Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-15
THE FREE SILVER BILL
Senator Jones Expects to Get 1t Up for
Consideration on Monday.
There May Be Filibusterfng Against
It-NO Financial Action Likely
in Either House,.

Senator Jones expects to get his free sill
yer bill before the Senate for considera-
ton OH Monday, and there is some pros
pect of a vote being reached An agree
ment for vote to be taken had been in
formally reached yesterday before the vote
en- the gold bond bill in the House, but it
may be that the result Of this vote in the
House may lead some of the anti-silver
men to withdraw from the agreement.
The silver republicans and democrats have
been working very earnestly to secure
vote in the Senate, and have be en making
very clever political play in support of
their efforts. Their proposition to the lead
iEg opponents of the measure was that
the bill should be taken up on Monday,
with an agreement that vote should be
had on Tuesday. They urge that there
&C uld be no objection to letting the coun-
try know by an official record just how
the Senate stands on this question, and
that it would be benefit rather than an
injury 10 the gold men to be relieved of the
responsibility by their helplessness being
advertised.
May Now BE Objection.
There was general acquiescence on all
sides to a proposition that no harm could
come of the votes being taken, and it was
believed yesterday that there would be no
difficulty about the matter. In the first ex-
ctement over the defeat of the gold bond
resolution in the House, however, there
may be some thoughtless apprehensions
that the bill being passed through the
Senate might also get through the House
and cause more agitation and trouble.
There appears to be no real foundation for
such an apprehension, but it may be suffi-
cient to cause some OF the antl-SiiVer men
in the Senate to interpoSe an objection to
any agreement and to talk the free silver
bill to death. A conference between the
silver Senators will be held late this after
room, at which it is expected their course
will be determined upon. 1t is probable
that they will DECIDE to take up the bill on
Monday, even if they do not succeed in
getting a formal and binding agreement
that vote upon it shall be taken.
No Further Attempt In the House.
There seems to be little DOUBT that yes
terday's fight was the final rally in the
campaign of the administration democrats
for financial legislation by this Congress.
Members who are supposed to know the
mind of the President say that he recoG-
niZes that it is futile IT, attempt to secure
any sort of legislation for the treasury,
and they assert unhesitatEgly that he will
not again recommend congressional action
of any sort upon the finances. These DEM
ocrats are disposed to put upon the repub-
licans the blame for the failure Of the res
olution reported by the ways and means
committee. For their part, many republi-
cans who say they would not have opposed
the gold provision in a bond issue had the
proposition been unincumbered by other
factors explain their negative votes by say
ing they could not assent to contract
made with private parties for taking the
bonds when they believed the issue could
have been advantageously disposed of by
public competition in this country. 1t is
safe to say that this objection to the con-
tract which developed rapidly while the
instrument was under discussion, was
largely responsible for the remarkable
shifting of plars which took place on the
republican side.
No Senate Action Likely.
The bond men in the Senate say, almost
without exception, that in view of the ac-
ton of the House it is plain that no bond
legislation is possible, and that action by
the Senate would be meaningless and loss
of time. They agIee that there will be no
revival Of the effort to authorize the is
suance of bonds.
1t may be almost authoritatively stated.
however that if Secretary Carlisle desires
a temporary eXpedient to provide for the
immediate wants of the treasury, it will
be granted in the shape Of an amendment
to the sundry civil bill providing for Short
time certificates of Indebtedness. This is
the utmost in the way of financial legisla-
ton that the Senate will agree to.