The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-15

Washington, May 1.-THE Republican
members of the Senate were in eau
Gus at Senator Sherman's house from
o'clock until 10 minutes of II o'clock.
The caucus partook more of the ma
ture of an informal conference than a
business meeting, and while it was
called with the purpose of arriving
at a conclusion as to the method to be
pursued by the Republican party in
the Senate, it closed without eliciting
anything in the way of party declar-
alton.
There was no vote on any PROPOSE
ton whatever, and the proceedings con-
sisted of a large number of speeches.
There were about twenty-five of the
thirty-seven Republican senators pres
ent. and everyone had something to
say in the course of the evening.
Great Divergence of Views.
There was great divergence in views
of course.
The accounts of the meeting agree
that while there were probably twenty
speeches, most of them, of course,
brief. no two of them were on the same
lines. or advised the same manner of
proceeding. There was no agreement
except upon one point-that the bill
should be beaten, if possible On gen.
eral lines, the greatest divergence of
opinion was on the ability Of the Re
publicans to beat the bill at all, and
while there was no formal division
which would permit of accounting, the
caucus appeared TO be about evenly dt-
vided in the sentiment on this ques-
ton.
There was a statement that eastern
senators were favorable to a continual
ton of the opposition on the lines
which are now being observed, and that
western senators were opposed to any
effort to secure delay, for delays would
be in a general way correct, but there
were exceptions on both sides.
Say They Can Defeat 1t.
Senators Aldrich, Chandler, Frye and
others contended that the bill could
be defeated and said all that was nee
essary to demonstrate the correctness
of this assertion was to give the Dem
Ocrats time to widen the breach, which
they asserted now exists. Some of
them declared four or FIVE Democratic
votes could be counted on as opposed to
the bill, while one of those present went
so far as to say he was assured of the
opposition of at least seven Demo-
Gratis. No names of Democratic sena-
tors were given, however.
The opposition element contended
there was no positive assurance of any
Democratic support in opposition to
the bill, and that the only means of
testing the truth of the rumors of
Democratic dissatisfaction was to let
the voting go on.
Silver Senators Stick a Pin In.
There was much talk as to the gen.
eral dement's and inconsistencies of the
bill, and some of the silver senators did
not fail to call attention to the lack of
sympathy which had been displayed
10y the Republican senators when the
silver repeal bill was before the Sen
ate last fall, and to intimate they had
no desire at this time to heap Goals of
fire on the heads Of that element by
/ doing kindness in return for what they
| termed reconsideration
| There was also an exchange of views
on the policy of the Republicans vot-
| ing for the Democrats amendments to
the bill, but the only agreement
reached upon this point was to allow
for the present individual Republican
senators to act in accordance with their
own inclinations.