The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-30
SILVER N THE SENATE.
Senator Stewart Will Call Un His
Free Coinage Bill on Next
~ Monday.
The Announcement Quite a Sur
prise to the Members Of
@...". That Body.
scaht Probability That the Measure Will
Fass That Republican Hody-Other
Washington News.

WASHINGTON. March 29.-,'The notice
given iii the senate this afternoon bv Stew
art OF his intention to call up his free
coinage bill Monday created sensation.
Notwithstanding the fact that it was e1-
pected, In view of tho setback tho Bland
Dill received in the house, that the struggle
must sooner or later be transferred to the
senate, as far as can be learned. Stewart
appears to have acted on his own RESPONSE
bllity in precipitating the issus 1t is said
~ some silver men that Speaker Crisp told
them TO pass tho silver bill in the senate,
let u come over to the house, when it would
% in position much more favorable for
action than if it cams before the house in
ths shape of an original report from the
coinage committee. Some republican silver
senator's, unable to see the force Of this
reasoning, fear the speaker is play
ing for the party advantage which
might be expected to follow the
passage Of a silver bill by a
republican senate, even by the instrumsn-
tallty Of democratic votes. The democratio
senators a. yet are undecided as to the
attitude they shall assume when the bill ia
called up BY Stewart. Carlisle remarked
that tho outcome Of the effort to pass the
bill will be extremely doubtful. Thia view
appeared generally entertained on this side
OF the chamber. It is probable there will
cratic senators bsfore Monday with the
purpose OF reashing an agreement upon
united line of action.
The republican side is Of opinion that the
bill will not pass. HansbrouQh Is. d.,
who has been included in all estimates in
the ranks of the silver men, said very
frankly this afternoon that he would op-
pose with his vote any effort to pass a free
coinage bill and believed that there we're
not ten republican senators who would vote
for such bill He called attention to the
fact that Perkins, successor to Plumb in
the senate, is an anti free coinage man, and
felt confident that even with the full
strength which the democratio silver gena-
tors had shown in the last struggle. the
Dill would not have moro than one major
lty. AZ q matter of fact, he believed the
demort sss vars divided on the question,
and he expected that when it came to a togt
vote, many Of thom who formerly voted
for the Vest bill would vote against the
Stewart bill. Stewart himself ID not yery
sanQuine of the success of his move. He
says, however, the country il entitled to
know exactly how the senators stand on the
silver question, and he proposes to put all
OF them on rsoord il he can.
Tha free coinage men have not yet given
up the fight in the house. The controversy
between Bland and the speaker was the
subject of general comment to-day, and
Bland announced that he would make no
further attempt to secure a cloture rule,
but Pierce and other leaders have again
taken courage and will make supreme at
tempt to force this committee to report
rule. Up to this evening they have Sc
cured between ninety and 100 names to
their t! petition, but require 11s. Many be-
This most jubilant members Of the house
Just now are the peoples party congress-
men, who rejoice in the discontinue Of the
democratic majority and proclaim that the
failure of the democratio house to pass
free coinage bill means that the peoples
patty will carry six or eight states in the
coming campaign. Watson (Ga.) talked
at length to this effect tonight and said
this action is the death of the old demo
cratic organization, particularly in the
south.