Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-02-10
The House Disposes Of Silver Legisla-
ton for This Congress.
WEST VIRGINIA DIVIDES EVEN.
The Previous Question Ordered by
a Big Majority-The Senate De-
votes the Day to the Discussion
Of Car Couplers and Appliances
for the Safety of Railroad Men.
A Tiff in the Secret Session.

alton of the bill repeating the Sherman
act.
Had rot the previous question been
ordered, a cloture amendment would
have been sprung upon the House and
the struggle would have been continued.
But when II was ordered the advocates
of the repeal bill gracefully passed un-
der the yoke and allowed the resolution
TO be recommitted without making any
strong objection. This action, in the
opinion of members, sounds the death
knell of any silver legislation In the
present Congress.
Mr.. Catchings called up the resolu-
tion of the Committee cn Rules setting
apart this legislative day and Gf neces-
sary) the next legislative day for the
consideration Of the bill repeating the
Sherman silver act.
Mr.. Bacon, chairman Of the Commit
tee on Banking and Currency, said the
main purpose of the bill was that the
purchase of silver bullion and the stor-
ing Of it in the vaults OF the treasury
as commodity in metallic form and
without coinage should stop.
The discussion of the bill could serve
no useful purpose unless the House
finally came to q vote. He would, II
the previous questions were voted down,
offer an amendment providing for clo-
ture at two o'clock on the second legts-
lative day given TO the bill. AS the
clerk read the proposed amendment it
was greeted with applause.)
A vote for the previous question was
a vote for the death of the bill. A vote
against the previous question would
meet with the approval Of the Commit
tee on Rules.
Glow do you know that?" shouted
Mr.. Pierce, one Of the most intense
silver men.
Mr.. Bacon replied that It was cor
rect. The Committee on Rules was
not seeking to prevent the previous
question voted down, and the rejection
OF the previous question would be no
affront to the members of that Com
mittee.
Mr.. Bland, the general OF the silver
forces, said that it would be a curious
thing for the country TO observe the
vote upon the cloture resolution in or
Democratic side Of the House, who,
when the free coinage bill was up,
planted themselves upon the high horse
of Democratic principles and announced
that the proposition was undemocratic,
would to-day come down from the high
horse and vote in the interest OF Wall
street to demonetize silver. The peo-
pie would watch to see how man could
in one instance raise himself above the
people in pure Democracy and vote in
favor of Wall street and yet deny the
principles OF Democracy as approved by
the people when it came TO bill of this
character.
The tariff question had been relegat-
ed to the rear; the Democratic party had
betrayed every promise made to the
American people on the tariff and sill
yer questions, and up TO this moment
the people had been deceived in the last
election. Laughter and applause. 1t
had promised first OF all q reduction OF
the tariff and had sent the silver Ques-
tion TO the rear. There was no hand In
the governments strong enough TO compel
the repeal Of this law-the sO-called sill
YER law-until some other measure was
instituted equally satisfactory or better
to take It's place (applause), and he gave
notice that the Democratic party might
be disrupted and all reforms might be
defeated, but no proposition solely in
favor of Wall street could pass a Demo
cratic House. (AppIause.)
The discussion was continued by
Messrs. Bantine, Watson Bryan, Walk
er, Cox, Springer and Reed.
Ma. Catchings closed the debate with
o statement that the committee on rules
would not be affronted by any action
which the House might take.
The roll call was taken on the order
ing of the previous question. The
speaker (amid applause) declared that
the previOns question had been ordered
by vote OF yeas 152. nays 143. Con-
gressmen Anderson and Capehart voted
aye and Pendleton and Wilson nay.
An analysis of the vote shows that the
motion was supported by 107 Demo
Gratis, 35 Republicans and 10 Populists,
or independent members. The opDosi-
ton, or cloture and silver repeal party,
consists OF I04 Democrats and 80 RepUb-
licans. The strong Democratic showing
made in favor of cioture on the repeal
of the silver bill was a surprise, and all
that prevented its adoption was the
division on other than silver lines OF the
Republicans, many of whom, including
Messrs. Burrows. DOlliver, Hopkins, OF
Illinois and Lind, believed that il was
good party policy to leave the silver
question for the incoming administra-
tion to deal with.
Mr.. Cox then moved 10 recommit the
resolution to the Committee on Rules,
and on a standing vote this was agreed
to-15O TO SO. The yeas and nays could
not be ordered, owing 70 q lack OF
strength by its opponents. The recon-
initial of the report is regarded as an
end of the silver question for this Con-
gress.
The House then went into commit
tee OF the whole for the further consid-
Grafton OF the legislative appropriation
bill. Amendments were adopted pro-
yiding that hereafter no public building
shall be drsped in mourning; that execu-
tive departments shall not be closed out
of respect to deceased officials. and pro-
hibiting the use OF public funds for
funeral expenses of government officials
or employees.
The committee then rose and reported
the bill to the House and soon after
adjourned.