Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-17
Difficulty in the Way Of Compro-
missing Differences.
THE FIGHT ON TEE SHERMAN ACT
Story of How Its Repeal Was
Brought About.
MUCH BITTERNESS SIN CE

promising the differences on the financial
| question grows out OF the history of the
| fight over the Sherman act, still fresh In
| the recollections OF both Senators and Rep
| resentatives. Senators particularly are
| said to be extremely cautious In proposing
anything in form sufficiently definite to
| commit themselves.
| The story OF the proposal and rejection of
| the compromise at the special session In
| 1888 contains an incident which Is serving
as a sort OF danger signal now. The long
contest in the Senate Is recalled. 1t looked
| as IL repeal was Impossible. The stanch-
| est friends OF repeal. indeed, on both sides
| of the chamber gave up the struggle. Mr..
| Sherman and Mr.. Allison on the republican
| side and Mr.. Gray, Mr.. White of Louisiana
| and Mr.. Lindsay on the democratic side
all confessed that the silver men had the
| game III their hands, and that compro-
| mise was necessary. Numerous visits we're
paid, both to the Treasury Department and
to the White House. and the whole situa-
| tion was explained 1t was not difficult to
explain 1t to Mr.. Carlisle, who as a master
| of parliamentary procedure could see un-
assisted just where matters stood. He,
| too, agreed that a compromise was neces-
| sary ii any legislation at all was to be en-
! acted, and he discussed with Senat tors the
terms which, in his judgment ought by
| good management to be secured.
| To Arrange a COmprOmise.
| When this information was comnluni-
| Gated in an informal way to the democrat
| ic Senators, a movement was at once set
| on foot to arrange a compromise. Mr..
| German became active, and q proposition
with his aid took shape. 1t proposed,
among other things, the continuation of
silver bullion purchases until September
| /, 1894, and the coning of the seigniorage
then in the treasury. This was to satisfy
| the silver men from the south, who had
| been standing shoulder to shoulder with
the silver men from the west. resisting
repeal. and thus the fight would be ended.
The western men standing alone could
| not hope to win, or even any longer to
| protract the engagement.
The terms of the compromise were writ
| ten out, and the paper was laid upon the
| table of the committee on appropriation
| for signatures. This was on Saturday be-
fore the end came. All that day the com
promisers were busy. Mr.. Murphy and Mr..
! Smith assisted Mr.. German, and demo-
cratic Senators were escorted into the com
mittee room one by one and requested to
and at 3 o'clock the feeling was that every
vote on the democratic side would he Sc
| cured. Senators were assured that the
conditions had been explained to Mr.. Car
| Isle and the President. and that the Pres
| ident would approve such bill.
MIR. Hills Refusal.
But when Mr.. .Hill was approached he
|
committed himself to unconditional repeal,
and declared that he would not change his
attitude. He said. however, that he would
not actively oppose the proposition in the
Senate. Mr.. Caffery took similar ground.
| Mr.. Villas, one of the Presidents firmest
| supporters, was out OF the city. Mr.. Hill
| declined, and an extra effort was made to
induce him to sign because of the great in
| terest New York had in the question. Mr..
| Hill accompanied his friends into the COM
mittee room, and an animated discussion
| ensued. He was told, as the others had
of the majority to get together and pass
| q bill, and that the President was friendly
to the undertaking. Mr. Hill replied: Gen
| tlemen, I want this question settled, but
there are two reasons why I won't sign
| this paper In the first place. am in favor
| Of the unconditional repeal of the Sherman
| act; and. in the second place, the men who
| are arranging this compromise will have to
| take full responsibility for 1t before the
| country The President may sign the bill,
| but If he does he will accompany the
| act with memorandum setting forth his
reasons and plainly charging up the whole
| thing to you 1 shall not allow myself to
| be put in that attitude. l stand precisely
| where he does on this question. and If he
desires compromise, or is ready to accept
| one, he ought to let that fact publicly be
| known"
This was discouragng, but the compro-
misers kept on and at sundown had agreed
| to have their proposition presented to the
Senate on Monday.
What Happened the Next Day.
There have been several stories told about
| what happened the next day. The one
| generally accepted is that on Sunday morn
| ing the terms Of the compromise were COM
| municated by the administration to Mr..
| Sherman and his opinion requested He
was also asked to state what his own
course as a republican Senator would be
| Mr. Sherman condemned the compromise
| 1t conceded too much to silver. Such legis
lation. he declared would still further
difficulties. For his own part, he said, he
should oppose the proposition if presented
! to the Senate. and he gave 1t as his opinion
| that the Senate would reject it.
The President was at Woodley. Mr.. Sher-
mans views were conveyed to him at once,
| as were also those of Mr.. Hill, and down
came the presidential foot on the compro-
mise This, in turn, was communicated to
| Mr.. German, Mr.. Gray and other demo
cratic Senators, and all was helplessness
again. But the southern silver men were
helpless now, too. They had left their po-
| sition of unconditional hostility to repeal,
and they could not resume it. Nothing re-
| mained, therefore, but to surrender and
| this was done. Unconditional repeal went
| through, and Congress adjourned in a very
| few days.
| A Good Deal of Bitterness.
There followed, however, a good deal of
| bitterness here and there. There had un-
| doubtedly been some misunderstanding
| and in one or more quarters misrepresenta-
| ticns were charged One very prominent
| man was urged to make statement cov-
| erfng the whole case and thus bring out
| any contrary views that might be in cir
| ouiation in private conversation. But it
was decided that it would be better not
| to press the point. The tariff fight was
| coming on, and it was apparent even then
| tt at the democracy would need every yard
| of it's harmony canvas to take the tariff
hill into port. And when the tariff fight
| did begin all else was necessarily forgotten
| Rut the story is tCld now to explain, if not
| to excuse, how cautiously the shrewdest
| and most experienced Of the democratic
| leaders app1 oach the question of COM
| nronaise at this time. Mr.. German and
| Mr. Hill are alike in wanting first to hear
| from the other fellows
| 1t is noted a point of interest that the
| last Senator to sign the abandoned COM
| promise of 1893 was Mr.. Jones of Arkan-
.as, then, as now, free-conage man, but
the one exception to the rule of those with
| burnt hands, who are now keeping at q
| safe distance from the fire. Mr.. Jones is
| willing to try again in the interests of
party harmony.