Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-13
AFTER THE BATTLE.
Present Status Of the Repeal Bill
Before the Senate.
THE COMPR 0MISE PROPOSITIONS
How the Silver Men Have Provided
a Safe Retreat.
THE UNFINISHED SPEECHES.

House bill No. l." for the repeal Of the
silver purchasing section of the act of
July IA. 1880 Qznown as the Sherman law),
as amended in the committee of finance
of the Senate by the adoption In that COM
mittee Of the voorhees, substitute. resumes
its place as the unfinished business In the
ordinary daily routine OF the Senate cham
Der. 1t will continue to occupy that position
unless displaced by some other pressing
measure until some conclusion il reached
on the question by compromise or other
wise. 1t is in the power Of the Senate
at any time by taking up another bill
after the unfinished business is laid be-
fore the Senate to sneive the silver bill.
This can be done without even the for
| mality Of a vote by tacitly taking up an
other bill for consideration without insert
ing the saving clause that House bill No. 1
shall be temporarily laid aside" II is not
likely. however, that the vigilant friends
| or repeal will permit the measure to be
shelved by indirection In this way. A for
some other measure would bring about a
clearly defined test of strength between
the friends and opponents Of repeal. and
this is Just what the silver men in their
SIX long weeks Of labored discussion have
deliberately and Of purpose avoided by all
the resources Of parliamentary ingenuity,
consummate masters. There was a stage
In the proceedings when II seemed likely
that a motion to take up from the presid-
ing ofhcer,s table the House bill repeating
the FEDERAL election laws might be sprung
upon the Senate as a method Of getting
| rid of the repeal bill and might receive the
support Of the silver men in addition to
the strong contingent OF democrats who
naturally would be counted to its support.
This period, however. seems to have passed
The silver men being challenged to a test
proved themselves able to outtaik ana OUT
SIT their opponents. They. therefore need
not approach their enemy stnr future by
out into the open with the certainty Of =
safe retreat behind them In the shane OF
another dreary desert OF talk to intervene
before any vote can be taken svithout their
consent upon any motion which does not
meet their approval
The Unfinished Speeches.
In dispassionately viewing the situation
oniookers will not fail to notice that not one
OF the silver men who has spoken thus far
has closed his speech. Mr.. Stewart has the
floor to continue his remarks on this new
and interesting subject" as Mr.. Hin put IL
Just before adjournment this morning.
Messrs. Teller, Martin, Kyle, Pefrer, VOL
cott and Dubois each indicated before tenn
porarily yielding the floor thai he would
probably desire to resume MS remarks at
some future and more convenient time.
Even Mr.. Allen. at the close OF his fifteen
hours speech. said something about embrac-
ing the opportunity to add Q few words an
other day. The precautions thus taken
were adopted with the deliberate purpose
OF avoiding the effect Of an old Senate ruie
! that no Senator should speak more than
once on the same subject. 1t is a mooted
question whether the rule is still in force,
but the silver men have acted on the as.
sumption that IT might be invoked and have
shielded themselves against II by leaving
their speeches nominally uncompleted. In
addition to the Senators who can take the
| fioor to continue their remarks they have in
| reserve Senator Jones of Nevada who has
| not yet spoken at all on this matter and
who always commands q hearing because
ne never speaks without saying something
worth listening to. and Senator Morgan OF
Alabama, who has been their reserve guard
Mr.. Morgan has thrown In a few PREDATORY
remarks. but has indicated that these were
chapters to follow. in which ne would dis.
cuss the question in its historical consti-
tutionaI. economical and sociological as
poets From this survey Of the field and OF
ence is derived that a conference Of some
kind is the only possible outcome.
Compromise Propositions.
There are a number Of propositions OF
compromise legislation before the Senate
Mr.. Blackburn has one which does not in.
clude any bond issue. and which, II has
been broadly intimated. might be acceptable
to the executive after all efforts at uncon.
ditional repeal had failed
Mr.. Faulkner has another proposition
\ which contemplates the maintenance b,
the United States Of a total Circulation o
| eight hundred millions Of silver ian amount
| about equal to that maintained by France)
This proposed measure has been met with
| considerable favor. MI. Harris offered
compromise last night, Mr.. Morgan, MI
Jones OF Arkansas and Mr.. Butler of Soutl
| Carolina have each suggested some middl,
ground and Mr.. White OF California has in
| ttmated that he had q proposition in view
but he has not yet formulated II In words
The Surrender Last Nfxht.
The closing scenes Of last night were al
| most pathetic, although a vein OF jocuiar
| ity was infused into them by Mr.. Hill ant
Mr.. Stewart. When Mr.. voorhees,, VIII,
had been sitting with his head resting OF
| his hands for some time previously plainl,
showing the effect Of his ss-hours' con
| tinuous leadership of a forlorn hope an,
his fifty-four hours Of wakeful vigil fnail,
said that without comment or criticism.
| having endeavored to do his full duty h,
now moved to adjourn. even the most ag
gressive OF his opponents yielded him th,
tribute OF respect and sympathy. 1t hat
| been whispered around the Senate for NOR
| than an hour previously that the breal
would come IN one or two more roll calls
When Mr.. Hoar. Mr. Cullom. Mr. Allison
| and other prominent republicans who hat
not only responded to every roll call. bu
had most Of the time sat In the front seat
| on the republican side listening to Mr.. Stew
Il
the chamber 1t was evident the end haS
come. Mr.. German and Mr.. Voorhees, with
drew to the rear Of Senator Coke. and
| standing in the gangway had a brief coun
| ell of war. Then Mr.. Voorhees, moved bacl
| to his place and Mr.. Gallinger sounded tn,
| "sauve qui pent' signal for the repeaiers
The crowds in the galleries kept their seat,
| almost to the last; the press gallery wal
I thronged with correspondents. 1t was tn.
| understanding that when Sergeant -at-Armi
| Bright reported in writing his inability L
| secure the attendance OF a quorum adjourn
| ment would follow. Mr.. Mandersen know
| ing this expressed hope just before mid
| night that he report would not be muci
| longer delayed" The fight was kept uy
| for an hour and forty-five minutes longer
| and then unconditional repeal surrendered
| The strain not only upon Senator'S. bu
| upon the officers OF the Senate could moi
| have been much longer kept UP withou
| risk of life Vice President Stevenson
| shared with Mr.. Faulkner In about equa
proportions the laborious task Of sitting II
the chair of the presiding officer and main
| tanning order. There was. however, a con
! siderable degree Of decorum maintained
throughout the whole trying scene and the
| threat to clear the galleries so otter
| made and never enforced was very seldom
heard. The thirty-eight hours continuous
debate on the repeal BILL in the opinion o,
| veteran observers, has been one OF the
| most memorable and at the same time
most decorous trials of endurance ever wit
messed in the Senate chamber.