New-York tribune., 1896-02-06
ATTITUDE.
rRy TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIDUNE.l


Washington Feb 5.-Nothing was done in the
Senate to-day toward disentanghns the s"a'i
IN which all factions have been involved by the
Finance Committees unexpected action yester-
day morning. Mr. Quay's resolution to recon-
NIT the free coinage rider. with which the
Finance Committee displaced the emergency
Revenue bill. with instructions to report the TWO
distinct and separate measures. could not be
voted on to-day because another resolution
had preceded 1t on the calendar. BY general
arreement therefore, action on the Quay resolu-
tion was deferred until to morrow, when II VIII
tava To run the gauntlet Of debate during the
slipperv and uncertain morning hour 1t Is
not probable that vote on the proposition 10
r,commit can be obtained tomorrow. yet the de-
rnand for recommittal can be renewed In so
many parliamentary ways that the direct
division desired by the friends OF the revenue
bills cannot long be avoided.
Meanwhile no group in either party In the
Senate - wholly satisfied with the situation
Most Of the silver Republicans are opposed 10
the dog-in-t the-manger policy adopted by the
extremists of the Finance Committee. and are
anxious to divorce the questions OF tariff and
coinage Even Mr. Jones. Of Nevada, Is said TO
have promised to-day to vote for the Quay
r. solution. thus completely reversing his action
OF yesterday in committee. On the other hand.
the anti-silver Democrats. although they pro-
fess great reluctance TO vote TO retain the Jones
fee coinage substitute. are plainly weakening
under the temptations offered by temporary
alliance with the silver irhationsts for the pur-
pose II holding up" the Revenue bill. Nobody
can tell how the Senate will divide on the Quay
resolution or any other proposition 10 disem-
barrass the emergency Revenue measure Of the
- M no otp
will be an exceedingly close The final
result will depend more on Mr. Germans atti-
tude. perhaps than on that of any other Senator.
The argument made by sound money" Sena-
tors In favor Of a free-conage alliance as means
Of killing the Revenue bill Is that the House meas
ure is a piece OF superiuous and OF pressiye legis-
lation because the Treasury does not and will not
need more reVenu" for some time 70 come This
is a rather startling proposition for Mt German
10 entertain. The assertion that no more revenue
Is needed Is based the declarations or the Presl-
dent and the Secretary OF the Treasury The
same declarations were made by those officials
when IL was first proposed 10 increase the amount
carried by the original bill. Mr.. German, how
ever. cOmbated them almost fercely. ana every
thing he proposed and carried amendatory 10 the
Wilson bill was in open defiance OF them. lie as
serted that both the President and Mr.. Carlisle
were wrong. and he still holds that ground. why
then does n res. content on estimates from
those sources now when he re ected the estimates
Of two years ago, and when the subsequent oc-
currcnces have justified his action? In fact, there
is now presented the remarkable spectacle OF the
President and Mr. Carlisle standing up for the
work Of Mr.. German. which. when 1rst performed,
they rcpudia ted. and OF Mr.. German accepting as
prophets the two officials whom as prophets ne at
that same tim" as frankly held up 70 s'orn
The Republican managers may be somewhat
embarrassed by the silver combination "hOld-up'
Of tariff legislation, but not 10 a greater extent
than the country at large is. The Repubiican
leaders have no fear that the question Will be-
come confused before the people. Their stand Is
distinctly for the proper support OF the Govern
mcnt 4 deficit exists: that the Treasury Is daily
running behind cannot be denied. The remedy
seems to them plain as day. They have brought
II forward. The Dingley bill Is drawn on Protec-
tion lines The country In 1894 and again In 1895
voted overwhelmingly for Protection. 1t Is for
the opposition. therefore. To shoulder the re-
sponsibillty for whatever disaster may follow a
policy of starving the Government when the need
Of more money stands fully revealed.