Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-03-11
The Free silver right 1. on.

llGloll u'ilutu On MOllldN. ny II NOlt bl
100 to -, to proceed on March - to the
consideration of the bill for the free coin
age of silver. three days to be devoted to
the discussion, and the question then to be
brought to a final vote The contest was
bitter and exciting one, occupying about
five hours Of time, the overwhelming ma
iority of silver Democrats riding rough
shod over the rights of the minority. aided
10y the arbitrary action of Speaker Crisp.
The first move was "A motion from Mis-
sssippi member, calling up the silver reso-
luton. Mr.. Tracey of New York, who led
the Democratic minority. raised the obicc-
ton that the journal had not been read,
and that its reading was necessary under
the ordinary course Of parliamentary pro-
ceedngs. Speaker Crisp ruled that the
reading Of the journal was not necessary,
and from this ruling Mr.. Tracey took an
appeal. Then the fight was on. The Bos-
ton Journals correspondent, in his account
of the contest, says:
tine Democratic party has proved it,
self the party of revolution. Never be
fore in the parliamentary history of the
world has there been such an arbitrary act
on the part of any presiding officer as that
10y which Speaker Crisp today forced to a
vote the resolution of the cOnmtte on
rules to tiX day for the consideration of
the free coinage bill to a final vote. The
ordinary parliamentary precedcnts were
oyerruled. The decisions even of Speaker
Carlisle were not only not followed but
to be read. BY the most arbitrary disre-
gard of all parliamentary precedent>, as
well as Of the courtesies Of debate, the
small faction OF anti-silycr Democrats was
ovcrridden. Opportunity enough was al
lowed. however, to permit them To call the
attention of the country to the extremes to
which the free coinage men will 20 to ac-
complsh their purpose They ayaled
themselves of this opportunity to acknOWl-
edge that the ruling, of Speaker Reed ia
the last Congress, which the Democratic
party has chosen to characterize aS tyran
nical and dcspotic. were models of fair
dealing compared with the unparalleled au-
dacity of parliamentary desputism which
was exhibited by Speaker Crisp today.
It was the deliberate plan Of the silver
men to have their resolution called up and
adopted before the journal was read, and
the scheme was rrsorted to because they
feared the minority would tilibuster on the
correction of the journal and thus prevent
indefinitely the adoption of the resolution.
one of the strongest speeches against the
silver program was made 10y Congressman
George Fred Williams of Massachusetts,.
and IL il unrtb raInau, harinu that b,A UaS
able to do this through the courtesy of eX-
Speaker Thomas b. Reed, who made one
of the sharpest speeches during the discus
sion, and who yielded portion of his
time to Mr.. Williams. When vote on
Mr.. Tracey's appeal against the ruling Of
the chair was reached the appeal was tabled
1914 10 %. Then the discussion of the
main question went on, and in the end the
resolution of the silver men was adopted
1870 to 81.
On the final vote a large majority of the
Republicans voted with the silver men, al
though Grout and Powers of Vermont pre-
ferred to stand for principle and voice the
honest money sentiment of their consttu-
ency, and therefore voted no. The mug
wump papers have tried to obscure the real
issue, and the position in which the Demo
cratic party is placed, by denouncing the
Republicans for their action in voting with
the majority SO As to put the Democrats
"in a hole as the saying is. 1t should be
remembered however, that the vote was not
for or against free silver, but on the queS-
tion of taking up the free coinage bill and
diSposing of it one way or the other.
The real thing that the so-called anti-sil-
yer Democrats wanted was not to defeat
free silver, but To have the direct vote on
the question put over to next December,
20 ahead and elect Democratic president
and Congress next November, and then let
the worst come. for they knew very well
that, given "A Democratic victory in this
years national election, the enactment of
free coinage bill is as sure to come as
Congress is to meet again. The Republic
cans had no idea of helping the Demo
Gratis to carry out any such plan as this,
They wanted the party put upon its own
record. and therefore they voted as they
did. The highest Democratic vote cast on
Monday against the consideration of the
Bland bill at this session was is, and an
analysis of the vote shows that if every
Republican member of the House had been
present and had voted with the Democratic
minority the silver men would still have
won by round majority. The Republican
minority was powerless Ia stem the tide.
The silver bill will pass the House in due
time, and it is believed that it will also
command majority in the Senate. 1t is
therefore the veto power alone of Repub-
| lcan president that stands between the
business interests of the country and the
disaster which the Democratic majority in
Congress stands ready to intiict upon them.
With that veto power in the hands of Pres
ident Harrison the country yet feels safe.
The Iowa prohibitory law was practical
ly wiped ont of existence on Tuesday by
the passage by the state senate of the
county option law, which gives each com
munity the right to settle the liquor ques,