The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-04-11
T r
WASHINGTON, April 9, 1894.

WASHINGTON, April 9, 1894.
the tariff bill in the Senate is not encouraging
to those who wish for speedy action on the
bill, and Senators Hill, Murphy, Brice and
Irby, who, intentionally or unintentionally,
aided the republicans in their efforts to delay
the debate, have been sharply criticised by
democrats. Senator Hills speech to-day
has also brought additional democratic
criticism upon his head. 1t was, Of course,
expected that the republicans would resort
to 6llibusteripg when the democrats began
to take steps to bring the debate to a close,
but to the surprise of everybody they began
6llibustering for delay almost at the begin
niog of the debate, and it is clear that
they intend to keep it up to the end.
Senator Harris, who has charge Of the bill,
proposes to force a show OF hands this week,
by asking that the sittings of the Senate
be prolonged two hours a day aHd that the
tariff bill he taken up earlier each day. he
intends to put the Senators on record in
order that the country may see who are
in favor Of pushing the debate to a conclusion
and who age the Instructors, and he doesn't
believe that when the issue is squarely raised
any democrats will be found in the latter
class.
Hon. Patrick Walsh, the new Senator
from Georgia, met with a cordial reception
from his future colleagues, most OF whom
have long been his personal friends.
Senator McLaurin doesn't fancy the idea
of being COMPOUNDED with Representative
McLaurin, of South Carolina, who has
been talking of leaving the democratic
party to form a silver party-in the SoHth and
West. The Senator is opposed to any such
movement. To use his own words: 81 am
a silver man, but I believe in the mission
and the success of the democratic party, and
think that we can settle these disputed
questions within our party organization"
That's about the way most of the silver demo-
Gratis feel about it, too.
The largest number Of democratic sigma
lures ever attached to a request for a call
to be issued for q caucus were on that
addressed to Mr.. Holman, chairman of the
caucus, asking that a caucus be held Tuesday
of this week to decide what should be the
policy Of the party 10 the House towards
that plank of the National platform which
declared that the tax on state bank currency
should be repealed. Representative Swan
son, of Virginia, circulated the request for
a caucus, as a result of his making a personal
poll of the democrats in the House on the
the question of the repeal of the tax. He
found that nine-tentbs of the democrats
favored repeal, but ali except l29 of them insist
that it shall be accompanied with more or
less Federal control over the currency TO be
issued by the state banks. The House COM
mittee on Banking and Currency pigeon
holed the question some time ago because of
failure to agree on a bill. The whole matter
will be talked over ut the caucus and will,
it is hoped, be definitely. settled one way or
the other, although the present understanding
is that the caucus is not to take action that
will considered binding upon those who
attend it.
Somebody, probably from pure vicious
Senators Hill and Murphy, would %antagonize
Printer. They will do nothing of the sort.
Senator Hill said a week ago that he was
glad so good a democrat as Mr.. Benedict had
been selected for the place and that he
expected him to be confirmed without opposi-
ton. Senator Murphy has also expressed
himself as pleased with the nomination. Mr..
Benedict arrived in Washington today and he
expects to be confirmed. submit bis bond and
be sworn in as Public Printer before the 18th
of the month.
Ex-Speaksr Reed capped the climax for
absurd and needless 6llibusteripg on Satur-
day when he prevented The carrying out Of a
special order setting apart that day for
eulogies on the late Senator Gibson, of
Louisiana, by forcing an adjournment by
raising the point of no quorum on a motion
to discharge the warrant issued by the
Sergeant at Arms to arrest absentees during
the time the contested election cases, settled
last week, were pending. All of the blame for
this state Of affairs does not, however, belong
to Reed and the republicans. There are 2ls
democrats in the House, and if l89 of them
would remain constantly in their seats Reed
and his obedient gang would be powerless to
stop the wheels of legislation in their efforts
to compel the speaker to count a quorum, as
they have tried so often to do of late.
Coxey's army would better take warning
from the treatment that is being melted by the
Washington u:horities to the advance
guard of the western wing of bis army, which
arrived her- Saturday. There were forty odd
Of them They were met by a detachment of
police, marched off and locked up.
Representative Meyer, of Louisiana, has
introduced a bill for the coinage of the
seigniorage, which meets the objection raised
in the Presidents veto and also adopts bis
suggestion of providing for an issue of bonds.
But somehow the bill isn't popular.