, the free coinage leader,
was the accuser, and Harter, the free
trader and anti-free coinage Democrat
of Ohio, the gentleman charged with
attempting to subvert the GA. R. to
the interest of capitalists and monop-
olists.
Speaker Crisp called the house to or
der this morning, but resigned the gavel
to Richardson Of Tennessee.
The presidents message relating to
the Choctaw and Chickasaw claims, was
laid before the house and read. The
message was ordered printed and laid
on the table for the present.
A protest from the Philadelphia board
of trade against the free coinage bill
was presented. Referred.
The speaker pro tenn. laid before the
house the response of the secretary of
the treasury to the house resolution
asking for information as to the author
ity by which the AZ per cent loan was
extended.
1t was ordered that when the house
adjourn Friday, it shall be to meet
Tuesday. This order was taken to en-
able the members to accept the invita-
ton to visit Chicago.
Geary of California, from the commit
tee on foreign affairs, reported bill for
the exclusion of Chinese. Calendar.
The house then went into committee
of the whole on the Indian appropria-
tion BILL
During the course of the general de-
bate on the Indian appropriation bill.
Bland sent to the clerks desk and had
read circular letter written by Harter
to various Grand Army posts in denun-
citation OF the free silver bill, and advis-
ing the members of the posts to urge
their congressman to vote against it, as
it would prove detrimental to the inter-
ests OF pensioners.
This circular Bland characterized as a
bulldozing document. 1t was an effort
to intimidate members, and part of the
bulldozing tactics of millionaires-t
tics which had always been carried on
give free silver to the country. He de-
nounced it as unfair and unbecoming of
the dignity of member.
Harter admitted the authorship Of q
circular letter to men who were afraid
to have the expression of their opinions
made public; such a circular might
seem to be bulldozing. He was not a
millionaire, nor was he the owner of
any national bank. He was more of a
farmer than the gentleman from Mis-
souri,. He was as much opposed to Civ
ing the silver bullion producers the
earnings Of the people as he was to CIV
ing them to manufacturers. II free
coinage bill was passed, it would
elect Benjamin Harrison for the
second term, and this would be
done by the Democratic house under
the leadership of the gentleman from
Missouri. He would like to pay the
members of congress with 70-cent dol
lar and see how they would like it. Ii
anything should be made legal tender
it should be the corp of Kansas, and
not the silver of Colorado.
Bland then had Harter's biography,
as published in the congressional direc-
tory, read, in order to show that his
business life was spent as a banker and
manufacturer.
The silver controversy was then laid
aside and consideration of the In
dian bill resumed, Smith of Arizona
criticizing some of its features, espe-
cially the appropriation for the Carlisle
school. The bill was generally dis
cussed until adjournment.