The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-19
A BLUFF ABOUT SILVER.
TIE ACTION OF THE REPUBLICANS
INCERE.

The Finance Committees Action
Taken With an Intention to Fool the
Business Men of the Country-No
Effort Made to Soldify the Party on
the Question.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1S.-The more the
democrats who have been leading the
movement for the stoppaRe Of silver bullion
purchases reflect upon the hasty action OF
the republicans in the finance committee
on yesterday, the more theatrical it seems
to them. The republicans Of that commit.
tee having been brought to zee that the bus
iness men of the country wanted the silver
purchases stopped, and fully apprecating
that the republican managers were
juggling with the matter for political ad =
vantage, and alarmed because the democrats
had already gotten a repeal bill reported
from the committee on banking in the
House, concluded, as Senator Aldrich
frankly said, that the time had
come for them to do some
thing. Thereupon they did something
which really amounts to nothing. II they bad
reported the McPherson rssolas as Scna-
tors McPher' on and Carlisle Ges- l. or the
Hsrter lbst tute, or even IL no lad de-
termiuy uL n a plan ~ inR all
hhC re. iGoilcs rs eTcsT
ties in Support OF he t4sutLe.sl.t measure
they did report, their action would not
have been viewed with suspicion by the
men who have been steadily at work under
Mr.. Cleveland's direction ever since this
session began to stop the silver purchases.
As 10 is, however, they have only added
another bill TO the calendar.
PosTPoNEMENT OF THE CAUCUS.
The republican senator's have postponed
indefinitely their caucus which was to be
hold to-ntght TO consider the order Of busi-
ness at Senator Sherman's, on the ground
that on account of the death Of ex- President
Hayes Senator Sherman could not with pro-
priety give them the usual caucus supper.
They could, CT course, have met at some
other place and certainly would not have
postponed the caucus indefinitely If they bad
had any expectation of getting an agree
ment for early, not TO say favorable, con-
siderat;on, for the measure reported yester
day. OF course the fact Is that the repub-
licans are divided into at least three fac
tions on this question and that Mr.. Sher-
man and Mr.. Aldrich have no expectation
of uniting even those who are not counted
among the free coinage men. 1t is
their belief that a majority of the
republicans are actually not in favor of un-
COnulblOnAl repehl Oh Cue Silver purchase
law which makes them unwilling to discuss
the matter In caucus, with view of bind
ing the action of their party in the Senate.
AS things stand, with fifteen Of the repub-
lican senators evowedly opposed TO any
anti-Silver legislation and ten or
twelve more opposed to the repeal
of the Sherman low the prospects of the
bill reported Yesterday, or any similar
measure, are not good, even if by uDani-
nous consent a vote could be had to-mor-
row. Inasmuch as the republican mana
gers have noE even canvassed the repub-
lican side with a view to securing early ac-
tion it is plainly evident that 1t will be very
easy for Senator Teller, Senator Stewart
and the other silverites to carry out their
threat of preventing vote. 1t may there
fore be safely said that the Senate will do
nothing in this matter unless it Is forced 60
by the House.
Representative Andrews and the other
leaders of the movement for the stoppage of
silver purchases are using this fact ef-
fectively In their efforts tol induce
the House to take the lead in proposing, as
it did on reporting, a relief measure. They
are very hopeful that, IL by the end Of the
month the Senate has not yielded to the ap-
peals of the press and the business men of
the country, that the House will pass the
Andrews bill, and SO compel the Senate to
face its duty, leaving the responsibility for
failure Just where It belongs.