Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-28
Effect of the Presidents Message
on the Democrats.
SILVER MEN ARE Also IRRIrATED
Not Likely That Any Legislation
Can Be Had.
SOME EXPRESSED OPINIONS

| President Cleveland's message has raised
| terrible row among the democrats in
| Congress. Heretofore they have been try
| ing to deceive themselves into the belief
| that they were making an effort and some
progress toward an agreement. Now 1t is
| probably no exaggeration to say that a
| majority of the democrats in both houses
are thoroughly angry This does not de-
scribe the sentiment of the extreme silver
men. who have been fighting the admins
| traitor all along, but that Of the conserva-
| tive silver men and state bank men, who
have been trying to align themselves With
| the administration.
| The radical silver men express satisfac-
ton at the message, not because Of any
| thil.g that Mr.. Cleveland says, but be-
| cause of the effect it has had upon the
conservatives. whom they have heretofore
| regarded as being separated from them
seduced by the administration.
An Opposite Eject.
On every hand the opinion is expressed,
often with considerable vigor of language,
that the message has had just the oppo-
site effect from that intended by the Pres
ident. and that if there ever were a chance
| Of legislation this has ended it. Members
Of the banking committee Of the House
10 bring about some agreement are rem
dered silent by the message, and with an
oninOus shake of the head predict that
at the meeting of the committee tomorrow
there will be very lively discussion.
II IS very strongly predicted that the adj
ministration bill will have the support of
not more than two or three members of the
committee, and that it can never be report
ed to the House. The great excitemerA Is
all on account of the use in both the
message and the bill of the word gold
In Connection with the bonds, and the con-
cessicn made to silver has caused irritation
among the silver men instead Of placating
tt EN-.
No Possibility of Passing the Bill.
The opinion Is almost universal that there
Is no possibility Of the bill being passed.
The radical silver men resent even being
asked what they think of the message;
their conservative colleagues are silent and
gloomy and the men Of both parties who
agree with the administration generally
express the opinion that nothing can be
done. Views expressed by Senator Lodge
represent substantially those expressed by
all the Sound money men,"
There are" he said. many good sug-
gestions in The message. l thoroughly
agree with Mr.. Cleveland that there should
be a bond issue, and should be glad to as
sst the administration in this respect as
far as possible; but 1t is much easier to
make good suggestions than 1t Is to Sc
cure good legislation. I do not think there
Is much prospect of legislation"
Nearly all of the conservative silver men
decline to talk and very few of the adj
m:nistration democrats express any hope
of legislation.
Unquestionably the message has increas-
ed the irritation in Congress and appar-
emily added to the difficulties already suffl-
cient. in the way Of legislation.
AS result OF the manner in which the
Presidents proposition is received. and the
intifnatlon In the message that an extra
session would be called IL no action came
Of this Congress, it is regarded almost
universally as practically settled that the
Fifty-fourth Congress will be assembled
soon after this session closes.
Opinions of the Message.
Many of the Senator'S did not obtain
clear idea of the Presidents message to-
day from its reading from the clerks desk
and therefore declined to express opinions
as to its purport or its effect upon legisla-
ton.
AS far as there were expressions, they
we're generally to the effect that conditions
had not been materially altered. and it
would still depend upon whether the atti-
tude IF the silver men had been changed
by the message.
On this point the democratic silver Sena-
tors were generally non-committal while
the republicans and populist silver men
We're quite outspoken in declaring that
they were not appeased. "The adoption of
the Presidents plan," said Mr.. Stewart
(Nev.), means 20-cent wheat and 2-cent
cotton"
Senator wolcott tcol) remarked: THE
President speaks CT the tyranny of pre-
conc eived opinions. seeming to overlook the
fact that he makes himself a proper SUBJ
ject of his own criticism
Senator Jones of Arkansas, a democratic
silver Senator and a member of the finance
committee, did not apparently accept the
suggestion Of gold bonds with favor, but
said he would net undertake to say what
effect the message would have either on
the finance committee or the Senate. Sena-
tor Sherman declined to speak of it, saying
that he supposed he would have to give the
document official consideration at tomor-
rows meeting of the finance committee.
Senator Teller.
Senator Teller said, very emphaticalIy:
'"The message has made no impression
upon the Senate. 1t Is easy to see that
the President is welded to the gold idea.
His bond is a gold bond, and would weld
the gtld standard upon the country 1t Is
the bankers bond, one which would give
the banks the absolute control of the
finances. There is nothing in it for silver
Nor Is there any possibility OF the adop-
ton Of the plan in the Senate. It is to fur
Their Increase the debS, and make 1t PAYABLE
only in gold.
Senator Dubois of Idaho said that
while the President declared himself
friend Of silver, he was endeavoring to
prevent any tHluS pelHS uOne Tor silver by
preparing measure which would prevent
silver from ever becoming a part of the
money system.
Opinions in the House,
Many of the democratic leaders of the
House declined to discuss the message I'M
til they had had time to consider its de-
tails.
Mr.. Strauss On. W said: 1.-The moment
bill on the line Of the Presidents recon-
mendations has been passed, not only will
gold shipments cease, but the tide of gold
will turn the other way. Europe has lost
confidence in our ability to maintain gold
payments. They hold from three to four
thousand millions of our securities, which
they are selling as rapidly as our markets
will absorb them, regardless of the fact
that they do not. know what to do with