The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1893-08-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, Aug. 11. 1se

WASHINGTON LETTER..
From Our Regular Correspondent
Washington, Aug. II, 1898.
Mr.. Cleveland may have had nothing
to do with the queer proposition which
was made by Representative Bourke
Cochran, to debate and vote upon the
several propositions made by silver and
anti-silver men, in the ouse. before any
rules are adopted or committees ap-
pointed, but his name is being freely
used by those who advocate this very
irregular method of congressional pro-
ceeding, to get the support of Others.
Speaker Crisp would very gladly see the
scheme adopted, as nothing would suit
him better than to see the troublesome
silver question voted upon by the house
before he announces the committee as
signments. Numerous conferences have
been held by the silver and anti-sllver
democrats this week. with view to
agreeing upon program for fighting
out the silver battle without rules or
committees. The republicans, to use d
bit of slang, are not in it, but it is need
less to say that they do not favor irregu-
lar proceedings.
In the senate no time was lost in be-
ginning the silver battle. The echoes of
the Presidents message had hardly died
away when the exchange of shots began.
Senator Hills compromise bill, to repeal
sections 1. 8 and 4 of the Sherman silver
law and declaring that such repeal should
not be considered an abandonment of
bimetalism, and further that the policy
of the government should be the MAIN
tenance of gold and silver as the stand
ard of money metal, was the first intro
duced. A score or more bills were intro
duced in the senate, covering almost
every imaginable financial idea from free
coinage to single gold standard Then
Senator Hale stirred up the whole demo-
cratic side by offering resolution tor
the meeting of the senate at 1 O'Clock
every day, and stating that he did so to
strengthen the Presidents hand by
accomplishing repeal quickly. Senator
German very ungenerously accused Mr..
Hale of having offered the resolution to
make party capital. Senator Voorhees,
after little more or less bitter partisan
talk said his committee (finance) did
not propose going at this question with
hop, skip and jump. Senator Sher-
man said that every provision of the So
called Sherman law, except that for the
purchase of silver bullion was wise and
conservative; and that provision he
would vote to repeal.
1t is significant that when Senator
Hale saidin the senate, while the Presi-
dent has made perfunctory allusion TO
the tariff, there is not Senator who
does not know that the democratic party
would no more dare attack the tariff in
the present condition OF the country than
a sane man would grasp Q wire charged
with electricity" that no democratic
senator had anything to say in reply.
Ex-Speaker Reed came about as near
voicing the sentiments of the republicans
in congress as anybody could come when
he said of President Cleveland's message,
that it was sound from republican
point OF view so far as it related to the
financial situation, but wrong in assum-
ing the silver law to be the underlying
cause Of the country's troubles. Mr..
Reed thinks the trouble caused by the
uncertainty which prevails as to finance
and tariff, and everything upon which
business calculations can be based, and
that-to remove one of the uncertainties
will do little or no good if the Others be
allowed to remain.
There is general disappointment be-
cause Mr.. Cleveland failed in his message
to recommend substitute for the Sher-
man silver law. 1t looks as though he
was afraid to put himself on record. It
is every day growing more evident that
something must be put in place of it, if
the silver law be repealed. Statements
are made which indicate that the reason
Mr.. Cleveland recommended no substi-
tute was that he wished the first move
for a compromise to come from the silver
men.
Senator Lodges resolution directing
the finance committee TO report at once
bill for the repeal of the silver law, and
providing for a vote thereon on August
%, SO alarmed the democratic senators
that they held two caucuses in one day
to arrange program, but they did not
succeed in getting any further than the
appointment ola steering committee,
with Senator German at its head. This
committee is charged with the duty of
keeping the majority out OF trouble and
oftrying to devise some plan to be re-
ported to another caucus that will keep
the democrats together. OF the Eve
members of this committee, two-Ran.
som. of North Carolina, and Gray, Of
Delaware-ore unconditional repeal men,
and Voorhees,, of Indiana, and
Blackburn. of Kentucky-tor repeal on
condition that some substitute provid-
ing for the use OF silver money be pro-
vided, and one-G orman-is on the fence.
It is said that democratic senators we're
loud in their abuse OF Mr.. Cleveland at
NT.~-