Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-18
AT LAS
A Silver Bill Reported by the Senate
Finance Committee.
TO BE SIDEFRACKED, HOWEVER,
Until Action is Taken on the Ma
tionaI Bank Bill.
DE MOO RATS AT ODDS

| The silver fight has been transferred from
| the room Of the committee on finance to the
floor Of the Senate. There the great strug-
| gle, which will probably be a memorable
| one In the history of this country. will have
to be decided. The pressure which had been
| brought to bear on the committee on
finance to put an end to delay In COM
mittee and take action which would place
| the democrats in the Senate above the POSI-
ton OF procrastinatton. in face Of the pres
| ent distress. was sufficient, and today, as
anticipated In yesterdays Star, Senator
voorhees, reported a bill from the COM
| mfttee. which calls for the unconditional
repeal Of the Sherman law. and contains a
| declaration In favor Of bimetallism.
| The vote by which the bill was reported
was close one. and the report was made
/ possible by the votes of the republican
members Of the committee. Without Mr.
| Noornees the committee stood evenly d.
| Vfded. f1ve Of the Senators being for un-
conditional repeal and five against such a
l course. When the vote was taken on re-
porting the measure 1t stood as follows:
| Yeas-Voorhees, Mcpherson. Sherman,
Morrill,. Aldrich. Allison. the last four be-
ing republicans
Noes-Harris, Vest Vance. Jones .Ark) }
and Jones Nev.)
The minority Of the committee dissented
| from the report Of the majority, and as a
measure which expressed their views re-
ported the bill recently introduced by Mr.
Vest calling for the free coinage Of silver
| at q ratio Of 20 to l.
No Reconciliation Possible.
| The action Of the committee IL REGARDED
| as an indication that the work Of the steer
ing committee appointed by the democratic
caucus Ii at an end. and that their efforts
to reconcile the divided factions Of the
party in the Senate were unavailing, and
that, on the silver question at least. 1t is
| impossible for them to meet on middle
ground. The silver men are now placed on
the defensive and the contest will probably
arrange itself on the former lines Of for
| the reporting Of the b,l has not really
changed the conditions. It has not and
will mot oSaa change the opinions Of any ndiyid-
clusion Of the financial question. has ac-
complished but little.
The bill now gives the Senate something
hees when he reported 1t to the Senate said
that on next Tuesday morning he would
nit some remarks upon it. This announce
/ ment was interpreted by some to mean that
on that date the Senate would begin the
| consideration of the measure and that 1t
would hold the attention of that body un-
til disposed Of. Such. It is understood, is
| AS outlined IN The Star Of yesterday. the
program is to proceed with the considera-
| ton of the national bank bin, which Mr..
the morning business today. To this meas
ure amendments will be offered which will
| give wide scope to It and which will in
| corporate a broad and thorough revision Of
| the present financial system. and which,
| 1t Is thought by the leaders, will bring
| more effectual and immediate relief by an
| increase OF the currency. The considera-
| ton of the measure will be continued and
| for the present the Voorhees, repeal bill win
| be sidetracked.
Opposition to the Bank Bill.
| Some opposition has been aroused to the
national bank bill by the assertions that
the proposed legislation Is In favor Of these
| institutions. against which there Is O. de-
/ cided sentiment not only in the Senate but
| In the House. On this point Mr.. voorhees,
| took occasion today to say that the bill was
not introduced for the benefit Of .he nation
al banks. but simply to utilize their powers
| to afford relief from the present situation.
effect Of increasing the currency at once
| and he pleaded with the Senate that the
consideration should be continued and that
favorable action should be taken. If the
plan Is now carried out next week will be
devoted to the debate on the national bank
scheme. which. with the proposed amend
ments, Will AFFORD an opportunity Of bring
Ing into enactment bill which the demo-
cratic leaders believe will be the most
| beneficial at this time.
| Relief by the Bank Bill.
In the meantime the House will have dis
posed Of the silver question and then the
Senate will be in a better position to judge
| what Congress can accomplish. There Is a
practical agreement reached that about the
| time that the House has voted on this ques-
ton, or shortly thereafter, a vote will he
| taken on the national bank bill, which by
that time will have been transformed into
broad and general revision Of the finan-
If this bill can be adopted It is thought
that the relief that It will afford may SO
change the situation that immediate action
on the repeal bill may not be necessary.
and, at any rate. that the discussion Of the
! latter measure can go on more calmly and
| will permit The program Is to take a vote
| on the bank bill about the time the House
votes on the silver question, and that then
| the consideration Of these two pieces Of
proposed legislation will be transferred.
Thus, If the broader bank bill is acceptable
It may not be necessary for the Senate to
| vote at all on the repeal BILL
| When 1t was known that the committee
was to report an unconditional repeal bill
a prominent free silver member Of the Sem
| ate said to a Star reporter that he would
prefer that the committee should do this.
I'VE have found 1t impossible" he said. Ito
command the full support of the silver
| men, and 1t would seem that the only
thing upon which we are all united and de-
| termined Is that the Sherman law shall
not be repealed unless some other law is
provided in its stead Thus you see would
favon vote on the direct question of un-
conditional repeal. for on that single Ques-
ton believe that there Is a majority Of the
| Senate opposed to such action"
The Democrats Not United,
On the other hand, the Introduction by
the minority Of the Vest 20 to / free coin
age bill would seem to Indicate that some
OF the silverites intend to hang their hopes
on this project. They think that at this
ratio they can pass free coinage bill. and
as 1t comes as a substitute. the vote would
| be taken on that proposition first But the
| Introduction within the past few DAYS Of
bills expressing varied and widely diyerg-
ent views on the financial situation would
| indicate that the democratic members are
no nearer any conclusion upon this matter
| than they were when the session assembled
| In the Committee Room.
There were no sensational developments
| In the committee room but both sides re-
mafned firm and unytelding, the minority,
or silver men, contenting themselves with
the statement that they would carry to
the Senate the fight that was hopeless In
| committee.
Senator Voorhees,, who has always been
| looked upon as aschampion of silver, stated
| frankly to his colleagues that he did not
give up ont jot or title of his allegiance to
| oiIy hut hot he