The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-24

ator David B. Hill calls the sherman
financial legislation, and demand for the
enactment of bill for the fraa
and unlimited coinage Of silver The
people were said to be CRYING
Tor these things: MORTGAGES wore
piiing up; the prices of the commodities of
eue farmers were going down. and there
Vas piue ruin staring the country in the
face if these great remedial Dsmocr.tic
measures were not at once enacted into
law. Now that the Democrats Housa
with its majority of $50 or more. has been
brought face to face with it's resnonsihili.
ties ana the exigencies of presidential
campaign, the wiser heads in the marty
have discovered that the elections meant
no such thing. They have themselves
created sentiment of demand If
there be such demand. and are
now compelled in some wav 70
answer. The party was divided
between Crisp, who represented the con.
servatire policy in dealing with the
tariff; and Mills, who represented the
Cleyel and sentiment on the subject. Crisn
triumphed Mills is in the sulks. endeayor-
ing to be returned to Washington CITY as
United States senator for q vindication.
Cleveland is still writing letters; Mr.
Springer is attending banquets: but the
real policy of the Democratic party is not
shaped by these men. 1t is as clear as the
sun at MONDAY that there is to be no Iegis-
lation of general character relative to the
tariff or silver at this session of con-
gress. Instead of proposing, as they
should do. if they desire to act
in good faith with the people, whom
they claim to represent, and pressing for
passage a tariff bill which would indicate
squarely and manfuily the Democratic
position. it is proposed to introduce little
tariff bills, half a dozen of them, dealing
with separate articles, such as wool. salt.
tin plate, cotton ties, binding Irvine, etc.
1t is not expected that these bills will
pass, but they are good enough to hang
Democratic speeches upon attacking the
Republican position and legislation, and
resulting in a arrangement of values and
uncertainty as to the future development
of American manufactures. They are
promise to the importer and the farmer
for the future, and a threat to the manu-
facturer; they do nobody any good and
they do infinite harm.
The same is true in regard to the free
coinage of silver, to which the Democratic
votes in both houses of congress For
time il seemed as if there was no way out
for them, but they have recently hit on a
scheme which will undoubtedly be adopted.
They do not propose to offer or press for
passage free coinage bill. Instead, they
adopt the recommendations of the
Republican president, and the financial
position of the Republican party in con-
gress, and expect to propose a bill
providing for an international monetary
conference, at which an effort is
to be made to secure an interna-
tional ratio between gold and silver, bring
ing both these metals upon parity. They
well understand that if a monetary con-
ference bill should be enacted into a law,
that it would require three or four years
to secure the assent of other European
governments interested and to secure
meeting and report of such conference.
But this answers the present Democratic
purpose. 1t slaves of discussion of the
question until after the next presential
election; it enables the Democratic party
to straddle the question of silver coinage
so as to be able to preach free silver
in the West and South, and sound money
in New England and New York. There
appears to be, but it is merely an appear
ance, a division of sentiment among the
Democratic members of the House on this
policy. Mr.. Bland and the Texas con-
tingent, and the free silver advocates in
the Democratic party, appear insistent
and indignant at this proposal of abandon
ment of free coinage. But it is merely
play; it is a contest with stuffed clubs,
wooden swords and pewter helmets. The
do-nothing policy will prevail; the mall
contents will be silenced for the sake of
success. Let us abide our time and await
the developments of this interesting stu
alton