The herald., 1895-02-27
FINANCE O'ERSHADOWS ALL
Routine Matters in the House
Crowded out by Debate
FREE SILVER LEAD STRUCK
A New Plan Ready to Spring on the
Dying Congress
The Senate Gave Another Long Day to the
Sundry Civi. Bill but Didn't
Complete 1t

Washington, Feb. 26.-Routine matte rs
on the floor of the House were over
shadowed in interest today by the initia-
tion of brisk movement to secure ma
jority of the Democratic members in ia
vor of financial policy having free silver
for its keynote. For some time there has
been discussion carried on by the free
silver leaders OF the party over the prac-
ticability of plan to unite their forces
and crystalline their ideas into some sort
of a platform or declaration. The net re-
suit has been the draft of declaration
addressed 'To the Democrats of the
United States, and outlining financial
policy for the Democratic party This pa.
per has been circulated on the Democratic
side of the House and is being vigorously
discussed with the object of
obtaining the concensus of opin-
ion of silver Democrats upon
its expressions. The chief instiga-
tors of the movement are Messrs. Bland
of Missouri, Bryan of Nebraska, Sibley OF
Pennsylvania and Coffeen of Wyoming.
Their paper is at present but tentative
expression, they say, and not yet in form
for publication, since none of its details
have been definitely agreed upon. In
substance it states the financial policy of
the party to be for the free coinage of gold
and silver on terms of equality at the
ratio of sixteen to one; for the issue of
all paper money by the Government with
out the intervention of banks, and opposi-
tion to any issue of interest bearing bonds
without authority of a special act OF Con-
gress.
Attention is called to movement SAID
to be under way through the efforts of
the opponents of free silver in the party
to sec Ire the election of gold men as dele
gates to party conventions and particu-
larly to the next national convention for
the nomination of single gold standard
man for the presidency. Democrats are
charged to oppose the movement and to
see to it that none but free silver men are
elected to positions of influence in the
parties to represent them in all conven-
tions.
II the support of a majority of the
party in Congress can be pledged to
financial platform, it is intended to issue
the manifesto to the Democrats Of the
United States within a few days. At
present the declaration is in but for
mulative stage, Mr.. Bryan says, and it is
intended to secure the views of members
and make such changes in it as the
majority of them may dictate. There is a
possibility that they may not be able to
agree upon any form of address because
Of the diversity of opinion which has
developed today on the details of the
statement. 81. -
The Senate gave another day to the sun
dry appropriation bill without COM
pleting it and without taking the vital
points concerning financial legislation up.
The importat feature of the day was
short, sharp decisive contest on the sugar
bounty question, resulting in the success
OF the bill advocating the payment of the
bounty prematurely cut off by the enact
ment of the tariff law. The proposed
bounty aggregates SIS, 200, 900. But Mitch
ell gave it as his belief that it would reach
81, 000 900. point of order was made
against the amendment, but the Sen
ate voted not in order-40 to 13.
After that the success of the
bounty proposition was assured, although
efforts were made to load it down with
free silver amendments and other PROPOSE
tions. In the course of the debate Cor
man warned the Senate that the bounty
provision would add to existing deficien-
cies which, he said, would reach $780, O0O,-
600 for the present year. Frye succeeded
in carrying an important amendment pro-
viding for retired list for the revenue
marine service in order to retire many
aged officers who have done good service
and who now stand in the way of promo
ton