New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-28
PRICE THREE CENTS.
PRESSING TOWARD REPEAL
A TEST VOTE IN THE SENATE.
PETERS FREE COINAGE AMENDMENT DE-
FEATED BY ELEVEN MAJORITY.
FIRST GENUINE TRIAL OF STRENGTH.
HOW THE DIFFERENT PARTIES STAND ON TIL
QUESTION OF HONEST MONEY-DEMocRATIC
BOASTS SHOWN TO BE UNFoUNDED-THE
VOORHEES, SUBSTITUTE ACCEPTED.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE rRIBuSE.l


rBv TELEGRAPH TO TIE rRIBUSEl
Washington Oct. 27.-After eighty odd days
of wearisome debate the Senate late this af-
ternoon reached a vote the first amendment
to the Voorhees, Repeal bill-that offered by
Mr. Peffer for the free coinage of silver at the
ratio of sixteen to one. similar amendment
had been laid on the table during the memora-
BILE "test of physical endurance" early In Octo-
ber but that stroke Of aggressive strategy was
accomplished when the anti-repeal men were
endeavoring to break the quorum, and the
vote was wholly worthless as trial OF
strength between the two forces, and OF no
practical parliamentary advantage to the cause
of reneaI The vote taken to-day was the first
definite and formal muster OF the repeal ana
anti-repeal following, and though free coinage
could scarcely be expected to gather all the
strength of the opposition to the 'oorhees
BILL the vote announced showed decisiveiy thae
there is a safe majority for unconditional re-
peal which none of the subsequent hos,ne
amendments voted on is likely seriously TO im-
nair On the ro-call twenty-eight Senators
sunnorted Mr. PETERS free-coinage substitute.
while thirty-nine opposed it-a clear majority
on the repeal side of eleven. Nine pairs were
announced bringing the totals to thirty-se'en
for free coinage and forty-eight against IT,
DEMOCRATS COMMITTED TO FREE COINAGE
An ANALYSIS of the party strength for ana
AGAINST free coinage will be of interest as snow
ing precisely on what elements in the Senate
tho success of the Repeal bill depends
and from what quarters the cause OK
honest money is most seriously threa'-
ened OF the twenty-eght votes actu-
ally cast for the PETER substitute eighteen
were given by Democrats, four by Populists anu
six by Republicans. OF the nEe oeha'ois
paired in favor of free coinage, five were Deiho-
Gratis and four Republicans. The total iree-
coinage strength in the .Senate-thirty-seVeh-
was thus made up of twenty-thHe De"io-
Gratis, four Populists and ten Republicans IN
the antifree-coinage column OF the tnirty nh" ~,
votes actually cast. eighteen were given py
Denocrats and twenty-one by Republicans
Three Democrats and six Republicans were
paired against the PETER substitute % nc xnae
TO the total strength in the Senate against TIC
| coinage-forty -eight-the Democratic majority
contributed only twenty-one votes whle .ie
Republican minority contributed twenty-se'en.
| There are thirty-seven Republicans In tne
Senate excluding Mr.. Stewart, ana 1orty-iour
| Democrats excluding Mr.. Kyle. Of the thirty
seven Republicans three-quarters, as near as
| an odd number can be divided, supported the
| Voorhees, bill against free coinage; ot ,he
| fortv-four Democrats. twenty-one or less tnan
| half stood by the sound-money pohcy Vi VIC
Administration. On the first test vote, In iact.
| the assertion Of the friends OF the Presldent
| that he could command the support OF a majority
of his party in the Senate on the repeal issue was
| effectively demolished. by majority oi W.
| the Democrats I'm the Senate committed tneir
| Marty once more TO the hopeless and discredlteo
nolicy of free coinage. at the same time reject.
| ing the whole financial programme adVocateo
| bv the President in the Interest OF honest MONEY
| and sound credit. Some surprise was sH-
nrassed that the ajority against the PeIer
| amendment fell low as eleven, especiaiIy
| after the rece 1T boasts Of the Democrauc man
| gers that the majority for unconditional re-
real would reach seventeen or nineteen VOTES
| Two supposed Democratic converts, Messrss
tIun,on of Virginia and Pasco, of Florida,
| failed to meet the expectations or the Adnlh-
| istra tion abandoning repeal and voting Tor free
| coinage.
STRENGTH OF UNCONDITIONAL REPEAL.
OF the anti-free coinage side, Messrs. PERKINS.
Of California, and Squire, of Washington, have
amendments which they expect TO support In
preference to unconditional repeal. and If each
votes for the others scheme Mr. Voorhees,
majority may fall tomorrow on these propo-
sitions to seven or even less; but. as has been
said above there is little prospect that any par
| ticular plan yet advanced will be able to make
| more serious inroads than this into the uncon.
! ditional repeal strength :.
Before and after the voting there was GOOD
deal of bitter talk from the silver men about
| the so-caled apostasy of Mr.. Voorhees, and the
| other Democrats who for the first time in
! Years have turned their backs free COIN
| age In the list of "apostates' are Messrs.
| Voorhees, Turpie. Faulkner, Ransom. Gordon
| and Mills and their heads descend many
| bolts OF indignant and eloquent denuncation
| The Finance Committees bill reported by Mr..
| VOORHEES, as substitute for the House or Will
son measure was formally accepted by the Senate.
| and then. pending a vote on Mr.. Perkins 3
| amendment the Senate suspended its labors til
| tomorrow morning.