Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-08-11
STRUCK ON A PLAN.
House Democrats Talk Each
Other to a Standstill.
WHOLE DAY PUT IN NEGOTIATING

Followed by a Night Meeting Which Is
Productive of a scheme by Which the
Silver Question May BE Brought to a
Crisis-I-sMillan Dropped from the
Rules Committee, and the Probable
Reason Therefor.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.-Another day
had passed and the two wings of the ma
jo-ity in the house of representatives are
apparently AS far as ever from an agree
ment upon the method of conducting the
proposed discussion of the silver question,
when at night a plan was
presented that looks as though it
would be acceptable to both factions.
The day was spent in fruitless conferences
on the subject, and because no progress
hal been made in the negotiations the
house was compelled to adjourn for lack of
anything to engage its attention. Tie
two committees representing the silver
and antisilver forces seemed to be playing
for position, each desiring TO assume the
initiative, but of what avail the point of
advantage sought will be it is difficult to
discern among the mass of rumors that
are afoat. From all these and from the
statements by members of the conference
regarding their proceedings, the positions
of the two parties were these.
Propositions That Were Proposed.
The anti-silver men, led by Bourke
Cochran, proposed that bill shall be in
troduced to repeal the purchasing clause
OF the Sherman law and that vote snail
be taken upon that proposition first. If it
be agreed to amendments may be offered
providing for the free coinage of silver
and a vote be taken on them.
The free coinage men offered a counter
proposition, to wit: That the bill outlined
by the free silver caucus shall be intro
duced, providing for a repeal coupled with
free coinage; that any amendments de-
sired may be offered and that a vote shall
be taken at the end of three weeks de-
bate.
This was rot acceptable to the anti-sil-
yer men, who insisted, it is said. upon a
vote first upon the proposition to uncondi-
tionally repeal the purchase clause.
Had to Give 1t Up for the Day
1t was impossible apparently for the
committees to come together, and after
several consultations and two Joint meet
age men were represented in the confer
ences by Bland, Boatner, Culberson, Bryan,
Bailey Bankhead, Oates and Lane; the I'M
conditional repealers by Cochran, Tracey,
Harter, Rayner, Catchings, Lapham, Geiss
heimer. Coombs, Fitch, Wilson, of West
Virginia and John Dewitt Warner Con-
siderable interest was added to the situa-
ton by the fact that Secretary Carlisle
visited the Capitol in the course of the
morning and was in consultation in the
library with Cochran, Tracey and Rayner.
He also called on Speaker Crisp in the lat
ter's room and remained some time.
A Moses Is Badly Needed.
"The statesman who can suggest plan
for the immediate consideration of the re-
peal of the Sherman law satisfactory to
both the gold and silver men, and which
will speedily result in a vote of the house
on this question:" said a prominent rlem-
Der of congress, deserves the thanks
of the country" But the Moses who can
lead both factions out of the financial
wilderness had not yet appeared. These
antagonistic forces while stubborn in their
demands and confident of ultimate success
were yet hopeful that some mutual agree.
ha olAI