Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-18
A CAUCUS ON SILVER.
Democrats in the Senate in Trouble
Over the Question.
REPEAL MEN ADVOCATE DELAY,
Fear That the Bitterness Engen-
dered May Split the Party.
EFFECT ON THE ELECTIONS.

The democrats In the Senate are in
good deal OF trouble over q question Of
caucus on the silver legislation and great
secrecy is observed the subject. 1t is
learned. however, this morning that the
requisite number Of names have been Sc
cured to the call for q caucus. and that one
will be held. The question seems to be as
to the time Of holding the caucus. and also
on the proposition raised by the repealers
to make a Joint caucus Of 1t. inviting the
democrats Of the House to join those Of
the Senate In an effort to declare the party
policy. This latter proposition the silver
men will never agree to. as the democrats
question in a very decided way and the
silver Senators insist that it has passed
out Of their province.
Repeal Men Want Delay.
The repeal men Of the Senate are not
willing to be bound by q caucus. and are
disposed to have It deferred for some days
yet until. as they hope. public sentiment
will have affected the Senate. The caucus
committee. Of which MIR. German is chair
man. were In session this morning. with
The call for the caucus before them. con-
sidering the whole question.
The call for the caucus is the result Of
Mr. Vests work last night. He secured
enough signatures to authorize the chair
man Of the committee to issue the cali
Under the terms Of the original request
directed to Mr.. German as chairman of
the caucus the members who signed 1t
agreed to bind themselves to the action Of
the caucus, whatever 1t might be. The
silver Senators readily complied with this
stipulation. for the reason. 1t is alleged.
Jority and can control the caucus. A num-
Der OF repeal democrats. however. signed
Mr. Vests petition, with the understanding.
either implied or written. that they would
not be bound by what was done. When
the paper was delivered to Mr.. German
he at once called the caucus committee
together. and they repaired to the room
OF the committee on appropriations. where
they were closeted for an hour or more,
and not even Senators were admitted to
their counsels. This committee is COM
posed of Senators German, Ransom, White
da-). Cockrell. Villas. Gray, Blackburn and
walthall.
The suggestion from the repeal men Is
that 1t go over until next week. Mean
while the bitterness between the warning
factions IN the Senate is increasing very
II will soon reach q point when there will
be no accommodation on either side, and
the present deadlock win be continued un-
til the powers and energies of the Senate
are exhausted. There Is excellent authority
for the statement that there will be moth
ing extraordinary in the way Of rulings
pending this contest. Those men who rep
resent the administration more directly
and who have been opposing the compro-
mise insist that the fight will be kept up
until public sentiment has SO affected
the opposition as to reduce them below the
number necessary to continue . flibuster
Advocates Of Compromise.
On the other hand. the advocates Of COM
promise say that the very bitterness which
has been engendered will arouse the demo-
Gratis Of the Senate to a realization Of the
necessity of coming to some agreement in
the way Of a compromise in order to avoid
a split In the party which can never be
healed. They say that the feeling has
already acquired sufficient heat to make
some action necessary and that when they
have reached the point where they were
almost ready for a fisticuff they will be
compelled to call a halt and make some
adjustment which will get them out of the
diniculty without permanent split in the
party.
The Coming State Elections.
Two elements which enter into this con-
test at present with an influence toward
delay are the Virginia and the New York
elections. The southern men, or at least
those whose states are most affected by the
alliance movement, are convinced that un-
conditional repeal or any indication that
unconditional repeal can be secured, would
result In victory for the populists in vir-
ginia In November. And 1t is said that
should Virginia go with the populist party.
her example would be followed by other
southern states.
On the other hand, Mr.. Hin does NOT ro
Into the campaign in New York this fan
with unconditional repeal defeated or any
compromise effected. 1t is his purpose
therefore. even though he may not hope for
unconditional repeal to prevent any COM
promise and to hold open the possibility of
repeal until after the November elections
II repeal cannot be had.
Mr.. Brfce's Position.
This mornings New York Sun published
a table purporting to show the position of
Senators on the question Of unconditional
repeal. 1t classified Mr.. Brice of Ohio
among the unreliable repealers." When
the Senator's attention was called to the
table he said:
my position has never been doubtful
l have always been for unconditional re-
peal ! have never seen any compromise
which believed as strong. This could have
been ascertained easily and the classifica-
tion is careless at least and ought not to be
repeated"
The Majority In the Caucus.
Among the many rumors afloat concern
Ing the proposed action of the Senate DEM
Ocratic caucus is one that as soon as II is
convened the majority will endeavor to pass
a resolution binding every man present to
abide by the result Of its deliberations
They will dare the repeal democrats to re-
fuse to do this, inasmuch as it will be in
accordance with their declarations on the
floor of the Senate that they insist that
the majority shall rule. In the meantime
pending the action of the caucus, ii is said
the discussion on the approval Of the jour-
nal will be continued and an effort made to
do nothing until the democrats have had
an opportunity to get together and present
their agreement to the Senate.
Mr.. Voorhees, said this morning that he
believed the whole of the day would be con-
sumed in the discussion of the question
upon which the Senate entered yesterday
Some Of the repeal democrats have de-
clared they would not enter the caucus II
It were called. They believe. however, that
1t may result In good to some extent by
enabling the silver wing Of the party to dis
cuss such compromises as 1t may have to
offer.
Talk of q Coalition.
While the democrats are urging a caucus
and endeavoring to draw contendng fac
tions together there are Indications of a
fusion on the other side OF the chamber.
although 1t is not. UP to this point at all
events. being participated I'm by the leaders.
This proposition is nothing short Of a CO.
alition between the republicans and the pop-
ulists. II the rumors bearing upon the mat