St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-08-04
A TEN DAYS SESSION.
MIR. SPRINGER THINKS THE SHERMAN
ACT CAN BE
REPEALED IN THAT TIME.

Democratic Party Must Redeem
Its Pledges and Reform the
Entire Tariff System-Cleve-
land Must Adhere to the Chi
cage Platform or the Party
Will Desert Him, Says Oates.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3.-Representa-
tive Springer, of Illinois, chairman of
the ways and means committee in the
last congress, was at the capitol today.
In brief, his opinion is that congress
will not be in session for more than
week Or ten days in August. In that
time, the hopeful Mr.. Springer thought.
the silver purchase clause of the Sher-
man act could be repealed, and the
ways and means committee could be
empowered to draft a tariff bill for sub
mission to congress when it recon-
vened, which should be some time in
October. AS to the tariff, it would be
impossible for the ways and means
committee to do justice to the subject
while the house was in constant session,
there were too many disturbing ele-
ments, and the surroundings were not
favorable for wise and safe legisla-
ton. But if the committee were
empowered to prepare bill,
and were allowed to go TO
some ;quiet place on the seaShore or
elsewhere, and pursue it's labors I'M
molested, the result woald be salts
factory bill. Touching the course of the
ways and means committee in dealing
with the tariff Mr.. Springer said it
would doubtless report one general
tariff bill instead OF series. of specific
bills. That policy had done good
service
Last Congress,
out the time was now at hand when the
Democratic party must redeem its
pledges and reform the entire tariff SyS-
ten. To do this would not involve any
radical change in the rules of the house,
for Springer believes that the majority
can always reach expression of its will
through the committee on rules, which
can bring in special rule to tit each
case as it arises.
Mr.. Springer had not seen Mr.. Crisp,
SO he did not say anything respecting
the composition of the committee or his
own place upon it.
"lf the president parts company with
the Chicago platform, believe his party
will part company with him." were the
significant words uttered by Represent
alive Oates this afternoon as he dis
cuSSed the situation. The Chicago
platform upon which he Was nominated,
and which the people Endorsed in such
laundering tones last November, calls
for the repeal of the Sherman law and
the maintenance of gold and silver as
money upon parity. Any scheme
which contemplateS the abandonment
Of the use of silver is antagoniSUic to
that declaration of principles, and will
not be supported by the congress that is
TO convene next week. There can, in
my opinion. be no unconditional repeal
of the Sherman law. If the president
has set out to repeal the Sherman act
without offering anything in its place,
he has set up a platform not in accord
with that upon which he went before
the people"
Mr.. Oates looks for the repeal Of the
Sherman law, with condition that will
provide for the free coidage of silver at
an increased ratio.
Senator George came in today from
Georgia, and takes rather
Cheerful View
of the situation III the South. He be-
lieves there will be money for his
people to move their crops, and that
tHrJfG hn Of
times will result. During the recess he
has given some attention to the matter
of investigating into the causes for the
existing depression in agricultural pur-
suits among the people of the South.
But few responses have been received
TO the letter sent out by the committee
of which he is chairman, and the report
of that committee will not be made
to the senate, until late in
the year. So far as the silver question
is concerned. the senator plants himself
on the platform he has upheld in all his
speeches in the senate, aud says he is a
friend of silver, and has not changed
his views one whit. Senator Squire. of
Washington, is one of the few Western
senators who take the ground that the
president should be allowed to deal with
the silver question in his own diScre-
ton. He believes that it would be good
policy for congress to pass Joint reso-
luton permitting the president to sus-
pend the operation of the silver pur-
chase section of the Sherman law IN his
discretion. He also thinks we'll of the
inter-convertible bond scheme suggest
ed by Representative Tom johnson, of
Ohio, and feels that it would add much
elasticity to the currency.
Mr.. Bland, the champion of free coin
age. arrived today and was seen in con-
sultatiOn with three members of his
faith who are in the city. He said the
friends of silver had agreed upon no
plan of campaign other than that they
were opposed to the repeal of the Sher-
man law, unless they were first given
free coinage of silver. Mr.. Bland, in
speaking of the ratio. said he saw no
reason to change that now in force. SO
far as the possibility of repeal was con-
cerned, Mr.. Bland was emphatic in his
declaration that the unconditional re-
peal of the purchasing act could not be
accomplished in either house.
Blount's Report.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3. - Minister
Blount's long-expected report of Ha-
waiian affairs is in possession of the
secretary of state. 1t arrived in the
official dispatch from San Francisco in
company with communication from