The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-01-09
Republican Senatorial Caucus
at Last Takes Action.
ON THE REVENUE MEASURE
Adopt the House Bill Without
Material Change.
BUT IT MAY YET BE AMENDED.
A Number of Amendments viii he
introduced by the Silver Men, but
It's Not Probable That They
Will be Passed.

Washington. Jan. S.--The feature of
the Republican Senatorial caucus held
to-day was discussion OF the advisa
bility of amending the House tariff
bill by adding free coinage amend
ment to it in the Senate. This dis
cussion 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 yesterday, representing the
sense of the caucus to be that the
Finance Committee should report the
bill as it came from the House with ?.
few verbal changes, which will not al
ter the meaning of the measure in any
essential feature. There was no roll
| call upon this motion, but there were
a few dissenting voices.
There was no formal effort to bind
the Senators to support the bill when
it should come before 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
consideration that the silver question
came up.
Senator Mitchell, of Oregon, was the
first to respond to this inquiry. He
stated that he should join the silver
forces in the effort to secure the adop-
ton of the free coinage substitute for
the House bond bill, but that, with
the silver question disposed of as an
immediate contention, he would advise
that the silver Republicans refrain
from participation in any effort that
| might be made to amend the tariff
bill by adding free coinage provis-
| ion.
Senator Carter followed in the same
| line of argument, advising united ac-
tion on the part of the silver Republi-
cans in opposition to such an amend
ment in the event of the previous pass
| age of the silver substitute for the bond
bill.
Senator Teller announced his inten-
| tion to vote for a silver amendment if
| offered from any source, without an
nouncing any purpose OF presenting
such an amendment himself.
Brief speeches were also made ON
| this feature of the question by Sen
| atOrs Dubois, Mantle, Shoup and
| others.
There was a sufficiently general ex-
| preston of opinion among the silver
| Senators to show that there were not
| TO exceed "a half dozen who would
| hold out against unanimous agree
ment to refrain from voting for a sill
| yer 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 aginst
the policy of amendment could be
induced TO vote against these amend
| ments regardless of the action of their
colleagues they could defeat a 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 eff
feet to both the bond and the tariff
bills.
Mr.. Baker also reiterated his declar-
alton of yesterday to disregard the
instructions of the caucus and vote
against the bill unless amended on
protection lines.
There was a general expression of
opinion that the bill, whether amend
ed or unamended i'm the Senate, would
never become a law. Several Senators
expressed the opinion that it could not
receive executive sanction.
After the conclusion of the consider
alton of the tariff bill an effort was
made to proceed to the consideration
of the reorganization of the Senate
by the election of genral officers, but
the meeting adjourned without tax
ing up this proposition. Immediately
after adjournment call was circu-
lated for caucus tomorrow to con-
slider this question, and it is under
stood that n sufficient number of sig
natures was received to insure eau
Gus for that purpose at the time speci-
fled.