River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-07-06
Ar Extra Session of Congress.

The president has called an extra
session of the fifty-third congress to
convene on August Z. In his proclaim
alton he says that the administration
flnds itself embarrassed with unwise
financial laws which must be enforced
unless repealed. Cleveland has at all
times opposed the coinage of silver
and will undoubtedly send message
to congress recommending the uncon-
ditional repeal of the "Sherman Law"
AS the JOURNAL has stated before,
such action will strike silver from our
coinage for the future and place the
United States in line with the leading
countries of Europe on purely gold
basis. With the democratic party in
power, pledged to a policy of depen-
dence on Europe industrially, this
course would in our opinion be consis-
tent and, we think, necessary. But
will the democrats in congress follow
the advice of Mr.. Cleveland! In 1920
when the sherman Bill was under dis.
cussion in the House of Representa-
tives the democrats in that body, with
the exception of IL, voted for free
coinage of silver. We find upon ex.
animation that even our Wisconsin
| democrats at that late date voted for
free coinage. This vote may not, how
ever, record democratic convictions on
the subject at that time. Many of
them no doubt voted as they did for
the patriotic reason that they wanted
To put Harrison and the republicans
in hole" But the great majority of
the democrats in congress has at all
times, of late years, favored the free
coinage of silver, and as to them it is
not necessary to ascribe the demagogic
motives of our Wisconsin democracy.
1t is to be hoped that no republican
will so far forget his duty to his con-
stituents and the obligations of his
| oath as to permit his desire TO retail.
ate and to "put Cleveland in a hole
to control his vote on this most impor-
tant question.
The democrats will have control of
both houses, and unless sentiment has
| changed with their assumption of re.
spOnsibility there is every reason to
expect that the views of Mr.. Cleve-
land will meet the most pronounced
opposition. Ii is conceded that Mr..
Crisp of Georgia will be reelected
speaker of the house. This is most
important election, for in the speaker
is lodged the autocratic power to con-
stitute the committees, and it is the
committees which in the house formu-
late legislation. With the rules of the
last congress re-adopted, it is even
possible to preclude the opportunity of
amendment to the proposition coming
from the committee. Mr.. Crisp has
been a consistent, earnest and honest
advocate of free coinage. lie also be-
lieyes with the majority of his party
in that part of the democratic nation.
| al platform of last year which declares
| in favor of the repeal of the tax on
state banks and a resumption OF the
"wild cat banking" methods of ante
bellum days. Crisp's views are well
known to Cleveland, and it was an.
nounced during last winter that the
influence of the administration would
be thrown against the reelection of
the Georgian. Upon reflection it was
found that the latter, whatever might
| be the desire of the administration,
had a firmer hold upon his fellow
members than it, and the contest was
abandoned. While the power of the
president through patronage and
otherwise is immense, the power of
speaker must not be ignored. Mem
bers Come more directly in contact
| with him aud in contest between the
two his influence with his adherents
in the house would be likely to pre-
dominate. The coming speaker is
better democrat than the president in
that be stands upon compliance with
the financial planks of his party's plat.
form on the questions of coinage and
state banks. 1t must not be forgotten
that portion of that platform reads
as follows:
1--WE hold TO the use of both gold
and silver as the standard money of
the country and to the coinage of both
| gold and silver without discriminating
against either metal or charge for
mintage, etc." "We recommend that
the prohibitory ten per cent. tax on
state bank issues be repealed
Cleveland has followed the declara-
ton of the brakeman, who said that
the platform was to get in on, and not
to stand on. viii his party follow
his advise and abandon the pledges
upon which they were entrusted with
power!