The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-30
SILVER AND THE TARIFF.
IMPORTANT ACTION TAKEN BY
THE DEMOCRATS.

Chairman Sprinaer's Plan of Tariff
Revision by Means of Separate Bills
A Caucus Called on the Silver Ques-
tion.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.-The Senate hav-
ing adjourned till Monday, Senators Cor
man and Brice have gone to New York to
confer with Senator Hill about the details
OF their plan for postponing the silver and
tariff questions by adopting general resolu-
tions on these subjects. 1t is regarded as
extremely probable that ultimately their
plan will be carried out and that there will
be no serious attempt by the Democratic
party in congress TO enact legislation
respecting silver and the tariff In the abb
sence of the three senators to-day two i'm
portant moves were made at the House
end Of the capitol, both apparently
without their authority, Chairman Sprin-
ger carried his point formally in a confer
ence Of the democratic members of the ways
and means committee and committed them
TO the plan of separate bills as against
general tariff bill. lie carried it completely,
for Messrs. McMillin, Turner and Wilson,
the three successors Of the old ways and
means committee who voted againstit, will
stand by the decision Of the conference, al
though Chairman Springer could not per-
suade them to favor it.
MILLS MAY BE HEARD FROM.
Their acquiescence will not. however,
prevent Representative Mills or any one
who wants a general revision from propos-
ing general bill in the House. II an at
tempt should be made to refer such bill
to any other than the ways and means COM
mtttee, Messrs. McMillin, Turner and Will
son could oppose such reference, feeling
that they must stand by their committee
and also that If there was a majority
to report it, there would be majority
to pass it, If. however, it should
be proposed as substitute FOR
reported by the ways and means committee
these three might vote for it. Before the
free wool bill which Chairman Springer
proposes the ways and means committee
at its next meeting shall report is brought
up for action in the House, the party policy
will be settled in caucus which will proba-
bly, resolve to pass declaratory resolution
and await the action of the Senate on that
before pressing the free wool bill.
A CAUCUS ON SILVER.
The other important thing was the suc-
cessful attempt initiated by the anti-free
coinage democrats headed by Representative
Harter OF Ohio to call a caucus on the silver
question for next week. Representative
Barter stole march on the free coinage
men, who, however, could not refrain from
signing request for a call which he circu-
lated and which soon had many more than
the necessary number OF signatures. Unless
Chairman Holman can get the consent Of
the signers of the request this caucus
will not he able to consider the
tariff question except by unanimous con-
sent, but will have TO stick to the silver
question. However, it may be easily arr
ranged to have both subjects discussed at
this oaucus,as they were to have been at the
caucus recommended by Senators German,
Brice and Hill. Chairman Springer may
not present his compromise proposition for
an International monetary congress at
Chicago, but may advocate the plan of
settling the silver question like the tariff
question, by declaratory resolutions, which
seem likely TO be adopted by tho caucus,
although the free coinage extremists will
fight it.
TEXT OF THE CALL.
The call which Representative Harter cir
culated among the dem ocratic members of
the House read as follows:
To Hon. William S. Holman, Chairman of
the Caucus:
The undersigned respectfully ask you 20 call
the democratic members of the House together
at the House on Friday next at 7:30 o'clock p.
m, to consider what should be the action of
our side of the House upon the question of
whether any legislation concerning the coinage
OF silver shall be brought up during the present
session for discussion AMI final action.
Representative Harter had no difficulty
in getting many more than the requisite
number OF signatures to the call for the
caucus, and on presentation Of the paper to
Representative Holman that gentleman
stated that he would at once issue q formal
call.
HARTER THINKS IT DESIRABLE.
II believed with many other members Of
the House" said Repre- sentative Harter 20
an Associated Press representative, THAT
such a caucus was very desirable from the
coinage, as we'll as from that Of those who
are opposed to it. The signatures to the
call are not limited to members
who are opposed to free coinage of the
legal tender silver dollar, which costs the
silver miner Al cents and which everybody
else, including men, women, children and
pensioners, would be obliged to take at its
full value Of 100 cents, but includes also
those who hold the Wow that free and un-
limited coinage OF silver would be bone
fetal to the general interests of the coun-
try"
DECIDES THE PARTY POLICY.
By the associated Press
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.-The democratic
DOLtCy VIII i6l0ISuC0 W Lu0 ldTlI IN Iu1S
congress has been decided. The Mckinley
law will be attacked by separate bills aimed
at few parts OF the measure and not by
general tariff revision bill. This conclusion
was reached this morning by the democratic
members of the ways and means commit
tee after a conference lasting several hours
When a vote was taken it resulted to in
favor of separate bills. The three dissenting
members of the committee gave their ad-
heson TO the policy Of the majority of their
associates on the committee aud will act
with them, thus making the democratic
part of the ways and means committee a
unit on the policy which it was decided to
adopt, Nothing was said about which par.
ticular feature of the present law should be
first attacked aud this will be left to future
determination.
THE DECISIVE RESOLUTION.
At the conclusion Of a long debate Mr..
Bryan of Nebraska offered resolution de-
claring it to be the sense of the democratic
members of the committee that its policy
with regard to tariff legislation in the
Fifty y-second congress should be one of re
vision by separate measures in
stead of general revision of the
whole system. This motion was carried.
The affirmative votes were cast by Messrs
Montgomery. Whiting, ShivelY, Cockran,
Stevens. Bryan and Springer, the new
members of the committee. The negative
votes were cast by Messrs. McMillin, Turner
and Wilson, who were members of the
committee in previous congresses. The
general policy having been determined