Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-08-10
FIRST IN POSITION.
House Silver Advocates Know
What They Want.
RESOLUTIONS PASSED AT.A CAUCUS

Free Coinage the Central Demand,
but the Ratio Not Stated-Demo-
cratic Senators Put in a Whole Day and
Decide Nothing-A Month Six Weeks
of Talk Looked for-Proceedings at the
Two Conferences.
WASHINGTON, Aug. l0.-The caucus of
the members OF the houseSof representa-
tives who favor the free coinage of silver
which was called by Bland was held in
the hall Of the house, lasting from y
nooa till 24a p IN. At the close it was
officially announced that the following
resolutions offered by Boatner Of Louis
lana had been adopted by a unanimous
vote:
Resolved, That we will support bill
repeating the purchasing clause Of the
Sherman act, and concurrently providing
for the free and untrammeled coinage Of
silver with full legal tender quality on
such ratio as will provide and maintain
the parity between gold and silver.
BE it further resolved, That a COM
mittee Of seven be appointed by the chair
man of this conference TO draft and IL
troduce such a bill and take proper steps
to secure the full and free discussion and
consideration thereof and vote of the
house upon the bill and all proper amend
ments.'
About 100 Members Present.
The committee provided for in the fore
going resolution was composed as follows;
Bland, Sibley, Boatner, Lane, Bankhead.
Bryan and Bailey. BY vote Of the caucus
Judge Culberson was added 20 the commit
tee. When the caucus met it was esti-
mated that there were about forty mem
bers Of the house in the hall, but during
the Two and three-quarters hours the eau
Gus was in session about 90 members were
added Estimates OF the number in at
tendance ranged from sixty to l25-the
clerk OF the caucus fixing the number at
nInety-three and Bland saying he counted
over 100. Judge Culberson. Of Texas, was
elected chairman Of the caucus and -ibley
of Pennsylvania, the only Democrat pres
ent from the eastern states. secretary
The only Republican present was Bowers
of California. The Populists were repre-
sented By Jerry Simpson and KEN Of Neb-
raska.
Bourke Cockran's Proposition.
In the course Of the session Bland pre-
scented the terms of the proposition made
to him by Bourke Cochran on behalf of the
anti-silverites for an immediate discussion
OF the whole silver question. This propo-
sition, it is understood included a limita-
ton of the time within which a vote should
be taken, the number Of amendments to be
II cred to the measure introduced for dis
cussion, AID the manner of d!sposing of
them, etc. II could be made effective only,
of course, by the consent Of the silver men
and that they might have an opportunity
to consider it was one Of the principal rea-
sons for holding the caucus Every one
who talked about the proceedings avoided
any mention Of the views of the members
upon this subject. The proposition of the
anti silver men was not acceptable to the
advocates Of free coinage, and for the pres
ent at least there will be no general con-
sent arrangements for deciding the dis
cussion of the bill to repeal the Sherman
law
Not Test of the Silver Strength.
The attendance upon the caucus can
hardly be regarded as test of the silver
forces in the house, for the reason given by
Enloe OF Tennessee. That reason was
that the Democratic party was charge by
the people with the duty of legislating so
as to remedy the present depression in all
branches Of business. A Democratic eau
Gus, and not a mixed conference, should
have been called to talk over the situation
Bland stated after the caucus that it had
been in every respect satisfactory to the
friends OF free silver coinage The steer
lug committee" which had been named. be
said, would probably meet the committee
of anti-silver men today and discuss the
details of the discussion to be had upon the
bill outlined in the resolution adopted
Canvassing Committee Appointed.
Besides the action reported motion by
Bland was adopted authorizing the ap-
pointment of a committee of whips" one
from each state whose duty it shall be 20
canvass the house, discover each members
standing upon the proposed bill, and see
that every friend OF the measure is in his
seat and ready to vote when the time
zones. This committee has not yet beer,
named
Six Weeks of Delay Probable
I'VE will require ample time" remarked
Bland. Ito carry out the terms of
the resolution, and | do not see
how 1t will be possible to come to a vote
under month or probably six weeks. l
cannot tell when the committee will have
Its bill ready to present to the house. The
question of the ratio TO be inserted in the
bill was not discussee, but it is apparent
that some of the free silver men are dis
satisfied that the present ratio OF l6 to /
should be changed. We shall probabIv
vote upon the present ratio OF II TO 1. and
II 1t is defeated, then II to /, and so on up
to % to ], IL necessary"
SENATORS DECIDE ON NOTHING