The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-21
The Indiana Senator Cuts Loose from
Old Friends.
HIS REPEAL BILL DID NOT MEET
THEIR APPRECIATION.

Concerning the situation In the Dem0-
cratic Ranks-.saturday in the House.
New York, August Is "A Washington
despatch to the Tribune says: M1. Cor
mans scheiaa i sharmonizing' the
Democratic party IN the Senate before
attempting any legislation for the relief
of the financial situation received its
death blow when Mr.. Voorhees,, under
some mysterious stimulus, broke away
from the other party managers and, aid
ed by four Republicans and the single
consistent 'sound money! Democrat on
the finance committee, Mr.. Mcpherson,
voted favorable report on his now cele-
brated 'santi-test vote'' repeal bill, war
ranred to commit its supporters by It's
authors convenient standards OF Judg-
ment to no financial theory whatever.
Mr.. Voorhees's bill is one for uncondi-
tional repeal with conditions after
ward.n 1t firmly establishes the single
gold standard in the first section, and
then amiably throws to the bi-metaiists
the comfortable assurance that they may
hope some day for the return of the dou-
BILE standard by international agreement
or otherwise, according to the theory
and promises of the Democratic national
platform of 1892, and other party utter
ances now more or less obsolescent.
This pleasing sugar-coating to the pill
of gold monometalism has proved. to
Mr.. Voorhees, infinite surprise, unpala-
table to the majority of the Senators on
the Democratic side, who have been una
BILE to reach the patriotic conclusion that
trifle like throwing silver overheard
for good and all cannot possibly involve
test of ones views in the controversy
now raging But. though condemned by
four of the six Democrats on the finance
committee, and by perhaps three-fifths
of the party in the Senate, Mr.. Voorhees,
apparently infatuated with his slccess
as an inventor of legislative paradoxes,
or goaded perhaps by the opposition OF
his own associates to his bank circula-
ton bill, decided boldly to cut loose
for himself as a leader and risk the
chances of success or failure with his
santi-test vote" measure at the head of
an alliance between the so-called admin
istration Democrats and the bulk OF the
Republican Senators.
Mr. Voorhees, step was credit
ably bold and yenturesome one, in that
it frankly defed the weight of Demo
cratic opposition in the Senate, and flew
in the face of the judgment. of the re-
cognized party managers. Mr.. German,
the real power in Democratic legislation,
whose Strong hand has hitherto sup
pressed any disposition to settle the
silver question outside of party lines,
strongly opposed Mr.. Voorhees's pro-
jected reputation Of party ties and
party interests by an open and unau-
thorized alliance with the opposition.
The Democratic caucus committee,
which Mr.. German controls, refused ab-
solutely to sanction the programme OF
Independent action determined on by the
Indiana Senator Tt is even said that
through Mr.. Gorman's influence Secre-
tary Carlisle, who naturally has party
unity at heart as strongly as Mr.. Cor
man, was induced to come to the
Capitol to urge Mr.. Voorhees, not
to take at this time an initiative which
would split the party into irreconcilable
factions and put the Democratic friends
of repeal in the false attitude OF first
offenders against party regularity and
majority sentiment.
That Mr.. Voorhees, should have had
the political courage to plunge his party
in the Senate into bitter internal war
fare against the advice and entreaty OF
his fellow-Senators is the really signifi-
cant feature of the action by the
finance committee. By forcing the issue
now, without waiting for the result of
the approaching vote in the House on
the Wilson bill, Mr.. VOORHEES, has
challenged the judgment and aroused,
perhaps needlessly, the opposition OF the
great majority OF his colleagues Of the
greatest experience and highest stand
ing on the Democratic side, in whose
minds the sense of disappointment at
Mr. Voorhees, s recent change of attitude
on the silver question has been intensi-
fed by his present assertion of leader
ship outside party lines and in defiance
of party sentiment.
The text of the repeal bill is as fol-
lows:
"a bill discontinuing the purchase of
silver bullion.
act approved July IA, 1880, e ntitled' An
act directing the purchase of silver bull
lion and issue of treasury notes thereon
and for other purposes, as directs the
Secretary of the Treasury to purchase
from time to time silver bullion to the
aggregate amount of 4, 500, 600 ounces, or
SO much thereof as may be offered IN each
month at the market price thereof, not
exceeding 81 for 81 25-100 grains OF pure
silver, and to issue in payment for such
purchases treasury notes of the United
States, be and the same is hereby re-
pealed.
And it is hereby declared to be the
policy of the United States to continue
the use of both gold and silver as stand
ard money and to coin both gold and sill
yer into money, Of equal intrinsic value
"And it is further declared that the
efforts of the government should be
steadily directed TO the establishment of
such safe system of bimetalism as will
maintain at all times the equal power of
ever dollar coined or issued by the United
States in the markets and in the pay
ment of debts ip exchangeable value,
such equality to be secured through IN
ternational agreement, or by such safe
guards of legislation as will insure the
maintenance of the parity in value OF
the coins of the two metals, ana tne
equal power of every dollar at all times
in the markets and in the payments OF
debts"
The Debate in the House.
Washington, August ~. Mr.. Mcoreary.
Dem, Of Kentucky, opened the silver
debate in the House today, speaking IN
favor of the repeal Of the silver purchase