Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-08-12
UNABLE TO AGREE.
The Democratic Caucus on the
Silver Question.
WHAT 1T Is CONSTRUED TO MEAN.
There Will he No Party Lines and
Speedy Discussion and settlement
Probable - Probable Effects
OF the Silver Caucus.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10.-The develop
ments of yesterday have been such as
to give promise of an early discussion
in the two houses of congress. The
democratic senator's, after caucus,
lasting several hours, found themselves
absolutely unable to agree upon any
line of action and finally adjourned
until later in the day, the intention OF
the senate being to adjourn until Mon
day in order to give fullest opportunity
for the fullest informal discussion
among the senators of both parties be-
fore entering upon legislation.
In the failure of the democratic sem
ators to agree upon any party policy,
the advocates of the repeal of the Sher-
man law find great encouragement.
They say that the financial question
has risen above the field OF
party politics and that the crisis OF the
hour is not one that will down at the
bidding of King Caucus, but must be
met and solved by men whose states
manship rises above party considera-
tions and partisan advantages.
Leisurely, as it always is, the senate
with membership of only one-fourth
that of the house of representatives
will probably be behind the popular
branch of the government in meeting
the issue, and will doubtless not reach
a full and free discussion of the silver
question until repeating bill comes
over from the house for consideration.
The free coinage men of the house had
caucus and adopted a resolution
which will be u revelation to the ultra
free coinage men of the west, but will
prove tower of strength to those who
are fortifying themselves against an
unconditional repeal of the Sherman
purchasing act.
The resolution adopted at the caucus
is regarded as mastery stroke on the
part of the silver men, as it practically
abandons the ratio of is to / and agrees
to accept such n compromise ratio as
will maintain the parity between gold
and silver. This is interpreted to mean
that the free coinage men will be will
ing to accept ratio of Is or 20 to If n
free coinage bill is passed as substi-
tute for the Sherman bill, and implies
that most vigorous efforts will be made
to induce the radical silver men of the
far west to yield to the Judgment of
the more conservative free coinage men
of the country.
The monometallists realize that the
action of the free coinage caucus will
be likely to strengthen that element
in the two houses and render uncondi-
tional repeal of the Sherman act more
difficult.
1t amounts to an olive branch, and it
comes at time when no one expected
that such an offer of compromise would
be made by the free coinage members.
Thus while the action Of the democratic
members in failing to agree upon a
line of party policy has encour-
aged the advocates of repeal, the
unexpected action of the free coinage
members of the house in practically
abandoning the ratio of 10 to 1, and of
fering to compromise on new ratio on
present values, has proven correspond
ingly discouraging, US it will deprive
the repeating men of what was ex-
pected to be one of their strongest argu-
ments in congress-that free coinage
meant the enriching of the mine owners
ut the expense of the masses by fixing
fictitious value on u deprecated
metal