Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-03-31
SILVER BILL KNOCKED OUT
Democratic Members Strike
the Fatal Blow.
WOULD NOT ASK FOR CLOTURE
And Speaker Crisp Declined
to Force the Rule.


WASHINGTON, March 2s-The Bland bill
providing for the free coinage of silver
may now be regarded as practically dead.
Mr.. Rayner, Mr.. Tracey, MIR. Cochran and
Mr.. Williams have been working inces-
sanity all day organizing their forces for
the final fight against the bill if il should
be brought up tomorrow. They have sent
out telegrams to all anti-free coinage men
to be on hand Tomorrow without fail and
to refuse TO make pairs, Answers have
been received from most of them, and
every man is expected to be at his post.
If the bill is brought up it is agreed that
each side shall have one hour for debate
Mr.. Rayner has been selected to open the
debate for the opponents of the bill, and
be will be followed by MIR. Cochran Of New
York Mr. Tracy, who is in charge of the
opposition to the bill, has given these two
gentlemen the whole time at his disposal
if they desire it.
THE PLANs OF THE sILvERITEs UPSET.
The plans Of the free-coinage men were
entirely upset to-day by Speaker Crisp de-
claring to Mr.. Pendleton, of West 'Vir-
ginia, and others that he would positively
not bring in a cloture rule and enforce It
unless u majority of the Democrats should
request him in writing TO do so. Conse-
quently MIR. Bland OF Missouri, and Mr..
Pierce of Tennessee, were busy circulating
petitions for signatures asking the Speaker
10 enforce the rule and close debate. Mr.
Rayner and Mr.. Corkran appealed to the
various state delegations which are in
favor of the free coinage of silver, urg-
ing them not to ask the Speaker to imi-
tate Mr.. Reed and throttle debate on
tins important measure. The appeal
had its effect. The Virginia delegation
almost unanimously refused to sign the
petition, and the Indiana delegation, with
but two exceptions, followed suit Mr.
Bynum declared that he would not sign it,
and Mr.. Breckenridge of Kentucky and
Mr.. Breckinridge of Arkansas, although
both free-silver men, refused to put the
gag upon the House. The anti-free-c coinage
men require the cooperation of 33 of the
! free-coinage men to defeat tile petition,
and some time before the adjournment
this afternoon they had pledges from 80
that they, would not sign it. With their
| forces well i'll hand and splendidly organ
lied they are confident of success. If they
| do succeed the bill will not come up to-
morrow, as in the absence Of cloturc rule
| ii can be tilibustercd TO death.
This has been hard and gallant fight,
| and with heavy odds against them and the
organization Of the House against them.
the opponents of the bill have only won
by their superior generalship and the
strength Of their cause. That the fight has
about been given UP by the free-coinage
men, was indicated by Mr., McMillin, a
member of the committee on rules, and
the leader of the House in the absence Of
MT. Springer, passing the word among the
members on tho floor after adjournment
that the tariff debate would be resumed to-
/ morrow.
STATEMENT BY MIR. BLAND,
Mr.. Bland this afternoon, made the fol-
lowing authorized statement to the As
sociated Press with reference TO the silver
bill
when therulc was first reported setting
apart three days or the consideration of
the Silver bill, ! insisted that the rule
should be an order TO be considered from
day to day until disposed of, knowing that
three days could be tilibustered ont and no
action had upon the bill When ] made
this suggestion TO Speaker Crisp, he rather
tartiy replied that ought TO trust the COM
mon rules in that matter, that if the three
days were tilibnstered ont without dispos-
ing OF the bill the committee on rules
would report rule preventing all fiibus.
tering motions. The Debate on the bill ran
until $50 O'Clock of the third day.
moved the previous question several votes
were taken upon the bill and motions
pertaining 70 it, when the opponents
Of the bill commenced filbustering
by moving to take recess,
moving adiournments, and calling the
roll i Is well understood that motions
of this kind can be made without limit
and no bill can possibly pass as long as
these motions are kept UP. These motions
and hlihustering tactics were kept up until
after Y o'clock on the last day for tie CON
sideration of the bill The friends Of the
bill were determined to continue in session
SO as to prevent lapse of the legislative
day. Myself Mr.. Pierce of Tennessee, and
other members of the House went to the
Speaker Mr., Crisp and asked his advice
about NE matter-whether lie thought
that ihDusterlng had proceeded long
enough 10 satisfy the House and the coun,
try that the common rules would be war
ranted IN reporting rule by which all
iilibusterng motions would be prevented.
and bring the House to d direct vote upon
the bill He assured myself, Mr.. Pierce of
Tennessee Mr. Stone of Kentucky, and n
number of others, that he thought filibus-
terlng had gone on long enough to demon-
strnte the fact, and that The committee on
rules would report rule to bring the bill
to vote.
81 may add that moved that the House
/ adjourn on Thursday night at the instance
pl the Speaker, and with his emphatic
statement that he would report rule cut
, hng on tillbustering motions and bring
tho bill TO vote.
The next day being Friday, went into
, the rpeaker,S room and met Judge Crisp.
, lilo then advised the Introduction Of rule
u? Pc Voted on to-day, Monday, preventing
i an lillpusierlns motions and compelling d
vote upon the bill lie sat down and
/, wrote the rule himself introduced il ii
ms request and suggestion ard had il re-
ierred 70 his committee, with the distinct
n understanding that the rule would be re
Z ported to-day, never heard ANYTHING
! about ms wanting petition Of "A majority
OF the Democrats until this mornine
: when we ought 10 have been votins
upon the order itself Then
/, the Speaker said that he woi,ld
: not report the rule unless a majority of
T the Democrats petitionod for it. lie said
: hothinE about a petition on Thursday
i ilsht before the House adjourned. Hal
/ ne lntimated then that he wanted pct
: non we would have gone TO work and cot
me members OF the party voting for III,
phi, which was a majority of Them. &c
nave signed petition, no doubt, but nc
lntiinatlon Of that sort was given by tn,
= Speaker, We considered that the roll cal
OF me House, showing, as i did, a larg,
majority Of the Democratic party in fayol
r OF the bill, us sufficient warrant for hin
+ 70 act according TO the wishes of thu
c Democratic party as shown upon Ia,
:. Htcprd About the time of the meeting o
c the House this morning | went into hi,
Z committee room, and for the first tim,
learned that lie had changed his mind.
"A telegram appeared in the New Yorl
u HoHo TINS morning stating that the CORE
u spunuent Of the World had information
e from the highest authority that spcaie
trisp would exact petition before actin.
o on tins rule. That was the first intimatior
g that ] had had of anything of that char
! aeter. The speaker had given humble
n OF the Tree coinage mefnberS of the Demo
Is cratic party 70 understand that he pro
:, posed to have vote either to-day or 10
. morrow upon this rule. We had tclc
- CRASHED for absentees. We had mad
every csertion to have our men in Tia,
y House and % haye them present. Whel