Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-30

and talk with g number of Democrat.
makes it evident that caucus determination
on the silver question would have less o.
| binding force than caucus on almost any
other question. The call was circulated b,
! anti-silver men. 1t is a restricted and not
/ binding caucus call. A number of fre,
! coming Democrats who were seen said they
! did not believe the ants would abide by {
decision favorable to tree silver. A grea
many men both for and against silver would
; refuse to so into a caucus unless assured il
would not be regarded as binding.
Mr. Bacon, of New York, and others re-
fused to sign the call
Mr.. Bland Inclined TO Wait.
Mr.. Bland, when told that a caucus call
was in circulation, and asked if he would &c
into it and abide by its decision, said: 81
don't want to be interviewed on that now. ]
want to wait to see what is done"
Mr.. Williams, of Massachusetts, an anti
free coinage Democrat on the committee,
admitted that he knew of the call, but said
ne had not signed it. He could not be in.
duced to make answer to the question as
to whether or not he would go into such a
caucus
Mr.. Robertson, of Louisiana, one of the
members of the Coinage Committee, said:
81 am going TO vote for a free coinage bill
in committee and in the House. / have no
objection to its discussion in caucus. but on
the silver question l propose to vote ac-
cording to the wishes of my constituents,
who elected me on free silver plank. L
believe this caucus, if any is held, will en-
anate from the anti-silver men, and that if
a majority of the caucus should be for free
silver they would not be bound by it, and
on that question we have an example in
the case of Williams and Hoar, of Massa-
chusetts, who would not even abide by the
caucus decision on the Speakership be-
cause of the silver question. And" added
Mr. Robertson, "I won't vote for any in
ternational conference to side-track the
issue"
Lanhnm ANSWERS Like q Yankee.
Mr.. Lanham, of Texas, an earnest free
silver man, said: "Before l answer that
question l want an answer TO this question:
Will the anti-silver men abide bv the eau
cus? The manner of response showed
Mr.. Lanhsm's own opinion on the ques-
tion.
Mr. Pierce, of Tennessee, who forced the
free silver fight at the very first meeting of
the Coinage Committee, said: 81 expect to
be there if caucus is held and see what is
done. The outcome of the caucus will de-
pend entirely on the number of Democrats
VINO so INTO IT, came mere instructed Tor
free silver, and if free coinage bill is pre-
sented in the House 1 am going to vote for
it, not believing that the representatives of
other constituencies on this floor have
the right to bind me and make me vote
against the instructions of my own people.
A caucus of representatives of the people
elected upon certain issues is not like
party platform. Whatever my party saws
in party platform / shall stand by. The
Eastern Democrats would not agree to be
bound by the caucus action on the silver
question. as was evidenced by the action of
NIessrs Hoar and Williams, of Massachu-
setts, who refused to vote for Speaker
Crisp, free coinage man, because he would
not pledge himself in writing to throttle
silver legislation on this floor. Then how
can they expect free silver men to be SO
bound?''