New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-19
PRICE THREE CENTS.
SQUIRMING OVER SILVER.
HOUSE DEMOCRATS WORKING TO POSTPONE
THE ISSUE.
PETITION TO CHAIRMAN HOLMAN CIRCULATED
THE DISHONEST DEMOCRATIC ATTITUDE
LEY IELEGRAPH TO LILLE IkInuNE.l

Washington, Feb. ls.-There is a deal Of squirr1-
ing among the Democrats in Congress over the
silver question. How to avoid the odium of
Eastern Democrats by refusing to pass.
party measure, free silver imitation bill like
Bland's, and at the same time pacify the Demo-
cratic infatonists Of the South and West, is q
problem which the kaders have thus far tried
in vain to solve. Some of the less mature states
men like IIarter, of Ohio, and Sherman Ho8f, Of
Massachusetts, are inclined TO place their trust
temporarily in the hands of Democratic eau
Gus, petition for which they circulated this
afternoon. This artless and guileless petition
reads as follows:
To the Hon. William :. Holman Chairman
Dear Sir: We ask you to call meeting OF the Dems.
cratic members Of this House for Thursday evening" Feb
ruaiy 30 az 80 O'Clock consider resolutions which
VIII be presented. They follows:
Resolved That in OF the continued use
OF both gold and silver money and that are una.
tsby opposed to legislation which will drive either
metal out of general circulation
Resolved That In justice the Democratic marty and
with due orsideraton for the business Industrial
ana financial interests Of the Nation deem it duty
OF the Democratic members Of the LID Congress defer
any dennle action on the subject OF free until
question Of its wisdom justice IS distinctly made In
the election OF 1892 We ask you further TO invite the
Democratic members Of the to this conference
IL is noteworthy that among the more active
promoters of this frantic demand for caucus
to smother the silver question are the fearful
Sherman lloar and Representative George Fred
Williams. of Massachusetts. both of whom refused
TO vote for the caucus nominee for Speaker Of the
House after they had taken part in the pro-
ceedings of the caucus. They were altogether
too honest to vote for Judge Crisp in December.
but they are not too honest now to propose to
put of the vote free coinage until after the
Presidential election. These same statesmen
who won't about carly in December enyclonpd
in political virtues that old stagers in politics
simply stood still and lifted their hands in won-
der and their voices in profanity-these New
| England angels have become designing. scheming.
| temporzing logrolling politicians. but they are
still verdant. They actually seem TO believe
that the Republican memcbers of the House were
born yesterday and that they will vote to post
pone until after the Presidential election and
for the sole benefit of the Democratic party the set
tlement of an issue which is favored by nine
| tenths Of that party.
| Messrs. Ifoar and Williams might have more
influence in the party with which they consort
! if the members Of it believed that the decision
! Of the caucus would bind the who attend
| it, There is doubt that the free-coinage Demo-
Gratis will have an overwhelming majority in any
caucus which may be held, but there is equally
no doubt that good many of the free-coilage
| Democrats, both in the House and Senate, are
willing TO allow the matter 10 rest until after
| the Presidential campaign.
| In this they governed by principle OF
| honesty by any intention to abandon the
issue of free coinage. Some Of the more extreme
free-coinagc Democrats give various uncandld rea-
sons for their desire to postpone the issue. Thus
Mr.. Bynum, Of Indiana, who proposes TO move
TO postpone the consideration of the coinage ques
tion until next winter, said to-day that while
n. el,o
Democrats of his district in favor Of it, they
do not think that the tariff question should be
clouded by the discussion of silver at this time.
| The tariff he says is the all-important question
and he thinks that nothing should be permitted
| to distract attention from it at the time lie
| SAYS he does not believe in lodging the silver
| question that the attitude Of the House toward
| il is clear enough, and that a postponement will
not seriously affect the question, and that to fix
"A day for its consideration next session would
| be as much declaration for the measure it
| would be to fix a day this session. lie says that
| he has made no canvass of the House, but he is
sure that there great many men in the
House who will vote for free coinage but who
will favor his proposition.
| II will he observed that Mr. Bynum's argument
or excuse is not more lucid and convincing than
his arguments, excuses such subjects usu-
ally are. II is nice for him not to want Springers
treatment of the tariff question "clouded' es-
pecially when the attitude of the Democratic
| majority in respect To free coinage is clear
! enough and that a decision TO consider the
matter next winter would be as much deo-
| laraion for the measure as it would be 70 hX
day this session. 1t will he observed that
Bynum is quite as frank but somewhat less
artless than the Democratic cherubs from
| Massachusetts.
| II must be said to the credit of the majority
| of the Democratic members of the House that
| they seem disposed to deal honestly with the
question as to what extent their honesty and
| courage are spontaneous it Is not necessary 10
inquire. These men say that while there may
| he some doubt as TO what may be the result OF
Mr. Bynums motion to postpone. there are at least
laj Democratic members who will allow no OPP
portunty TO escape TO have a vote on the Bland
hin NJ this session Mr. Pierce of Tennessee
who is a member of the Coinage Committee, to-
dav spok, of the plan To keep the question IN
| the background as follows:
| Let them try such plan and they VIII nave
rhe hottest fight their hands they ever eAP'i'
enced There are 200 votes for free coilage !"
the House on direct vote. NUMBER ol these
men would like 20 dodge the question by post
| ponement | do not think they can 90 IL, o"o
if they do get postponement they VIII nave
| 10 answer TO their constituents, for we shaii
| compel them 10 vote on the direct question aS
this session There are 125 of US VINO VIII hghe
steadily through the session TO get vote OH 'ne
Bland bill The House will have TO lace 'ne
question every day of the session II any aoen'p'
is made to smother the bill We do no, care
| to hurry the matter If we can DC aSs"reu VI i"'i
| treatment We do not oppose the tari'l coming
nm first and we all agree in giving the tarin
| rho Greatest possible prominence but we must
bove a vote ON silver in reasonable time
Like many other Democrats, Mr. Pierce esards
the "cowardly policy" in regard to coinage as
scheme of the Cleveland men, and he said: