Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-07-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent.
WAsHIR6TOS, ID, c.. July 10, lsq

proclamation convening Congress
in extra session on August, that
your correspondent has endeavored
to answer it by obtaining the views
of the Republican congressman
who have been in Washington dur
ing the past week. Not many Of
them have been here, butthe unanim-
ity ofopiniou among those seen makes
it fair to assume that they voiced
the sentiments Of at least three.
fuurths of the Republicans in the
Senate aud House, and their opin-
ions may be summed up about thus.
ly: The Democrats having a ma
jority in both House and Senate,
there exists no reason for the
PRONUNCIATION of Republican pro-
gram. That is the business Of the
m ajority. When that program is
p resented the Republicans with few
exceptions may be counted upon TO
lay aside all desire to obtain mere
partisan advantage and to stand up
for so much Of it as may be for the
benefit of the country. In short, if
Mr.. Cleveland's program be a
patriotic one it will be supported by
the Republicans, who have in every
public crisis since the party was
represented in Congress proven
themselves to be patriots first and
partisans afterwards. Nobody need
worry about the position of the Re.
publicans in Congress; they will be
found voting for the right every
time.
Every body, including members
Of the cabinet and other leading
Democrats, are in the dark about
what Mr.. Cleveiand's program will
be. 1t is known, Of course, that he
wishes the sherman silver law re.
pealed, but nobody seems to know
whether be has any idea of a
substitute for that measure that will
provide in some way for the silver
already owned by the government,
both coin and bullion, as we'll as for
the future of silver as money
metal. 1t is not necessary for
man to be a skilled fuancier in
order for him to see the necessity
for some substitute. The Sherman
law repealed all other silver laws
and to Internationally repeal it
would be to wipe out all recognition
Of silver money, to Put the country
upon a single gold standard and to
turn the silver money now owned
10y the government into just so
many ounces of silver bullion; and
few even among the most extreme
advocates Of gold standard believe
that such radical change could be
SO suddenly made without wholesale
disaster, and it is not believed here
that II will be possible to accom-
phsh the unconditional repeal of
the Sherman law, while the belief
is general that it can easily be re-
pealed II reasonable and sensible
substitute therefor is presented. Mr.,
Cleveland has a grand opportunity
TO prove himself a patriotic Pres-
dent and his message to Congress,
which will be generally accepted as
the official program of his party,
viii show TO what extent he takes
advantage of it.
While there are a few men here
who profess to believe that the extra
session will be short one the great
majority believe that it will run
into the regular session and that
the regular session will be one of
the longest ever held. An offer was
made without a taker, by a Demo
cratic Congressman, to wager from
500 TO $500 that Congress would
be in session August 7, 1894.
!, is already certain that it is 60
ing to be fighting session, but the
fighting is going to be among the
Democrats. The first night will be
on the proposed cloture rule, which
viii be antagonized by what are
known as the silver Democrats, and
the Republicans may conclude to
take n hand in II Then tbnrp will