Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-11

Tonight viii witness the beginning Of the
attempt to decide the delicate question now
being considered In the unpopular branch
Of the national legislature by a test Of ply
steal endurance. Such a procedure. but
conducted after more savage fashion.
would have been well enough a thousand
years ago. but In these days nothing could
well be more absurd In times gone by
right generally yielded to might. and once
In while the same thing happens just
when we are most boastful OF our civilisa-
ton Has reason no longer airy effect on
senatorial intellects? Must principle be es-
tablished and upheld by brute force? Shall
the majority bow to him whose mind Is
yacuous but who has talent for insomnia?
Is the Senator who can longest exist un-
der conditions filled with discomfort to die
tate terms to him who finds regular habits
necessary to his well being? II cannot be
possible that strife of the variety indicated
will bring about a settlement Of any of the
questions that now perplex our fnanciers.
It Is but short step from such a contest
TO open warfare, for II II is once conceded
that a strong and accomplishing stomach
md sieepless eyes are more potent than ar
gument then IL can easily be admitted that
. set-to with bare knuckies will be just as
sensible a proceeding. And IL that be the
most modern senatorial method there il no
reason why another step should not be
taken. Why may not the majority agree
with the minority that II James J. Corbett
proves to be winner in his fight with
Mitchell the silver purchase act of 1880 shall
be repealed. but IL victory should perch
upon the sponge and bottle Of Charles
Mitchell the silver men shall do just as
they please with any propositions to nnan-
cially legislate during the Fifty-third Con-
gress- Absurd as these suggestions may
seem. they are quite as rational as is the
proposition to see which party can sit up
the longest and subsist most successfully
on Senate restaurant fare. To many who
have watched the progress or rather lack
Of progress Of the repeal bill, compromise
seems to be impossible, while others de-
clare that nothing but compromise can ever
be seriously entertained. The Philadelphia
Press, active In discussing this matter, says
that since India suspended free silver COIN
age, the issue presented by the working of
the policy begun by the Bland silver act in
1878 and continued by the Sherman act in
1880 has ceased to be a question between BIZ
metallism and monometalhsn. It has be-
come an issue between silver monometal-
ism or gold monometallism. The country
has to decide. and IL has to decide promptly.
whether IL viii keep a gold standard or
descend to a silver standard. One or the
other ii must have. and unless the Sherman
act Is repealed silver standard IL will
have and nothing can do more than defer
the approach Of silver standard. Prevent
such a standard this country cannot stand
ing alone. though 1t may by selling bonds
and running in debt in order to buy gold,
keep silver and gold on a parity for while
longer" There II much of truth in that
statement. which represents the views of
the ardent advocates Of the gold standard
The Press says that by stopping silver pur-
chases the United States can keep the sill
yer 1t has coined or a parity with gold, but
unless 1t stops these purchases parity will
not be possible and the descent will be
easy to a silver standard. Compromise
would merely delay, 1t argues, and would
not accomplish any real good. But the ad-
vocates Of silver do not lack determination
They are bound to do their utmost In behalf
of the white metal. and will surely filibuster
until some effort Is made to at least ap-
proach their proposition. There is much to
be said on one side of this question, and a
triie of argument Is possible on the other.
vote must be had that shall place the re-
sponsibility for legislation or for failure to
legislate where 1t belongs. But the impo-
tence Of the Senate as a legislative body Is
not to be remedied by adopting as the test
OF legislation the comparative strength of
the senatorial muscles, nerves and sinews.
arrayed on the opposing sides of a great
public question Some other way of getting
. vote must be devised