The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-10-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
THE PROPOSED COMPROMISE.
TO BE DECIDED THIS WEEK.
Change of Senate Rules.
From our Regular Correspondent,

found that common ground upon
which all democrats can stand with
out sacrificing either the party or their
individual principals concerning the
treatment of silver by the government.
Readers of this correspondence will
not need to be told that | have never
for moment during the long and
sometimes seemingly endless contro.
versy in the Senate doubted for a
moment that the final result would be
such compromise. To repeat a
hackneyed phrase, "the logic of the
situation pointed from the first to
compromise as the only satisfactory
end to the contest, from a democratic
point of view.
The compromise, which has been ac-
cepted by the Senate committee that
has been wrestling with the problem:
ever since it was proven that vote
upon the Voorhees, bill was an impos.
slbillty under the present rules of the
Senate, and approved by Secretary
Carlisle as President Clevelands Of.
fetal representative, provides for the
repeal of the purchasing clause of the
Sherman law to take effect October T.,
1894 for the coinage from time to
time of the silver purchased and of
the seigniorage in the Treasury and
that to be accumulated by future pur-
chases, and for retiring all greenbacks
and Treasury notes below $Io and the
issuing Of silver dollars or silver certi-
icates in place of them. 1t was at
first proposed to include authority for
the issuing of low interest bonds to re
plenish the gold reserve at the discre-
tion of the Secretary of the Treasury,
but some democratic Senators were so
much opposed to this that Secretary
Carlisle suggested that if the purchase
of silver was not continued for more
than a year longer he thought the
bond issue would be unnecessary, SO
the bond issue was left out.
1t is hoped and expected that this
compromise will be put through both
Senate and House this week and an
end be put to the uncertainty. If it
is not it will not be the fault of the
democrats. The republican Senators
have given no indication of how they
regard the compromise, although be-
fore it was agreed upon a number of
them stated that they would support
no compromise that did not include
the issue of bonds. The populists
Senators do not like the compromise
even little bit, but unless they are
assisted by the republicans they can
do no harm. If the republicans join
them in voting against the measure
and Senator Irby of S. c., votes with
them instead of with the democrats
the compromise may be jeopardized,
If not actually defeated.
The business of the House is in
such condition that the silver COM
promise can be at once taken up if it
passes the Senate this week. Should
1t be finally disposed of this week, it
is altogether probable that Congress
will take recess, as many of the
Senators and Representatives are
anxious to take part in the closing
day of the various state campaigns,
and the new tariff bill is not expected
to be ready to be reported to the
House much if any before the begin
ming of the regular session. Presi-
dent Cleveland is also anxious to take
a short vacation before the beginning
of the regular session.
Senators Voorhees,, Hill and others
are so anxious that the rules of the
Senate shall be so changed as to al.
low majority to order a vote upon
any measure after thirty days have
been devoted to its discussion that the
resolution of Senator Voorhees, pro-
viding for the change may be taken
up as soon as the silver compromise
is disposed of. Should that be done
there will be a very lively debate, en-
tirely outside of party lines, as it has
friends and opponents in both parties,
and the result will be doubtful, the
chances favoring defeat.
Four democratic Senator'S Martin
of Kans., Hill of N. Y, Vance of N.
c., and Irby OF S. C.-voted against
the confirmation OF the nomination of
Mr.. ]. J. Van Allen, to be Ambassa-
dor to Italy, but as 10 republicans
voted for confirmation the nomin-
alton got through by vote
of 80 to s2. No Senator, either dem
ocrat, republican or populist, believes
that there was any truth in the charge
that Mr.. Van Allen had been nomina.
ted as the result of a bargain and in
payment for his having made a large
contribution to the campaign fund of
the party. The democrats who voted
against his confirmation did so for
other reasons.
From the best obtalnable informa.
tion here the attempt of the populists
to capture Virginia will result in a
democratic majority in that State lit