Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-07
A LIV LY TIM {
Many Personal Explanations Made
in the Senate.
SENATOR MCPHERSON On THE TARIFF
Playing With the Bland Seignior.
age Bill.
WHAT MIR. VOORHEES, EXPECTS

The Senate had another bad morning
hour today. 1t was an hour filed with
personal explanations and clever politi-
cal fencing. The probable date of the pre-
sentation of the tarif bill to the Senate
was question of eager interest all the
morning and there were rumors that the
democrats had taken a new tack and would
make an unusual demonstration in the
Senate. This was amply verified when
Senator Harris, as soon the routine of
petitions and bills was over, moved that
the seigniorage bill which was the bone
of contention yesterday, should be taken up
by the Senate and proceeded with until
passed or defeated. This motion was a
complete surprise to the republicans and
there were looks of CONSERVATION ana Won
der Oh every hand. Mr. Harris In his most
deliberate tones announced that since yes
terday he had made a canvass of the DEM
Gcratc Senators on the subject of the sefgh-
forage bill, and i'm view of the opinions OF
what seemed to be the majority on the re-
publican side and what he was sure was
almost the unanimous opinion on the dem
OcratiC side, he asked that the SelgnloraSe
bill be pressed to the front without delay.
He said that he could state without
breaking confidence that 1t might ne some
days before the tariff bill could come IN,
and that even then IL would have TO lie on
the calendar for several days. In order to
allow Senators to prepare themselves to
speak upon it. AT all events, ii might be a
taken on the tariff bill-that is, action of
speech-and he saw no reason why the
seigniorage bill should not utilize the in
term with profit.
senator Sherman's Motion.
The sensation created by this announce
ment was followed by another quite as
great, when Senator Sherman moved that
the bill be referred to the finance commit
tee. AS this was not in accordance with
the action of the republican caucus held last
night there were looks of surprise both
sides of the chamber. Senator Cockrill was
particularly astounded. and after Mr.. Sher-
man had made few remarks about seign-
forage and bonds and coinage, paper mon
ey, national integrity and few other
kindred topics the Missouri Senator pro-
jected his tall, angular form into the arena
and gave Mr.. Sherman a sound scolding
He expressed his surprise that the repub-
licans who had helped to repeal the Sher-
man law should now put obstacles in the
way of this measure, which, he contended
only carries out the pledge that was tack
ed on to the end of the repeal bill
There was some crosS-firing between the
two Senator's which developed into a debate
about seigniorage. and then Mr.. Hoar pro-
ceeded TO tie the parliamentary knot still
tighter by rising to an apparently innocent
question of parliamentary order He man.
aged to elucidate the point which could not
be controverted that MIR. Sherman's motion
to commit the bill had the effect of putting
the bill before the Senate, where Ii could be
discussed under the guise of addresses to
the question of commitment. This. said he.
is such a wide, wide range that the entire
question involved in the bill can be discussed
at length, even though the bill may not be
regularly before the Senate for final action
This was an important point and had to be
granted by the democrats, who had thus,
by their own motion put the bill so before
Senate 4 ma nrif
now TO take IL away from it, This
was not the original plan. and the new
turn of affairs was apparently an embar-
rassment to Mr.. Harris. Senator Stewart
but he as usual was unable to keep his
promise and he talked for fifteen minutes
and would have been still talking perhaps
had not Senator Mcpherson edged his way
along behind the back of the venerable sill
yer leader and whispered something in his
ear. Mr.. Stewart was somewhat -mblr-
raised by this appeal for silence and for a
moment the torrent of words was checked
and soon after he concluded his speech
Mr.. Vests Denial
Senator Wolcott made the hit of the af-
ternoon jus: then by rising to give MIR. Nc
Pherson a piece of advice. He warned him
that if the eastern Ser ators persist in their
course of monetary Legislation, inaugurated
last autumn he had better get rid of his
AtCHlSOH SlOCh 100. Al tIlS tnere was "A
general laugh, in the midst Of which Sena-
tor Vest was seen to arise in his seat and
wait for recognition There was a hush
of expectancy, for there had been former
criticisms of Mr.. Vest on the silver ques-
ton. Mr.. Vests speech was brief and
pointed. He said that had it not been for
Mr.. McPherson's reading from the World
article he would have ignored the charges
as contemplate. but he was forced to put on
record now his most emphatic denial He
denied that he knew the brokers named in
the article. that he had been to New York
fo. many months, and that he had been
dealing in any of the controverted stocks
since the tariff question began.
II may as we'll say now once for all 8"
he said, that such publication this is a
vile Islander. and the man who repeats it is
a wilful and malicious liar"
There We're two three applicants for
recognition when Mr.. Vest sat down. and
Mr. Mcpherson was the successful one
He succeeded in causing more consterna-
ton and wonder on the democratic side
than any single Senator has stirred up
since the silver fight last autumn. In brief
but coloGuial expression, he let the cat out
of the bag.
Mr. McPhersOn's Personal Explann-
ton.
Mr. Mcpherson then took the floor to
make a remarkable personal statement
Preceding it by the announcement that he
had never before made a similar statement,
he called attention 10 an article in the New
York World today, in which it was alleged
that Senators Brice, Vest and Mcpherson
had been connected with the recent rise in
the sugar market in questionable way
Mr. Mcpherson went on to explain, with
clearness and dignity that the charges
were absolutely untrue, and that he did not
own at this time, any sugar stock nor any
other stock except thousand shares of
Atchison.
He confessed that he occa sionally did deal
in stocks. but only for investment purposes
and not for speculate He had a standing
order with his brokers in New York-not the
same, by the way. mentioned in the World
article-to buy certain stocks when they
should fall to or below certain figure. 1t
happened, while he was south for the bene-
fit of his health, that. acting under these
instructions. his brokers bought for him a
thousand shares of sugar stock. As soon
as he returned from the south, realizing
that sugar was one of the commodities that
would. unquestionably. be under considerl-
ton in the tariff matter. he ordered his
brokers to sell this stock at once and to
buy no more for him. Since that time he
has sold all of his stock except the Atchi-
son. He made it point 10 get rid of coal
and iron stocks and. IL fact, every COM
modify that might possibly be brought up
in tariff discussion.
senator Stewart caused some amusement
at this point by asking MIR. Mcpherson if
he owned any bank stock which Is one of
the Nevada mans special horrors Mr.
Mcpherson replied that he did not own
such stock: that he had owned some before
ne came 10 the Senate, but had disposed of
Mr.. Mcpherson Takes the Responsible.