The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-08-31
THE SILVER RACKET.
SCENES IN THE HOUSE WHEN THE sHeR.
MAN REPEAL PASSED

Congressman Ikirt Votes Against Botl
| Free Silver and Repeal-stsndin,
Alone in the Ohio Delegation -Change
| of Prominent Coneressmen During th,
Vote.
| WASHINGTON, Aug. 28.-It was . grea
day in the House when the test vote o.
| Congress was 10 be taken on the repea
of the Sherman silver act. Though th,
day was fixed for voting, which is usual,
| dry and dull, yet the galleries wer'
| crowded, large preponderance beinl
ladies In summery attire.
The repeal men entered confident; tn,
silver men were in anxious conference
Aessrs. Harter, Rayner and Tom John
son looked proud and happy, conscioui
that their side was on top.
The voting marked some curious de
velopments and showed the power of th,
administration In shaping public policy
Congressman Ikirt, having taken stanC
| against both Bland free coinage and the
Wilson bill, recorded his vote against
each. He was the only member of tn,
Ohio delegation, Republican,, or Demo
crnt, whose vote was recorded against tbs
Wilson bill.
Shortly after II o'clock the Wilson bill
having been read, Mr.. Bland (Dem., Mo ]
coinage at the present ratio OF 16 to /.
The first indication Of the "gamen feel
Ing on both sides was the almost unani,
nous vote Ia favor OF the yeas and nays
on the amendment. Mr.. Bland was or
his feet promptly with his first amend,
ment and stood up TO bis bargain like q
man, demanding the regular order,n tc
snuff out Mr.. McMillen's attempt &c
create q diversion with an amendment
combining free coinage to the American Q
product. " think 1 know the amend
ment the gentleman from Tennessee
would PROPOSE" said he In his blunt way
ut is for the free COMA 10 of the American
product alone, and that 10 not free COMA ys
at ALL"
The amendment was defeated by vote
OF yeaS ia, nays 226. amid applause from
the anti.silver men, who received one
more maj jority than was expected.
Mr.. Bland, from seat at the extreme
left OF the Speaker, smiled grimly as hs
heard the result, nervously chewing a nd
rocking to and fro on his pivot chair. The
figures seem to show that a majority OF
the Democratic members voted against
free coinage.
With the close of the roll call the clerk
announced single pair, specify
lng with great particularly the side on
which each member would have voted II
present. This Ia q common custom in the
senate, but very unusual in the House,
and indicated with what extreme care
the pairing contract was made. IL 10 very
uncommon also, 20 find 80 few members
paired, and the roll call revealed only
eight absentees who bad not provided to
make their votes count in She total result.
With the wave OF applause and jubila>
ton which swept over the bah as the
crushing defeat OF free coinage was an
nounced, the whole House seemed to take
a deep breath, nd to lose interest In what
was TO follow for the next few votes.
These were on the various ratios, but
everyone knew that the ratio day was not
only dead, but buried, ten days ago.
The first of the ratio votes was taken
amid such buzzlng as fairly drowned the
voice of the clerk Mt times, ad the few
members who were keeping tally on the
rest were compelled TO appeal to the
Speaker repeatedly to preserve enough
order 20 make hearing possible.
Mr. Bland O, a,ked yea and nay vote on
Of 16 to l and secured IL. As the clerk b.
ga 4 calling the roll, Mr.. Bryan walked
down the outer aisle, calm and grave,
around to where the silver leader sat.
They talked some time, a I'D then Mr..
Bryant by easy stages made his way back
to his own seat.
The vote on the question of free coin
age at the ratio OF II to resulted, yeas
100 nays 240. On this vote besides the loss
OF Populist votes, the members of that
party Withholding their votes, there were
several negative votes from those who
voted In favor of 16 to /. The slight gains
made on the higher ratios was not unex-
pected by some of the leaders. and IL was
the published impression of these that the
ratio Of 20 to would poll the largest vote
recorded In favor of free coinage. The
result Of the roll call was yeas 119. nays
222.
Only the ''old stagersn on the
silver side stood In for the II TO
1 ratio. For the most part that
faction was not going to fool with
any ratio u II could not get the one Il
wanted. Man after man who had voted
"aYe" on the fret roll call voted "non on
on the second. and many others left the
chamber Indifferent to the result. When
II came to the 18 to amendment the che
rus of dissa abstraction which arose when
Mr.. Hatch, of Missouri, insisted on his de-
mand for the yeas and nays showed that
the house was In no temper for chill dish
delays. 1t was TO be noted that Mr.. Bland,
to whom this whole business is deadly
earnest, and not mere tomfoolery, did not
Join In the demand. but lay back In his
seat showing az much composure as he
could command.
The vote on the second ratio amend
u
The silver men, not because of any consid-
cradle increase in their vote, but falling
uH in the number of their adversaries.
BY the time the third vote was called Mr..
Bland had recovered his mind enough to
make the demand for the yeas and nays
himself, although he did not stay In his /
'rat long enough 10 see how things were
going. The anti-silver men, also, who
had united the efforts 10 prevent further
roll calls, concluded to let the thing go and
put everybody on record on every phase
IF the question.
Not near as much interest was
aiken on the gecond vote, which was
'n the ratio OF IL to1. The decisive vote
)n the 16 TO l ratio seemed to disinhearten
he silver men and in.plAce OF the atten-
'ien which was paid 70 the fist, was sub
stituted a listleasness which spread
throughout the hall. The vote resulted In
he defeat OF the amendment by vote of
,eas leo, nays M0. The Populist members
lid not vote. The members who voted
Tor the l6 to ratio, but against the II to
-atio, were Messrs, Brett, Brookshire,
Bryan. Coon, Doolittle. Geary, Harris,
Latimer, Mcguire, McKeiRban,
Post, Strait, Sweet, Talbert,
cd Taylor, Dem. Iud.)
The gentlemen who voted for 16 to 1.
out who declined to vote at all on the IL
% ], amendment, were Messra. Baker,
Boen, Cannon, Cockreii'
Davi, Grady, Hudson (Dem., Kan.), KEN,
Pence, Simpson and Turpin.
Russell and SnodgraHs, who voted
,lalnst 16 to 1, voted Ia favor of II to /.
The IL to standard was defeated by q
Vote of yeas 102, nays 239. or those who
lad previously voted on 16 or II to the
following did not vote at all on the 18
atlo: Messrs Allen, Bankhead, Bailey,
Jannop, Grady and Livingston.
The other changes on this vote as COM
pared with the vote OF II to were as fol-
ows: Baldwin, who voted for II. voted
against 1S, and Hllborn and Ikert, who
'oted against IL, voted for 18.