The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-15

| pr8CLlCdOles' SlXuous ms VI OuGloE, Z.
| L. Pugh, G.. G.. Vest, E. C, Walthall,
J. H. Berry, John Martin.
Under our rules q caucus may be
called upon the application of five Sena.
tors. You will see six signatures to
this. Iapplied to a number of the re-
peal Senators and they refused to sign
it. Mr.. German requested me not to
press the matter just then, saving be
hoped to accomplish an agreement by
Individual interviews. After consulta.
ton with the gentlemen who had Joined
ne. we concluded to hold it in abeyance.
On the 10Th of October, Mr.. Vest drew
up the following paper:
WASHINGTON, D. G., Oct. 16. 1898.
To the Hon. Arthur P. German,
Chairman Democratic Caucus: The un-
dersigned respectfully request you to
call meeting of Democratic Senators
for the purpose of conferrins in regard
to the action which should be taken by
the Democratic rartY in this Senate up.
on the pending silver legislation aud we
hereby pledge ourselves to abide by the
action ola majority of the caucus as to
said legislation.
Signed: G.. G.. Vest, M. G. Butler,
John w. Daniels. J. G. S. Blackburn,
W. N. Roach, F. M, Cockrell, Isham G
Harris, j. L. M. Irby, J. z. George, J.
K. Jones, Stephen M. White, James l..
Pugh, J. II. Berry, w. B., Bate, John
Martin, D. Turpie, E. g. Walthall. r.
D. Coke, J. 2. B. Vance, A. Il. Col
quit, John T. Morgan, Wilkinson Call,
S. Pasco.
BYS. G.. Vest, save as to the pend
ing bill.
This you will observe is signed by
ma iority of Democratic Senator'S. Those
favoring repeal, with the exception OF
MIR. Turpie, of Indiana, fatty refused to
90 into caucus, and there the matter
dropped.
Then followed the compromise, which
you have doubtless seen. This was
signed by thirty six Democratic Sena.
tors, by some ofus with protest, but
we signed 1t with the assurance by those
who had been charged with it that the
terms were acceptable to the President
and Secretary of the Treasury. This
was on Saturday. The intervening Sun
day was passed with Fluctuations that
all hands get together On Monday and
pass the compromise. Ninety per cent
of the Democratic Senators had signed
it, and this large majority of the party
ought to have controlled, but when on
Monday tic New York papers came an
nouncing the compromise, 1t was an
nounced for the first time, apparently
by authority, that the President and
Secretary of the Treasury repudiated it.
Of course we could not pass 1t without q
full Democratic vote, forty three, and
as the six repeal Senators and one op.
posed refused to abide by the action OF
the majority, this fell through.
This is a simple statement of the facts
and you and my friends can form your
own ideas as TO who is responsible TOR
the failure of the Democratic Senators to
get together. don't think they will lay 1t
at my door, or that those ofus who op-
posed unconditional repeal can justly be
charged with obstruction or flibusterlng
We acted upon the rule of the majority
from the beginning, and 1t was only at
ter the minority by forming an alliance
with twenty six Republicans-many OF
them the most bitter and unrelentlng
prosecutors Of the South, leaders in the
force bill legislauon-that they became
masters OF the situation and We gave up
the contest. The Republican Senators,
acting with the majority OF the Demo.
cratic Senators, have always been the
most liberal and Just of their party to
the South, and rendering US aid in de-.
featng the Infamous force bill, which I
can never forget, and if I am driven to
seek sspolitical bedfellows" away from
home I prefer the latter, especially
when I am accompanied by a majority
of my political hreth sren. The truth is
we are the Democratic party, If the 8 o
much vaunted majority rule is worth
anything, absorbing the fewer number
of the Republicans whereas the minority
vas swallowed by their Republican an.
mex. In regard to my having veered my
sails to windward to catch the Populist
vote, I have only to say that I stand on
financial questions just where 1 ha Ve al
ways stood for a dozen years or more,
and am surprised that my friends,
who T supposed were accurately in
formed could be induced to give credence
to the Misrepresentation of tie metro
politan press, which for the most part,
represents the single gold standard of
finance. They denounce and slander
every man who does not bow his neck
and wear the yoke they have prepared
for the great masses of the A merican
people, or who challenges the oppres-
sive system sustained and advocated by
them. For myself I am willing to see
capital have its legitimate sway and ex'
ercise its benefclent influences 10 Amer.
ican pro yress and development, but
when see its sordid hand claiming more
than it is entitled to in our social and po.
litlcal life crushing the weak and destroy
ing all opposing elements, I shall stand
as it has usually been my lot In life to
stand with the under dog" whatever
the effect may be on my political for
tunes.
tits scarcely fair to Judge or PREJUDICE
the Democratic administration on the
record thus far made. I think it is uu-
fortunate that this Hnanc controversy
should have been precipitated in this
forlu. 1t was not good leadership but
we have ample time to rectify the mis-
take, if it should prove to be mistake.
We are assured when this matter is out
of the way, that we shall enter upon the
work of formulating a financial policy
on the lines of the Democratic pledges