The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-09-18

xVR93A " Sov DuUtmau 80 - uuuU uY ~
the syslids, - Il were with its ultimate
fate very uncertain. The past week has been
practically wasted, 20 far ~ any progress
with the measure Is concerned, and the
outlook for the present week is not bright.
Saturday the Senate listened FIRST to SEN
ator Allison and than to eulogies In q
memory Of the late Senator Stanford, and
nothing will be done but to celebrate the
centennial anniversary Of the laying of the
cornerstone of the Capitol building. On
Tuesday Senator Mills of Texas will make
his long -heraldsd speech, In which he
will plead for the repeal of the Sherman
act and the adoption of bimetalism and
the remainder Of the week will be devoted
TO speeches, the majority Of them OF the
time killing order The ''era of business"
resolution win undo doubtedly be brought to
the front occasionally during the week,
but is not apt TO be adopted. The cause
of repeal has gone backward very mater
tally during the last few days, owing part
ly to the popularity Of the Faulkner
amendment providing for the purchase and
coinage of final amount Of $500, ,000, 900
worth Of silver and partly to the distrac-
ton Of the political debate that IL an
nounced to take place In the House as
soon as the Democrats can get a quorum
In town that will enable them to report
Representative fuckers bill wiping the
Federal Election laws from the statute
books.
The Democratic managers hoped to get
that quorum Saturday. but were sadly
disappointed. There will be no session OF
the House to-day for business purposes,
but on Tuesday 1t is quite probable that
tho desires majority will be on hand.
Whenever It comes, the Tucker bill will
be rsporred and day set for its considera-
tion, and then will begin one of those great
political debates such as used 10 occur in
the good old Force bill days when Samuel
j. Randall and James. q. Blaine and
Lucius b. g. Lamar and other great men
of the Democratic and Republican parties
paced up and down the aisles of the House
hurting defiance in each others teeth.
1t has long been charged against the
Democratic party that whenever they get
in control Of the executive departments of
the administration or Of one branch or other
of Congress, they do not know how to use
their power, and in measure this charge
n true
lhe party knows pretty well what it
wants to do on all public questions except
that of the finances, but there is now as
always faction of the party that seems
determined to insist on a do nothing pol
icy. No sooner had the determination
been reached to repeal the Election law,
as the Democrats have long promised to do,
than few Democrats joined the Republi-
cans in an attempt to embarrass the ma
~ <>f tbosr .r<r I< L.
thirty years since the Democratic party
has been In control of both Houses
Of Congress, and In the opinion of the
leaders the time has come to keep the prom
ises they have been making to wipe out of
existence the numerous laws that have
been enacted during the past years.
The plan to force the question of the re-
peal of the election laws upon the House
was sprung SO suddenly that 1t was diff
cult, II not impossible, at first to find out
just who are the leaders Of the movement
and who are the critics. The smoke has
now sufficiently cleared away, however, to
plainly reveal u few things that were OBJ
scured by the general confusion of a few
days ago and it Is possible to accurately
diagnose the situation. The credit for the
original introduction of this issue seems
clearly to belong to Representative Fitch,
OF New York, whose efforts to proceed at
once with the business of repeating the laws
would, however, have been nullified by the
overzealous friends OF the administration
and the too enthusiastic advocates of silver
repeal had IL not been for the timely as
sistance of Speaker Crisp and the Southern
contingent in the House. Had Representa-
tive Fitch not been called away from
Washington the fight that opened up in
the House would have been commenced ON
Wednesday, the 9th inst, and Mr.. Fitch
would have been known as the sponsor of
the bill now under fire in the House, in
stead of Representative Tucker of Virginia
Mr.. Fitch was chairman in the last Con-
gress Of the special committee that investi-
gated Mr.. Davenport in the city of New
York, and he made an able report upon
the methods Of that official. Mr.. Fitch
was, therefore, the natural leader in such
a fight and would have appeared as such
had he been able to remain in Washington.
He laid the wires before he lett, however,
and after his departure it was soon learned
that President Cleve and, Secretary Car
Isle and other administrative officials, to-
gether with some men in both Houses
who are earnest advocates of silver repeal,
were frowning upon the plan of precipi-
tating partisan debate over the question
Of repeating the election laws for fear the
issue might complicate the plans of the
administration for getting an early vote
in the Senate on the Wilson bill Then it
was that the Speaker got into the fight
and successfully urged upon the President,
Secretary Carlisle and their immediate
friends in both Houses of Congress the
Importance of withdrawing their opposition
- Ia o ~ H. III A
would have been carried out on Thursday
except for the fact that the Democrats
found themselves In the condition OF help.
lessness that they often find themselves in
at political crisis because OF the absence
of THAR own man