The Helena independent., 1892-03-08
FREE SILVER PHALANX.
They Presented a Solid Front, Two
Hundred Strong, in the
House.
BANDS Bill Is Set for Debato
During Three Days in This
Month.

Tho Measure Will Undoubtedly Pass the
4 House by an Overwhelming Ma
! jority-.The Vote.
WASHINGTON. March 1.-The free coinage
issue will not down. Gentlemen Of both
parties who have been hoping II would be
postponed until after the elections. are
tonight convinced tina. the issue must be-
disposed of by the house before the dates OF
the national conventions. The free coinage
men OF both parties are, OF course, highly
elated. Tho gold men in the democratic
| party are filed with dismal forbodinps.
while the anti-free coinage republicans,
VINO comprise eighty-hve per cent of the
republican membership in the house. are
disposed to view the situation with COM
placency. The vote to-day indicates that
the house will surely pass the Bland bill 90
! decisive and overwhelming was the victory
OF tho advocates of free coinage. II was
significant feature of the proceed
lnRs that On all disputes that arose
on parliamentary questions the anti-free
coinage men did most Of the talking. 10
one unfamiliar with political methods the
conclusion would have been irresistible.
after listening to the denunciation OF
| Speaker Crisp's rulings, to the impassioned
oratory, and direful predictions OF those
opposed to the Bland bill, that the free
coinage men were to be swept away in
| whirlwind of popular indignation, Yet
when the vote came, on not ono silver re-
solution alone, but on all auxiliary ques-
1nra kha frao osr
front in an unbroken phalanx, and by
vote of over two to one routed their oppon-
ents. On the last and vital prot osition,
that of setting apart three days for the con-
sideration of the Bland bill, the free COIN
age men won by the overwhelming vote of
100 to eighty.
Before the reading Of the journal, Catch
inRs Miss. called up the resolution setting
apart three days for the consideration of
tho silver bill and the clerk proceeded to
read and upon its adoption, Catchines de-
manded the previous question. Tracy IN.
Y.) called attention to the fact that the
journal had not been read. The speaker
declared that it was in order to call up the
resolution and the reading of the resolu-
| tlon was concluded.
Dingley-"Has tho chair ruled that this
report of the committee on rules can 30
considered before the journal has been
| read?"
speaker-"The chair has. Tha. is pro
vision of the rule"
Dineley-"r the chair decides that
business can be done before the reading of
the journal2"
Speaker-"The chair 80 decides.'
Iracey-"l appeal from the decision of
the chair" In advocacy Of his appeal he
said it would be an unfortunate precadent
to make that the committee on rules, CON
slstinR practically of three members could
come into the house and force upon 300 odd
members the consideration of any resolu-
tion they might desire to call up. The
no mouse should proceed with great caution.
The eyes Of the entire country are on the
house this day and this resolution is upon
matter which concerns the people more
than any question that has come before
congress for thirty years. With regard to
the question of the reading of the journal,
it was customary to read tine journal every
morning before proceeding to business,
knowing this many members were absent.
and fair opportunity should be given them
to reach the capitol. He yielded five min
utes to Fitch, who seconded his COL
leagues remarks, prefacing his own
remarks with an expression of the hiphest
respect for the fairness of the chair, but he
ooncurrcd fully in what had been said in
regard to tho danger Of the precedent which
1t was proposed to set. Those democrats
AAo A"N 1o1 ACAo OscE nuu OVbF again ana
demanded the reading of the journal in the
last house knew that the demand had
always been granted, and that in demo-
cratic house, in case like this, that the
refusal should be made was ~ 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 premature or snap con-
vention. If there was ever anything pre-
mature or unexpected to those who opposed
silver leglslatlon twas the swapping of this
resolution on them before the reading Of the
journal. Representatives from New York
would stand by what they thought right
with the same stsadfastness and courage
they had stood by the present speaker
when, as the gentleman from Georgia. he
mad protssted against things that were no
this resolution before the reading of the
journal. The party owed something to the
democrats of New York. 1t had no right to
turn them down. and from them it must
expect as 1t deserved-A most emphatic
protest.
Tho ruling of the speaker was de-
Tended by Bland (Mo) and very warm
between Tracey and the
speaker rs to the right Of the former gem
tleman to Ihe floor. warm controversy
marks. In those remarks he alluded to q
he had with Cochran IN. w
and Andrews (Mass.) in which these gem
tlemen stated that If the consideration Of
the resolution was postponed until to-day
there would be no tilibustering on the pait
Of the anti-sllver men and he charged those
tntl-sllver men with bad faith. To this
,harge Cochran made a fiery denial He
lad some conversation with the gentleman
rom Missouri, and in that conversation
Bland declined to agree that the resolution
20 taken up to-day. Il was only after he
lad had IL talk with the members of the
'ommittee on rules that Bland had con-
ented to 1t. Not one word about iilibus-
erlng had been said in the conversation
With Bland.
Cochran, continuing, expressed himself
a opposed to Hlibustering methods. The
uling of tho chair. he said. was danger
us one. Until the journal was read no
member could tell whether the house was
egally i'll session. Craig (rexas) inquired
fhether motion to adjourn would be in
rider before the reading of the Journal.
he speaker replied it had always been SO
eld and never questioned. and the same
anRuage applies so this rule rs applies toa
notion to adjourn. Lockwood (N. W
aid his recollection was that during the
'lfty-tirst congress the democrats always
uccessfnlly protested against any business
eing transacted before the reading and Rp-
rovsl of the journal.
Catchings (Miss.) closed the debate on
ehalf of the committee on rules. and con-
luded his remarks by moving to lay
'racey's appeal on the table. Before put