Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-11-04
AFTER MUCH TALK.
The Repeal Bill is Passed-PopuIists
in Virginia.
From our regular CORRESPONDENCE

The Repeal Bill is Passed-pOpulists
in Virginia.
From our regular CORRESPONDENCE
! WASHINGTON, Nov 1, 1S93-Thersil-
yer question is settled at last. And the
settlement is very different from the
! compromise which a week ago seemed to
have been determined upon by the Dem
ocratic Senators. The Voorhees, bill
was passed without any amendment, al
/ though Mr.. Cleveland endeavored to
have it dropped on account of its deelar
alton in favor OF bimetallism and TO have
the Senate pass the Wilson bill just rs it
came from the House.
Ever since the opponents of uncondi-
/ tional repeal announced that they would
no longer throw any obstacle in the way
of taking vote on the VOORHEES, bill one
story has followed another in rapid sue
cession, each pretending to give the rea
son for the unexpected change. Some of
these stories were interesting, but so alb
surd that it was easy to sec that their on
| ly foundation was guess work. 1t is
enough to know that the Voorhees, bill
will certainly become law during the
present week, without specializing upon
the cause of the accomplishment of a
seeming imp ossibility-that of getting a
vote upon it in the Senate; the inside
history of the whole business will gradu-
ally leak out But Senator Germans
statement of the reason is being much
talked about. He said, in effect, that
Senator Sherman, as the leader of the
Republicans, and of a majority of those
| Senators who represented the repeal sen
timent, held he key to the situation and
dictated terms TO the Administration and
the Senate. This was certaininly re-
markabe statement to come from a man
who is regarded as one of the Democrat
ic leaders of the Senate, and if the Dem
ocrats can get any comfort out of it
surely no Republican will object.
The Senate spent some time disposing
of the various amendments to the Noor
hees bill, allowing Senators to square
themselves as best they may with their
constituents by remarks on each of them
as they were taken up. No delay is look
ed for in the House, although there may
be some trouble about getting a quorum
if the silver men carry out their threat
of not voting.
Senator Sherman made very inter
esting speech on the financial condition
of the Government, in which he stated
that he concluded to introduce later on
as separate measure his proposition au-
thorizing the issuing of $200,000,000 in
five year three per cent bonds in de-
nominations of $50 and multiples thereof
instead of offering it as an amendment to
the Voorhees, bill, as he had at first in
tended. He sharply criticised the Dem
ocrats for not having provided for an is
sue of bonds in the pending bill and said
that the gold reserve fund was now be-
ing illegally encroached upon by the Adj
ministration 10 pay The current expenses
stated the Secretary of the Treasury had
no authority under the act Of 1915 to is
sue bonds for any other purpose than to
maintain the parity of United States
notes with gold. lie said in conclusion:
"lf you leave the Secretary in the pres
cnt condition of affairs unarmed with the
authority to borrow money on the credit
of the United States, you neglect your
perfect duty when it is plainly called TO
your attention. Under existing law
there is no power to sell any of those
bonds except for the purpose of having
gold enough to redeem L. s. notes. And
no Secretary of the Treasury will dare
4 J, and per cent? even if the law per-
mitted him to do So" A sensation fol
! lowed Senator Buffers asking Senator
/ sherman if the Secretary of the Treas
ury had asked for bonds and the latter's
| intimation that he believed he had. 1t
staggered the Democratic Senators who
are kept in the dark as to the intentions
of the Administration.
The news from Virginia is very dis
! quoting TO the Democratic managers. IT
seems that O'Ferrail has made his whole
campaign on the basis that the silver
question would be settled in Congress by
a compromise, and now, according to
his own frantic kilograms to his Demo-
ocratic friends, the prospect of uncondi
tional repeal has knocked the bottom out
of every speech he has made in the cam
paign, and he regards his defeat as prob
able, unless the final vote on the Voor-
hees bill can be put off until after cleo
ton. The Populists say the VOORHEES,
bill has made il certain that they will
carry Virginia, because of the prepon-
derance of the silver sentiment in the
rural sections of the State. Republicans
in Congress are as rule perfectly indif-
ferent to the result in Virginia. They
say that it will not in the end be of any
benefit to the Republican party to have
the Populists carry Virginia. They are,
however, enjoying the fright of their
Democratic brethren