Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-03-01
DIFFERING OPINIONS.
The Party in Power Divided Over
Vexed Problems.
wilson Bill and Currency the Causes Of No
End Of Trouble.

IL Is pam even 10 tue uulIcStODscISSA ensA'
the majority party in the house OF repre-
sentatives has passed into the cave OF
gloom One can notice it in the lobbies
and still more in the committee rooms,
but most of all in the hotels which Demo
Gratis do most affect. In the smoking par
lor of the Metropolitan the gloom Tor a
few days was SO dense that one might al
most cut it with knife and use 1t FOR
bluing purposes. 1t has been increasing
ever since the Wilson tariff bill passed the
house. The dominant party then reached
its maximum of enthusiasm. That was
grand day indeed. All but very Few OF
the majority went home in rollieking nap
piness, declaring that the party was more
united than ever before. But TINS was
succeeded by season of distressing apa-
thy, which only yielded at intervals for a
snarl or an outright quarrel, each quarrel
growing more and more bitter until on
Washington birthday the condition was
that of legislative anarchy.
The tlreary monotony of calling the roll
and endeavoring to secure a quorum on
the Bland bill TO coin the seigniorage
H1OSb l.uIiiippii'eNis VII w
day when congress ought not to have been
in session in a really disgraceful SQUAD
bic. The next dav the contrast was great.
The debate on the question of privilege
when Mr.. Adams of Pennsylvania was at
the bar was one of extraordinary ability.
Mr.. BANDS fiery philippe against the i'll
ibusters, Mr.. Reed g able argument that
a present quorum could be counted by the
speaker, Mr.. Compton's lawyerlike plea
for the sergeant-at-arm and Mr.. Coombs
argument on the general subject were all
well worth hearing and have had their
effect. But the gloom of the majority par
~ is not yet lifted.
Delay In the Senate.
Another cause of gloom has been the
delay of the senate committee in taking
action on the Wilson bill. 1t is nothing
but what has always happened in the sen
ate and nothing but what the wisest heads
in congress had predicted, for the sen
ate does not allow itself to be hurried by
the impotence of the people, but still the
fervent spirits of the house had got so full
OF enthusiasm that they expected immedi-
ate action. Meanwhile two sets of papers
are pouring in on members from every
part of the country, one urging lmmedl-
ate action, no matter what it is. the other
declaring that it no longer makes any diff
ference when the senate acts, for the spring
trade will amount to just the same now,
and the summer trade will be adjusted on
new lines.
1t cannot be denied that the apathy in
Wall street, of which so much is said, rath
er plcases very many if not Il majority
of the western and southern members.
Most of them openly confess their opinion
that whatever causes dizziness in Wall
street and whatever checks speculation in
grain and stocks is prima facie good
thing for the country. The long struggle
has also made it pointedly evident that it
is the policy of the minority party to make
every debate on silver Il nuisance or Il
brawl And this does not mean the Re
publican party especially. 1t means the
antisilyer men of the house. "There is no
use in talking say these western men.
cor trying to dodge the fact any longer.
This is sectional question, and we may
as well treat ii az SUCH And on this sub
ject an eastern member of the committee
Oh banking and currency says:
Usin. War Tactics.
at il Il sectional question, but that is
not our fault Those fellows are extreme
" shortsightcd to think we want to in
iure the west. We should only injure our
selves. our stocks and bonds. All orr rail
roads and other interests depend on the
prosperity of the west, and if more money
or even more silver would help the colin-
try we should be for it. of course, but we
have deliberately taken this thing ont of
the regular line of legislation We consid-
er this movement the same as III attack
upon the country, and we are justified i'll
defending by any Kind of extreme meas
ures. The PLAN blunt truth is, we are
using war tactics and taking every advan'
tage. And we ought to continue to do so,
and we will.
I'm fact. have come to the conclusion
that our whole currency system is in an
utterly hopeless condition, and we must
either get out of it by Il radical reform or
general bankruptcy. We departed from
sound principles in the matter OF legal ten
der paper money, in general money cheap
ness. and that sort of thing is like the be-
ginning of strife and he letting out of wa
ter The only wonder to me Is that we
don't have more trouble and worse trou-
bic.
why, the most conservative nations of
Europe have n rcvusion when they depart
in the least particular from true principles
and have one every eight or ten years any
how. And why don't WEI We'll. the raa-
son must he that the country is so new
and rich and grows so fast that it will
stand any Isindof fooiishness and outgrow
it. We make heavy drafts on the future,
ridiculously heavy. but the future honors
our drafts. When we ovcrdo the thing and
have 4: grand financial convuision, all we
have to do is to stop awhile, and the coun-
try grows ,lp to the measure OF our finan-
cial imagination. In fact, the toiliEg mil
lions those western fellows are so fond Of
talking about hiring the country UP to Il
sort of prosperity whether congress does
anything or not and very often in spite Of
it. But we can't 20 on in this way. We
have got to have II general reform of our
currency, Bttt whether it Will come by a
real common sense rpforrl here or 10y IL eeIi-
raj smash and crash can & tell. it looks
20 me very much as il we shouid have
1881 over again and reach solid ground
through Bankruptcy
Tie Issue Ecco,ning Moro Sectional.
The western men thus arraigned accep:
the issue boldly. They. too. say there must
be general overhauing of the currency,
and as Il beginning they want more silver,
lots of it, free coinage to begin with and