Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-08
FREE COINAGE WINS
The First Heat in the Great
Silver Race, With Plenty
of Room to Spare.
BY MORE THAN TWO TO ONE
The House Agrees to Give the Bland
Bill a Hearing This Month.
REED AND CRISP AT 1T AGAIN.
Speaker and EI-Speaker Exchange Sarcas-
tic Compliments.
A pPrTTv rynum Iuorn nrNnrp NC
REED AND CRISP AT 1T AGAIN.
Speaker and EI-Speaker Exchange Sarcas-
tic Compliments
A PRETTY FIGHT AMONG DEMOCRATS


who have been hoping that the silver ques
tion might be postponed until after tn
general elections are tonight convince,
that the issue is one which must be met an,
disposed of by the House before the date o
the national conventions
The free coinage men in both parties are
of course, highly elated at their triumph
The gold men in the Democratic party ar,
filled with most dismal forebodings of tn,
political result if the Democratic party
commits itself to the Bland bill, while th,
anti-free coinage Republicans, who com
prise IS per cent of their full membership
in the House, are disposed to view the stu
alton, if not with satisfaction, at least with
great deal of complacency, as they regard
the contest as one in which the Democrats
in the end must be the greater losers.
The vote in the House to-day indicate,
bill-so decisive and overwhelming was the
victory of the advocates of free coinage 1t
was a significant feature of the proceedings
that on all the disputes that arose on parlia-
mentary questions the anti-free coinage men
did most of the talking.
Free Coinage Men Always on Top.
70 one unfamiliar with political methods
the conclusion would have been irresistible,
after listening to the denunciation of Speak
er Crisp's rulings, to the impassioned ora
tory and direful predictions of those opposed
to the Bland bill, that the free coinage men
were to be swept away in a whirlwind of
popular indignation. Yet when the vote
came-not on the silver resolution alone, but
on all auxiliary questions-the free coinage
men came to the front an unbroken
ho hr uo{o of 4xrn 10
routed their opponents from every redoubt
behind which they sought temporary refuge.
On the last and vital proposition-that
setting apart three days for the considera-
tion of the Bland bill-the free coinage men
won by the overwhelming vote of 100 yeas
to "a nays.
Notwithstanding the earnest efforts of
Colonel Ike Hill, the whipper-in of the
Democrats, to secure large attendance of
Democratic members to vote upon the
resolution setting apart three DAYS for
the consideration of the silver bill, when
the Speaker called the House to order at
noon to-day, he was confronted with large
array of empty seats. Colonel Hill, how
ever, was confident that it would not be
many minutes before the House would
be well filled with the advocates of
silver, and their opponents stated that the
absentees would be about equally divided
between the two sides of the question.
Before the reading of the journal Mr.
Catchings, of Mississippi, called up the
resolution and the clerk proceeded to read,
and upon its adoption Mr.. Catchings de-
manded the previous question.
An Omission Quite Intentional.
Mr.. Tracey, of New York, called atten-
ton to the fact that the journal had not
been read.
The Speaker declared it was in ORDER
for the gentleman from Mississippi to call
up the resolution. The reading of the reso-
luton was concluded.
Mr.. Dingley-Has the Chair ruled that
this report of the Committee on Rules can
be considered before the journal has been
read?
The Speaker-The Chair says that is the
provision of the rules.
Mr.. Dingley-The same provision of the
rules would confer the same privilege on
conference reports.
The Speaker-It does not confer the same
privilege on conference reports. The gen.
tleman is mistaken; there are express limi-
tation against conference reports
Mr.. DIngley-The Chair decides that bus
mess can be done before the reading of the
journal?
The Speaker-The Chair so decides.
Mr.. Tracey-I appeal from the decision of
the Chair.
Mr.. Tracey's Appeal From the Chair.
In advocacy of his appeal. Mr. Tracey
said, it would be an unfortunate precedent
to make that the Committee on Rules, con-
sisting practically of three members, could
come into the House and force upon the 800
odd members the consideration of any reso-
luton they might desire to call up The
House ought to proceed with great caution.
The eyes of the entire country were on the
House this day, and this resolution was
upon matter which concerned the people
more than any question that had come be-
fore Congress for 80 years. With regard to
the question of the reading of the journal
1t was customary to read the journal every
morning before proceeding to business.
Knowing this, many members had
not felt it necessary to hasten to
the House. On that account there were
many members absent, and a fair oppor.
nifty should be given them to reach the cap
ltaL He yielded five minutes to Mr. Fitch,
and reserved the balance of his time. Mr..
Fitch seconded his colleagues remarks,
prefaclng his own remarks with an express
sion OF the highest respect for the fairness |
OF the chair. But he concurred fully in |
what had been said in regard to the danger |
OF the precedent it was proposed to set.
These Democrats who had sat here over and |
over again demanding the reading of the |
journal in the last House knew that that |
demand had always been granted, and that |
in Democratic House, in case like this. |
that a refusal should be made was as unfair.
to his mind, as anything that had been done |
in the last House. There was a good deal |
of talk in his State about q premature or |
'snap" convention. If there was ever any,
thing
Premature or Unexpected
to those who opposed the silver legisla- |
tion it was the swapping of this resolution |
on them before the reading of the journal |
The representatives from New York wouId |
stand by what they thought right with the |
same steadfastness and courage they had |
stood by the present Speaker when. as the
gentleman from Georgia, he had protested |
against things that were no more upiust
than was the bringing in of this resolution
before the reading Of the journal The
party owed something to the Democrats of
New York. 1t had no right to load them
down, and from them it must expect. as il
deserved, the most emphatic protest,
Mr. Tracey then claimed the floor. but
the Speaker had already recognized Mr.
Bland, and stated to Mr.. Tracey that as he
had reserved his time the gentleman from
Missouri was entitled to the floor.
Mr. Bland, proceeding, said that when
the Committee on Rules had reported the
resolution certain anti-silver men had come
TO him and had said if the resolution were
for the time being they would be
ready to vote for it to-day without tilibus-
ering. 1t was q fair, square agreement,
made by the gentlemen, who were Messrs.
COCHRAN and Andrew. he thought it fair