Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-19
THE SHERMAN LAW.
The Recent Canvasses of Senate and
House on Its Repeal.
A VERY UNCERTAIN INDICATION
Of the Actual Way Votes viii Be
Cast.
PROBABLE COMPLICATIONS

The canvasses Of the House and Senate to de-
termine the chances for the repeal Of the Sher-
man silver law give but very uncertain indi-
cation of the situation. While q great deal Is
now being done to develop that state Of mind
among Congressman which willlead to the re-
peal Of the law, most of the work of organize
ton and the securing Of votes for the repeal
will have to be done after Congress meets. In
view Of the strong position which Mr.. Cleve-
land and his cabinet take against the further
purchase of silver by the government. . very
large number of Senators and Representatives
are loath to commit themselves against the
repeal for fear Of prejudicing their prospects
for patronage at the hands OF the administra-
ton. And. again, some who viii be elected to
sickle over the terms Of the repeal are in
ciined now to indicate by equivocai expressions
that they may BE- brought TO vote against silver.
The prospects, however. are that men who
have heretofore voted with the most radical
silver men, and who have thus far said nothing
! to commit themselves, will be foremost in their
efforts to bring about the repeal of the Sher-
man law and to devise other legislation to cor
rect the evils Of the present financial situation
| There quite a number CT Representatives
| in the House and a few Senators who. while op-
posed to gold as . single standard and preju-
| diced against anything that looks like Wall
| street influence. look at the situation as
they find it before them and are ready to do all
in their power to bring about a change.
FREE COINAGE MEN.
Some who are earnest in the conviction that
| the free coinage Of silver will be benefit to
the country will, il is believed, be perfectly
willing under existing circumstances to vote
| for and work for the repeal of the Sherman
law. believing that that law is a hindrance TO
ultimate free coinage.
The Senate has already been organized on
! what appears to be a silver basis, vet there is
sufficient doubt and probability Of change there
| to make it uncertain how a vote on the simple
| proposition of repeal OF the Sherman law would
| stand. 1t is probable that the silver question
| will not enter into the organization of the
House. II it does not, the prospect of getting
| rid of the Sherman law will be better than
| otherwise, since any struggle over that ques-
| ton in the Organization would put number OF
men in awkward positions and excite bitter
ness which would interfere with harmonious
action afterward.
on WHOM THE ADMINISTRATION MUST RELY.
1t is the opinion Of the best informed men in
the House that the men who are friendly ts
silver are the ones on whom the administration
must rely for reasonable action, it is known
, that any number of them are ready TO MAKE
considerable sacrifice of their theories in ordel
to improve a bad situation, and still others vhS
are earnestly in favor OF free coinage of silvel
believe that the Sherman law should be repealet
independently of any other proposition, leaving
the question of free coinage TO be fought on
afterward. There is little doubt left among
those men who have been carefully considerin,
the question that the great struggle of this Con
gress when il once begins will be over the silye'
question. They think, however. that il is
mistake to argue from this that the tariff re
vision is going to be abandoned or even neg
I'd Thss- sla, Sc -h.@s x-saiA 49,
tariff will be easily accomplished; that Their,
will be practically no fight over that, though
very considerable cut be made. and that whilt
the financial questions are Rgitating both houses
and causing the most excitement the tarif re
vision will COON quietly and be easily ant
speedily disposed Of.
THE BANK TAX REPEAL
There is a very serious question about tn
practicability Of including the repeal Of the II
per cent bank tax in bill for the repeating O
the Sherman law. A great msny Represents
| tives and Senator's are in favor Of combina
ton of the two bills as a compromise, but q diff
iculty arises from the fact that many VIII
wouid vote for a repeal of the Sherman Ia,
would not vote for the repeal OF the bank tax
and many who would be willing to vote for tn
latter on the other hand would not vote for tn
former, that the combination would be liza
BILE TO weaken both propositions. Ii is thought
therefore, that each proposition will be pre-
scented separately and that they will both b
carried through the House certainly and probs
bly, through the Senate after a hard fight
The question Of an income tax is one that vii
probably come up late in the session. as tn
necessity for it will depend largely upon III
figures produced by the ways aud means com
mittee after they have perfected their bill 70
the revision Of the tariff. II by their calculs
ton it is shown that there is a reasonable pros
pect of large increase of customs revenues b
reason of increased imrortations after a heav
cut Of duties the necessity for an income Ia
will not be as pressing. but the need Of raisin
revenue will probably not stand in the way G
very heavy cuts to the tariff. and IL deficienc
in the revenue is caused thereby then effor
will be made to make it good by an income Ia,