The Progress., 1893-08-19
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Notes Of Interest Gathered from About
the National CAPITAL.
wAsmxGrox. D. C., August. IA. 1898
Special Correspondence 20 The Progress;

every Ten men YOU meet, since the
House began the fourteen day discussion
Of the silver question. a the close OF
which votes are to bc taken which Will /
leave no shadow of doubt ~ to whore
every member Of the House
stands on this important ques-
tion. If the vota were taken .
to-day upon the bill for the repeal of the
purchasing clause OF the sherman sill
ver law it would pass the House. almost /
to certainty: but under the agreement |
which has been made the vote upon /
that bill unamcnded will b. the last to
be taken. and if any one Of the other
propositions, including free coinage oi
silver at ratios all the way from 10 lthe |
present. to % to l, and the Bland act
of 1873. which will be offered ~ amend
mcnts. b. passed. the unamcnded Dill
will never be- voted upon. The princl-
pal element of doubt i- that oi the
changed ratio. 1t is practically certain
now that the amendment for Tree com
are ~ the present ratio viii DC defeated
| by small majority, butt is dlflcultto
predict whether as the amendments in
crea,ing the ratio at which silver may
/ be coined are oiTercred the total vote
will increase or decrease. The p0pu-
lists have given motto. that they VIII
vote against all of the amendments Tor
increasing the ratio, but inasmuch a'
that will be practically voting for the
unconditional repeal OF the purchasing
clause OF the Sherman law, they may
change their minds when the time
comes to vote. If the votes Tor IN
! creased ratio or for the old Bland law
are not larger than those for free com
ace at the present ratio. the bill FOR the
repeal Of the purchasing clause OF the
Sherman law will, in the opinion OF
your correspondent, pass the House
without amendments: but the chances
now appear to be about even notwitE-
J standing claims made by the uncondi-
/ tional repeal men, for the adoption OF
some of the proposed amendments.
| The elements OF doubt are fewer in
, the Senate, although it has apparently
not advanced so far as the House IN
dealing with the silver question. In
. fact the finance committee has not yet
l considered single one Of the many
financial bills which have been referred
TO il. and inasmuch as the Senate has
its committees and rules the matter
s cannot oct before that body without
= being reported from the committee
( The delay in the Senate IS caused by
o the efforts of the democrats to agree
upon something definite before starting
some sort of a compromise that can b'
endorsed by the caucus of that part!
} The republican Senators have decided
i that when the question shall be takei
+ ND each of them shall be free to follow
n his own inclination. There is not
: Senator. whatever his own preference
s NAV be. who will not concede the i'm
possibility of passing bill for the I'm
.a conditional repeal of the purchasin
:. clause of the sherman law, withou
, amendment. That being the case, tn
objective point OF the anti-silver men
u a measure that will be supported by
l. majority and not be liable to Pres
Or Dental veto. They claim to be mas
q, ing progress towards such a measure
e, Meanwhile the silver senators say the
n have the game in their own hands an
r do not propose to accept any compr
,o mise that is not as favorable to silv'
4 as the present law.
The division ia the House Is not upC
political lines, but solely upon silve
% The speeches so far made have been /
cliued to be somewhat radical on bot
vs. sides. Mr. Bland threatened that u
IS, silver men would withdraw from q
d. Democratic party If Congress did n
live up to the Chicago platform, al
~ Mr.. Raynor, of Maryland retorted
saving that he would not be blind
" nor intimidated b. the glittering wor
nN of convention declaration. T.
III speech that has attracted the most
nd tention from members of the House W
IN, made by Representative Pence, M
ill populist member from Colorado. +
ub language was well chosen and his Sc
his timents conservative, but he scor
some strong points. He quoted from
silver speech made in the House in Is
by Secretary Carlisle and contrasted
Oh position then and now of that gent
man. "That Speech" he conclude
IN. Twas made by Mr.. Carlisle when he "
To- leader, not follower; when he wa
sender of messages, not bearer
4 them" s.,
The members Of the House are I