Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-01-14

business ia the house. Mr.. Springer
has been in very great demand slBes
be has returned, aud hls face for TIE
hrss time shows lines Of ANXIOUS
thought. he appears in fact TO be
more worried than he was during the
excitement OF the speakership csm-
palgn. when ne steersd his own candi-
dacy 90 successfully into the commit
tee on usys and means. The men IN
the house sho. If anything 10 ~ be ae-
complished, would be the most likely
70 Be consulted about the important
matter, II appears we're not consulted
by Mr.. Springer. The plan OF smother
ing the silver question seem to be
Springer's own. At all events If any
OF the democratic managers nave used
Springer TO place Il forward, they have
thus Tar kept themselves in the back
ground.
The Rases Csmmittss Usfavesabis.
Nr. Springer has not as yet gained
the support OF the COMMITTEES on rules,
which u very important OF & IN, II he
desires TO accomplish anything IN tie
house OF representatives.. To this time
the democratic members of the com-
| niitt q say they know nothing more
about the monetary conference than
they have learned from the news
papers The illness of the speaker has
prevented a conference with him. But
| Speaker pro tenn McMlliin has heard
nothing about IL; neither has Mr..
cstclings. the next on the committee
on rules and the Immediate representa-
tive of the spe aker. The members ot
the house who represent particularly
tie silver s,ates are exceedingly lndig-
nznt at Springer. and they claim that
he has 20 authority TO attempt 10 CON-
nit the congress 10 q policy without
consultation with any OF them. In
fact some of the most prominent OF the
democratic silver men resent empbau-
cally what they call Chairman Spring
er'S unwsrrauted interference IN the
democratic party plans and his assunhp-
ton OF authority. Despite the air OF
elaboration IN this scheme ~ seems to
have been put forward without the ap-
| proyal OF many prominent democratic
members, ard was not even male
known 10 them until they learned oil it
through the press. The friends OF the
Springer proposition maintain there is
an excellent prospect that
England Ia Interested.
England may be brought into an in
ternational agreement on the subject
of silver, and in support of this asser-
ton they cite the fact that Mr.. Goschen,
the British Chancellor of the Exchequer,
has already framed q measure looking
to the Use OF silver for a purpose to
which gold now only is now put. Mr..
Goschen's measure provides for the is
hsr ha L. Of nf 81 M
TO take the place of coin now IN circu-
iatIon. The smallest note now In use
10 the s5 noie. 1t is proposed that the
new issue of notes shall be based upon
q deposit of silver not TO exceed 20 per
cent Of the total deposit Of coin with
the proviso that a tax shall be levied
on the circulation Of the notes based
on silver above q certain sum. This
proviso is intended to prevent the in
fiation of the currency on a silver basis.
Speaker Crisp's attitude upon this
question is not known, while his lieu
tenants are very retlcent and decline TO
commit themselves. The opponents Of
the Springer plan are outsooken and
emphatic.
Not ,Ir. springer's Plan.
/ representative Whiting, of Michigan,
. leading member of the ways and
means committee. said today. "Thc
plan for sidetracking the silver qucs-
ion did not originate with Mr.. Syringe
nor Mr.. CleyeIand's friends, but witn .
class of men who want both parties
committed against free silver, while
claiming that the question is not an
important one. 1t is my opinion that
they would sacrifice both the demo.
cratic party and Mr.. Cleveland rather
than relax their grip on the 1na nces of
the country. The claim coming from
ibis same crowd that Mr. Crisp and his
triends are not earnest tariff reformers
IS simply n scheme on their part TO
make i. af pear they are the only relia-
bles.' II. as Mr.. Carlisle says, the sill
yer question ~ one on which the demo-
cIats are divided then so much the
more should the party be right. 1t can
| afford TO he just and fear not, but it
seems to me it cannot afford to
| make backward step. As for myself
cannot be induced to trail i'm the foot
steps OF the pronounced enemies of free
silver--tbc republicans" Curiously
enough the most pronounced and out
spoken critics of the Springer program
are the colleagues of Mr.. Mills. The
two senator's from that state and Jud ge
Culberson IN the house characterize tee
proposition as betrayal of the cause
of silver. and urge its rejection by the
party in congress. They insist that
nothing short ot the passage of q free
passage bill by this house will meet the
promises OF tho party and the demands
OF the country.