The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-17
AN EXTRA SESSION OF CONGRESS.

WASHINGTON CITY, Feb. l6-f5pecial.l-T the
majority Of people who have been watching
congressional Affairs In this city and who are
considered thoroughly well up In congressional
Iegfsiatiou and everything else In connection
vita the running of the go.efnment there In no
longer any doubt whatever that President Cieve-
land will b Obliged to call IN extra session Of
congress. The superstition seems to be that
when he 10 In ONCE he will discover. II he has
not already discovered, that certain matters are
In such shape that an extra session cannot Be
avoided. and, further than this, that he will be
obliged to call II at an early date. One thing
that 10 likely to make him favor an extra session
10 the fact that he believes It 10 necessary to
repeal the Sherman silver purchase act at an
early date. That he threatened to DO this, IL
this congress did not repeal it, 10 known to be .
fact The Republican member OF congress, of
course, in the senate at any rate. were not dis
posed 70 assist Mr.. Cleveland out OF this dim
Guilty. and the result was that the upper branch
Of congress first sat down emphatically upon
the scheme providing for the repeal Of this por-
ton Of the sherman law. It many respects it
was the aim and purpose OF the Republican
members of the senate to force this thing upon
Cleveland; and. II he found it necessary. to
allow him to call congress together In extra ses-
sion. From the fact that the Democratic sena.
tors did not support the motion to take up the
bill for the repeal Of the Sherman law, il was
evident 10 all that they were not disposed TO %
bulldo3ed by Mr.. Cleveland. To make this en-
phatic they voted directly against his wishes.
That the responsibility of repeating the Sher-
man law now rests with Cleveland 10 believed
to Be . fact, not only by Republican. but by
Democratic members Of congress.
That President Cleveland will have no easy
task 10 probably known to be q fact throughout
the country. ~ 1t is very we'll established in the
capital city. The silver men will use every
effort to prevent the silver purchase act being
repealed. unless they can get something more
favorable to the free coinage Of silver than IL
now provided tor in the sherman law. 1t 10
apparent to nearly everybody that unless a com
promise OF some kind 10 made with them. 1t
will be several years before any better law than
the present one can be passed. They will hold
the balance OF power in the next congress be-
yond any doubt, and the fact that they cannot
be moved from their present position proves
strongly that MI. Cleveland il sure to fail in his
efforts to get the law repealed. There 10 just q
bare possibility that Mr.. Cleveland may be able
to force certain silver men who are members of
his party into line in favor of this repeal in the
next congress. In the event that he could do
this, he would, OF course, be able to do what he
claims he 10 90 anxious to accomplish. The sit
uation at this time 10 very interesting. in view
of the uncertainty In every direction, and ii an
extra session 10 called, the battle over the at
tempt to repeal this financial law will probably
be fast and furious.