New-York tribune., 1892-03-31
THE BLAND BILL NOT DEAD.
THE PRETENDED ABANDONMENT ONLY FOR
EFFECT IN RHODE ISLAND
SILVER DEMOCRATS STILL CIRCULATING THEIR
PETIUoN-BLAND WILLING TO COMPROMISE
az eTANDuxc SpFCI,r opDrp
tBY TELEGRAPH TO The TRIBUNE. ]

PETIToN-BLAND WILLING TO COMPROMISE
on STANDING SPECIAL ORDER.
tsY TELEGRAPH TO The TRIBUSEI
Washington, March 80" Is the Bland bill dead for
this session." is question which is asked by good
many members OF the House Of Representatives to-day.
The esilver leaders more cheerful. not say
confident, TO day than they had been since Thursday
night. and the "anti-silver' Democrats from New
England and New York several degrees less
hdent and happy than Monday. The free silver
leaders seemed to have discovered that Speaker Crisps
sudden change Of front In regard to the bringing in OF
a rule TO stop flibustering the Bland bill not
due to change OF opinion as to the merits OF that
measure or the deslrability OF passing 1t at this
session. but TO the appeals OF some OF his influential
party friends, who declared that the passage of the
bill on the OF the Rhode Island election would
inevitably swell the Republican majority in that State.
There is no doubt whatever that great pressure
brought TO bear the Speaker and that he and some
Of his stnchest supporters made to believe that
Il the House would drop the Bland bill until after
the election the Democratic party In Rhode Island
would be greatly benefited. 1t strongly urged,
moreover, that mere temporary posponement would
not n1uro Democratic prospects In the South and West
number Of Democratic Representatives who
among the strongest advocates of the Bland bill
induced TO take this view Of the matter and withhold
for the time being least, their signatures the
petitions which circulated Monday and the
bearers Of the petitions persuaded to their
quietly as practicable. 1t then proclaimed
that Bland and his associates had abandoned the fight
and that the bill dead Mr.. Bynum, OF Indiana
who Is one of the most rabid free silver In the
House, had been called to Rhode Island 70 deliver
a Democratic campaign speech and while there had
been impressed with the belief that Democratic pros
poets in that state would be seriously injured If the
free silver programme in the House should not be
checked until after April g. lie accordingly hasened
back to Washington and exerted all his influence In
that behalf The radical free silver had choice
but to consent TO the new programme and with
less good will help to carry it out But they have
by means lost hope or abandoned their purpose TO
force the BLAND bill vote this session Messrs.
Pierce. of Tennessee, Livingstone, Of Georgia. and
several other free-silver men are still busy with
petitions. one of them said to Tribune corresp ondent
this afternoon:
sour list OF sgners is steadily growing and have
doubt that shall be able to obtain the requisite
number to justify the majority of the Committee
Rules in taking action which will result in bringing the
bill to vote. Yes the list of sgners exceeds
100 and We need only H.
When these figures mentioned to Mr. Tracey
And several other Democratic opponents of the BILL
they declared them be not only incorrect but pre-
posterous. "Why," exclaimed Mr.. Tracey, "we had
eighty Democratic votes In favor OF Burrows's m on
TO kill the bill and at Least forty Democrats who
not with us then with now; now. 100 is more
than majority Of the Democrats In the House There
Is danger possible danger. that the friends Of
the bill Will obtain III sgners but If they do.
now strong enough kill it outright whenever
10 to vote The bill is dead"
Some Of the other Democratic opponents Of the
measure spoke in less hopeful strain and all of them
appeared 70 be surprised we'll annoyed by the
persistence OF the free silver men, And vet IL not
quite clear why they should feel surprised. The seat
Of Southern Western Congressman Is Just a. dear
to him the seat of New York New England
Congressman IS to him. Southern Representatives
especially trembling for their future. 1t wouM
probably be too strong to say that the failure OF the
n uaS Pland def TudC Crs
for denomination reelection but that even his c-
turn 20 Congress would be seriously impered by such
failure is freely asserted by Democrats who are familiar
with Southern politics The declarations of Mr.. Wat
son, Of Georgia, read with anxiety and fear
day by dozens Of Democratic Representatives from the
South and West. Among other things he said
The scton in the House on the silver bill IS the
Hundreds OF thousands Of voters in the southern
states have felt that If financial relief could be had
II 1t had chance. With majority Of 147 In the
House. IL certainly had chance 10 pass the Free
tive Democrat in the South knows that Demo
cratic matortes welded under the present organize
legislation Is concerned No power on earth can
keep Georgia from going into the Electoral College
believe the same is Of several other southern
States. have never ceased to claim that the Al
lance demands upon which the Peoples party was
fOuUded weIe true Je' 'rsOnan principles. claim
that to-day. But believe now that the immense
majority Of the Democrats all over the south VIII
party the truest exponent OF the Jefer-
sonan principle Of the rule Of the people against
the Hamilton doctrine OF The rule OF money ard Of the
CLASSES. Let 1t never be forgotten that Mr. Boutel",
Of Maine. a Republican, asked the Tammany Demo.
Gratis stop flbustering on the bin, and challenged
the Democratic House 10 come AT once 10 a Demo
cratic vote on the bin itself That challenge
fused. and refused by Democrats. In other word.
magnificent Democratic majollty OF las found itsef
absolutely poweress to legislac upon mild measure
OF reform which their party Is committed, and upon
which they have sought and obtained votes.
1t is understood that Chairman Bland IS willing TO
compromise with the Democrats who, while they pro
fess earnestly desire the speedy passage Of the BILL
insist that they cannot cOunenance gag rule
such rule, for example, applied by Speaker
Crisp with much vigOr and complete success on
March 81 befOre the journal had been read. Mr.
Bland In order prevent the laccration OF the Sl-
abilities Of the Democrats who hiding behind that
BUSH has intmaed that he will consent to the adop-
ton Of a rule which will make his bill a continuing
special until il is passed or defeated by 0Niha
modes Of procedure. This rule Of course, "OId
enable the opponents Of the bill 10 fbuster against
II indefinitely but Mr.. Bland seems 70 believe that
they would finally be overcome and the measure
brought to a direct vote. 1t may be that this COM
promise will be adopted.