Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-08-17
Washington Letter.
(From our Regular Correspondent
Washington, Aug. IL. 1898,

Cochran, to debate and vote upon the
several propositions made by silver and
anti silver men. IN the House, before
any ru'es are adopted or committees
appointed. but his name is being very
freely used by those vino advocate this
very irregular method of Congressional
proceeding. to get thesupport OF others.
Speaker Crisp would very gladly see
the scheme adopted. as nothing would
suit him better than to see the trouble
some silver question voted upon by the
House before he announces the com
mittee assignments. Numerous con-
ferences have been held by the silver
and anti-silver democrats this week,
with view TO agreeing upon pro-
gramme for fighting out the silver
battle without rules or committees.
The republicans, to use II OF slang
are not in II, but it is needless to say
that they do not favor irregular pro-
ceedings.
In the Senate no time was lost in
beginning 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 l, 3 and 4 of the
Sher man silver law and declaring that
such repeal should not be considered an
abandonment OF himetallism, 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
introduced. A score or more bills we're
introduced in the Senate, covering
almost every imaginable financial idea
from free coinage to single gold
standard Then Senator Hale stirred
up the whole democratic side by offer
ing a resolution for the meeting Of the
Sch tie at IL o'clock every day, and
saying 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 capi,ak Senator Voorhees,. after
little more or less bitter partisan talk
said his committee (Finance) did not
] propose going at this question with a
hop, skip and jump. Senator SheI-
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 said in the Senate, While the
President has made q perfunctory allu-
sion 70 the tariff there is not a Senator
who does not know that the democratic
party would no more dare attack the
tariff in The present condition Of tie
country than the sane man would grasp
a wiro charged with electricity" that
no democratic Senator had anything to
i say in reply
EN Speaker Reed came about as near
voicing the sentiments Of the republi-
cans in Congress as anybody could
come when he said of President Cleve-
lands message, that it was sound from
republican point of view so far as it
related to the financial situation but
wrong in assuming the silver law to be
the underlying cause of the country's
troubles Mr.. Reed thinks the trouble
caused by the uncertainty which pre-
walls as to finance and teriif, and
everything upon which business calcu-
lations can DO 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 mes
sage to recommend a substitute for the
Sherman Silver law. 1t looks as though
be was afraid to put himself on record.
It is every day growing more evident
that something must be put in place of
il, il the silver law BE- repealed. State
ments arc made which indicate that the
reason Mr.. Cleveland recommended no
substitute was that no wished the first