The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-12-31


Vote foe Hunds-- And the Whole
Thing was Boomerang Instead of a
Boom for Heed
WASHINGTON. Dee. So Special)-
The battle is over Or might 1T not
be better to say the scrapping-m match
has been fought out to finish. For
it seems to have been more OF sprint
ing-bout between politicians than
broadly east contest between states
men.
The result went Saturday 10 those
waiting eagerly for it, but it may be
well now. looking over the whole
field of the past week, To follow the
lines of strategy laid down by the
leaders on either side.
To begin with. the President asked
for means at once to repienish the gold
reserve in order that in times more
troubulous than usual that reserve
might be replenished with more than
ordinary promptness.
For a moment the So-calied shreWd
observers said that Mr.. Reed had been
put nj hole by the President, and for
a moment affairs seemed to take that
kind of a shade, but gathering them
selves together the Republicans in the
House caught at the message OF the
President like lot of wild beasts
hungry for food For, Reed had
boom to nurse and on second thought
he saw that here was a chance proha-
bly, to give it the needed pap. At any
rate. he was forced to try it.
But it has proved a boomerang. The
week has been a losing one for Reed.
The search-lights let i'll upon the sit
uation by the keen observations of the
Georgians, Mcmillan. of Tennessee,
and other Democrats have not fallen
in vain even upon the Western Repub-
licans. The situation soon took its
true shape to them and they might
well be typified by johnson, (Republi-
can, of California; who said that he
had voted for the tariff bill against
his WILL partly because it provided
revenue where none was needed, but
if the revenue was satisfactorily sup
piled by the tariff bill he saw no rea-
son for bond bill especially in face
of the fact that the Reed followers
maintain that deficiency in the gold
reserve would be killed by the increase
of revenue involved in the proposed
tariff bill. This was the key note of
the bolter voiced by the man from
California who became strangely ia
nous in his maiden speech.
These boilers could not help but see
that the unnecessary tariff bill was
but too previous bid for the Presi-
dency on the part of Mr.. Reed. who
said there were even better things yet
to come. Nor could they fail to see
that the term coin bonds" applied to
the measure of the second day was
but 10 blind the silver men among
the Republicans to the real gold be-
liefs of the wouid-be President. if
Mr.. Reed had figured that he was to
catch the ear of those Republicans
who, not disgruntled with the Wilson
tariff bill. might be better satisfied
with the temporary bonus offered in
another tariff bill which was to be dis
tinctly Reed as opposed to Mckinley
and if he thought that the ears of the
silver men could not detect the dis
tinctively gold ring in measure that
was only coated with silver he reckon
ed without the discerning analytical
power of Turner and the sarcastic
shafts of Crisp.
Suffice il to say it was all shown up
aud Southern Republicans. represen-
ted by men like Settle, of North Caro-
lima, who had been bound hand and
foot with committee favors, even
they dared not 10 go back 10 their
Constituents with an affirmative vote
on the bond bill after it had been SO
thoroughly shown up as a mere chess
playing political measure SO the rush
began from the Reed ranks Friday
night when the floor presented the
disgraceful sight of not only the lieut.
tenants of the Gar but OF the Gar
himself, going about in clrcuitous
WAYS on the floor, button-hol mem
bers with every argument, TO get thelf
votes on the morrow. Only TINS morn
ing Republican member of Congress
told me that Reed was approached By
a Republican Congressman VINO want
ed 10 speak ten minutes against the
bill. Reed at once asked him how he
stood OH the question.
Only those who are on the floor and
accustomed to watch the tactics that
are used there could conceive of the
desperate energy of Reed and his leu
tenants. and even after the passage OF
the bond bill by vote of thirty-three
on Saturday the merest school boy
could figure up the losses that had
been made by the Republican leader
during what the Republicans choose
TO call the contest with the President.
The feeling here is such as 10 make
it almost absolutely certain that the
bill would not have been passed had
it not been for the perhaps indiscreet
haste on the part of the administration
to make known it's views in regard to
the same This was thrown into the
eyes of the more partisan silver men
like red rag until they were swept
along with the Cannon and Dlngley
crowd even against their will as was
evidenced in the speech Saturday
morning of the Congressman who now
occupies the place once held by Spring
er. of Illinois.
1t is. however. believed that before
Wednesday of next week it will have
been concluded by the administration
TO place the bonds in the face of the