New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-17
THE FIGHT BEGUN TOO LATE.
SENATOR VOORHEES, GETS HIS COURAGE Up
ABOUT SIX WEEKS BEHIND TINE.
now THE SILVER MEN HAVE THE UPPER HAND
AND THE ADMINISTRATION MANAGERS ARE
CONFRONTED BY THE DIFFICULT PROB.
LEN OF SURRENDERING GRACE
FULLY-SHALL 1T BE COM
PROMISE OR AID.
-
JOCRNMENTl
CBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.I


begun to fight the battle Of unconditional repeal
embodied though unconsciously to the speaker,
as searching and formidable indictment az
has vet been drawn against his luckless and
laundering leadership of the unconditional re-
neal cause As he unwittingly confessed. he has
only begun to fight when the forces under him
are retreating in hopeless rout from the field.
Instead of beginning TO fight six weeks ago.
when the tide of public opinion In favor OF re-
peal was at its flood, when the repeal majority
was compact eager and enthusiastic, when talk
of compromise scarcely reached above a umid
whisper and the anti-repea leaders lived IN
daily terror OF a vigorous movement against
their undefended lines. in pursuance of an in
credibly feeble and foolish policy Mr..
Voorhees, postponed the battle till the
pressure of public opinion for re-
peal had apprecably relaxed, till the ranks OK
the repeal forces had become broken and de-
moraized. till the talk of compromise had
grown from a cautious whisper to an open pro-
gramme, till finally the failure Of test OF
physical endurance" had confirmed the minority
in its power and purpose to obstrLct vote
and had demonstrated to the country the ut
ter impotence Of the majority to enforce It's
plans ir the face Of a determined and active oppo-
sition. The point having at last been reached
when no apparent issue from the situation pre-
sents itself but surrender the tardy ana vac
ilating leader Of the majority discovers that
II +, time for him to begin fighting. and in the
illusory glitter Of Paul Jones's famous but IN
applicable epigram he seeks now to hide all
consciousness of his long series of blunders ana
defeats Fighting now. it is to be feared, VIII
not repair the disasters due to not fighting SIX
weeks or even four weeks. ago. for, although
Mr. Voorhees, may deny it in his bombastio
Of II.
tional repeal could scarcely be retrieved now.
even IL the Indiana Senator possessed the per-
severance the gallantry and all the fighting
qualities combined of the first American admirli.
MIR. VEST SAYS REPEAL IS DEAD.
Indeed though Mr. Voorhees, persists in try
ing to give each afternoon living imitation or
his disastrous continuous sessions oil last
week the failure Of decisive tests Of endurance
must be taken to mark the first stage in the
downward course of the Voorhees, bill toward
defeat and suppression. Under the present
rules Of the Senate it is evident, even TO the
most obtuse observers, that unconditional re-
neal is impracticable. Mr.. Vest frankly voiced
this universal belief to-day i'm his crisp speech
on the proposed changes in the Senate code
and no other Senator had the hardihood to
challenge the assertion
The situation which the Democrau; managers
I'm the Senate have now to meet, and which VIII
occupy their ingenuity for at least ten days
or two weeks. has three distinct and separate
phases II unconditional repeal Is assumed 10
be impossible. IL is left to the responsible Demo-
cratic majority. either to shelve the Repeal bill
for a compromise to undertake to amend the
rules before further action on repeal or to ad-
iourn Congress. in the hope Of an improvement
in the temper of the Senate at the opening
I'm
of these courses has its disadvantages and per-
nlexties and the difficulty of making choice
of the evils offered will probably give further
brief stretch of life to the pending debate.
COMPROMISE to pass the Senate, must be made
acceptable at once to the extreme silver Demo-
Gratis and to the extreme partisans OF the Ad-
ministration. Any trm of compromise VIII
involve necessarily defeat for the President
and his eight ten ardent followers
i'm the Senate loath TO acknowl-
edge the deliberate rejection by the
party in the "deberatiNe branch OF
the Administrations first and most vitality m-
portant attempt at legislation The repeal Re-
publicans will not support compromise. and
the silver State Senators. although they Will not
flibuser to prevent a vote. will also vote against
any form Of compromise. unless their support
is absolutely essential to its passage. The COM
coating the Administrations defeat. and at the
same time making substantial enough conces-
sions to the radical silver men from the South
and Southeast The Administration is. 10
doubt secretly. as well openly, opposed 10
compromise. except as to some nominal conces-
sions as regards the coinage of the seigniorage.
CONFERENCES INCREASING IN NUMBER.
Meetings of the representatives of both
nh of
in the last few days with increasing fire.
auency. and it may be that some definite
progress Is being made toward framing
party bill The last important gathering Of
the promoters of harmony in the party took
place Saturday evening in the room OF the
Committee Appropriations Among those
who talked over the situation there were
Messrs. Gray and Lindsay. OF the Administers.
ton, following German, Faulkner and Brices
OF the advocates Of programme of concession
and Mr.. Cockrell representing the radical sil-
Yer element. II is said that Mr. Teller. Mr.
Allison and Mr.. Cullom were also invited TO
give their views on the acceptabity Of various
propositions advanced Nothing definite has
come out Of all these conferences. but they in.
dicate a most serious and urgent pressure to-
ward compromise the part of all the real
leaders OF the Democratic majority.
The plan of amending the rules before going
doubtedly be adopted by Mr.. Voorhees, and his
nominal lieutenants If compromise is
not arrived at during this week or
next The folly of wasting time in
trying to pass the Repeal bill under the
existing rules has been effectively demon-
strated that in default Of a programme Of
party unity or adjournment Mr. Voorhees, Is
likely To decide to bring In closure rule and
turn all his efforts to having II adopted. Many
Senator'S think closure rule would be worth
sitting up once for few nights To secure.
whereas they see no good To come out of sitting
up on the chance of getting action single
bill. To take up closure amendment, how.
ever, would mean the displacement Of the Re-
peal bill for new subject which the oppo-
nents Of repeal could open fresh fire of time
killing debate. Besides there would be little more
assurance OF reaching vote on an amendment to
the rules than Of reaching one on the bill itself
The third course OF action open-that of an ad-
Journment or recess till December has not
yet been very seriously considered. Yet IL has
advocates, both among the a-Administrationn