Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1896-01-15
IN HOUSE AND SENATE
Republican Caucus Agrees on the
House Tariff Bill.
The SILVER MEN UNPLEDGED
While the Measure May Be Changed in
Minor Particulars, New Fea-
lures Are Improbable.

Washington, Jan. S.-The feature of
the republican senatorial caucus held
today was the discussion of the advisa-
bility of amending the house tariff bill
by adding a rree coinage amendment
to 1t in the senate. This discussion was
confined largely to the free coinage
wing of the party. The result of the
meeting was the adoption OF Senator
Quay's resolution introduced yester-
day expressing the sense of the senate
caucus to be that the senate finance
committee should report the bill as 1T
came from the house with few verbal
changes which will not alter the mean
ing of the measure in any essential fea-
ture. There was no roll call upon this,
but there We're few dissenting voices.
There was no formal effort to bind the
senators to support the bill when it
should come back to the senate and it
was left open to amendments at that
stage of the proceedings. 1t was while
the advisability of attempting to secure
a pledge of support was under consider
alton that the silver question came up.
1t was sprung by question as to what
the silver republicans would do in case
of n free silver amendment being offer
ed to the tariff bill in the senate.
Senator Mitchell of oregon was the
first to respond to this inquiry. He
stated that he should join the silver
forces In an effort to secure the adop-
ton of free coinage substitute for the
house bond bill, but that with the silver
question disposed of in that connection,
he would advise silver republicans to
refrain from participating in any eff
fort that might be made to amend the
tariff bill adding a free coinage pro-
vision.
en-
of argument, advised united action on
the part of the silver republicans in OPP
position to such an amendment in the
event of the previous passage of the
silver substitute for the bond bill. He
said he thought their action on the bond
bill would be sufficient indication to the
country of their attitude. He did not
say he would oppose such an amend
ment by his vote in the case of failure
to secure concerted and unanimous ac-
ton by his silver colleagues, but urged
them strenuously to agree to this line
of action.
Senator Teller announced his inten-
ton to vote for a silver amendment If
offered from any source, without an
nouncing any purpose of presenting
such an amendment himself He talked
very earnestly on the subject, saying
he had, when the Mckinley bill was be-
fore congress, foregone the opportunity
to amend that measure with a free
coinage provision on the representation
that the bill with such an amendment
would be vetoed, only to be told after
wards by friends of that bill that the
Sherman silver bill was passed as the
only hope of defeating free coinage. He
declared he would not again be placed
in that predicament.
bril- ,1e. =
feature of the question by Senators Du-
bois. Mantle, Shoup and others.
There was as sufficiently general ex-
preston of opinion among the silver
senators to show that there We're not
to exceed half dozen that would hold
out against the unanimous agreement
to refrain from voting for the silver
amendment, and this showing was such
as to lead the anti-silver men in the
caucus to conclude that If those who
had expressed themselves against the
policy of amendment could be induced
to vote against these amendments, re-
CARELESS of the action of their col-
leagues, they could defeat the silver
amendment when offered
Senator Baker announced himself as
friendly to the proposition to coin
the American silver product, and said
he would offer an amendment to this
effect to both the bond and tariff bills
Senator Baker also reiterated his dec
laration of yesterday to disregard the
instructions of the caucus and vote
against the BILL unless amended on pro-
lection lines.
There was a general expression of
opinion that the bill whether amended
or not amended by the senate never
would become a law. Several senators
expressed the opinion that it could
not receive the executives sanction.
After the conclusion OF the tariff bill
an effort was made to pro-
coed to the consideration of re-
organization of the senate by the
election of general officers, but the
meeting adjourned without taking up
this proposition Immediately after adj
journment a call was circulated for
caucus tomorrow to consider this ques-
ton and ii is understood that sufficient
signatures will be secured to insure
caucus for that purpose at the time
specified.