Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-21
FREE SILVER DIsCo1rF1rURE

The house and senate, at Austin,
have locked horns on the resolution
instructing the Texas delegation in
congress to vote for free silver. The
Mills leaders in the house made stand
against the resolution, but were swept
under by the decisive vote of eighty
eight to eight, in its favor. In the SEN
ate, the proportion of the real, not
nominal supporters Of Mr.. Mills is
greater and his friends defeated the
resolution by the positive majority of
seventeen to seven. It may safely be
predicted that MIR. Mills support in
the senate will not consent to such
severe reflection upon him as to tie his
hands on one Of the two leading issues
of the hour, and that instead of black
eye for Mills, the resolution will turn
out to be black eye for the silver
i cause in Texas, and abroad, where the
influence of defeat for silver in the
Texas legislature will necessari lily have
much weight. Foreseeing such re-
suit, THE GAZETTE had hoped for the
withdrawal of the resolution before it
came to vote. It was not to be ex-
pected that Mr.. Mills friends would
permit him to be put in the humiliat-
ing attitude of a man elected upon
conditions, and with a notification
that he was under distrust.
Indeed, as suggested by THE GA
zETTE yesterday, it is doubtful whether
Mr.. Mills would take the senatorship
in the face of a large Endorsement by
both houses of the Tree silver resolu-
ton. If he did accept it, he would,
doubtless, do so upon the reasoning
that the legislature has no authority to
bind him, and he would proceed to ig-
more its instructions. 1t will be re-
membered that upon this very subject
Senators Ben Hill and L. Q. G. Lamar
disobeyed instructions from the legis-
latures OF Georgia and Mississippi
many years ago, and for a time were
threatened, in consequence, with polit-
ical death. The quality of Mr.. Mills
courage isuot to be doubted, and his
failure tosregister his vote against the
Bland bill was not due to his own in
Isclination, but to the over-persuasion of
cautious friends.
One good result has been accom-
plished by the free silver resolution,
and perhaps that is all it is able to ac-
complish: It has demonstrated that
the Democratic members OF congress
from Massachusetts, Eoar and VIII
Jams, are growing little too soon.
They were for Mills, and bolted the &C
ton Of the Democratic caucus on the
speakership on the specific ground that
1t selected free silver man, aud that
they had pledged themselves to support
in no manner the silver cause. Now
they are accusing the other two con-
gressmen from Texas of misrepresent-
ing the state in favoring silver, and
point to the easy victory of Mr.. Mills as
vindication of their own course in
boiling the caucus action. Texas is
still in favor of free silver, though it
must be admitted that the adhesion OF
Mr.. Mills to the opposing forces is
building up movement in line with
his own views which, in connection
with his strong personality, has sue
ceeded in capturing one-half Of the vote
in the senate.
Repeating what we said yesterday
upon the subject of the free silver reso-
luton: if there has been any popular
mistake about Mr.. Mills present views
on silver, he is not to blame for it, IN
less ne be eensured for not taking pains
to express himself on the Bland bill
now pending. He has utilized every
seasonable occasion to declare that the
financial question should be sent to the
rear, and to assert that there is no ma
terial benefit to be derived from the
free coinage Of silver. On that issue
THE GAZETTE has fought Mr.. Mills
and it proposes to continue to fight
him. But he has won for the present,
and it is proper that he should enjoy
the fruits of his victory.
The passage OF the free silver reso-
luton would either force Mr.. Mills to
decline the senatorship. to ignore in
structions, or to forfeit the reputa-
ton for courage for which. more
than for all other things, he is es-
teemed.
Despite his irritability and his anx-
iety to rebuke all those who have
shown the same pride of conviction
that he is SO prone to exhibit, THE GA
zETTE would dislike to sea Mr.. Mills