Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1893 — JOY FOR SILVER MEN. [ARTICLE]

JOY FOR SILVER MEN.

SENATE FINALLY TIRES OUT AND ADJOURNS. After Being in Continuous Session for Forty, three Honrs a Quorum Cannot Be Found and at I:4S Friday Morning Voorhees Ends the Test. Bad for Repealers. Washington correspondence: The Senate slept with its boots on Wednesday night. The much advertised contest’ of physical endurance had begun, and tne owlish Senators seemed determined to sit it out. All day long there were evidences of preparation for the fight. Few Senators were in the chamber, but a glance into the cloak rooms and a peep into the committee rooms showed many of them sleeping on the couches and sofas, husbanding their stiength for a siege which they appreciated would test most severely every energy which they could muster. Forces on both sides of the battle were divided so as to be able to give each other relief by taking up the defense of their position in turn. The great number of employes of the Senate were likewise separated into relays, in anticipation of continuous work.

The first round of the struggle, at 8 o’clock in the evening, was marked by a challenge from Mr. Dubois and by a notable speech from Mr. Voorhees, in which he defended his management of the repeal bill and declared a question greater than silver or gold had now appeared—the question whether the majority or the minority was to rule in this country. Mr. Butler, of South Carolina, made a vehement appeal to' Mr. Voorhees to throw himself “in the breach,” and by returning to his early love, free silver, put an end to the contest. The Senate settled down to an all-night siege. As the evening wore on it became apparent no one in the chamber had any idea, the test of endurance would result in anything but failure. The maneuvering appeared to be solely with putting blame upon the other side.. The Republicans, though taking credit to themselves for having offered cloture and a legal, orderly way out of the difficulty, were still loath to leave the chamber and thus lay themselves open to the charge of having, broken the quorum. The Democrats, repealers and anti-repealers alike were actuated by the same desire. They stuck to their seats or to the cloaK-rooms near by, determined that the quorum should be broken, if at all, by the disappearance of Republicans. It was a case in which two doctors appeared to be sitting up with a dying patient, each determined to be in at the death and to charge responsibility therefor upon the other fellow.

The Senate Adjourns. All night Wednesday night, all day Thursday and until nearly 2 o’clock Friday morning the stars and stripes floated from the flagstaff at the top of the big dome of the Capitol, indicating that the “dignified branch” of Congress was still in session. At 1:45 o’clock Friday morning, after a continuous session of forty-threb hours, the Senate adjourned, on motion of Senator Voorhees. The end had been foreseen for three hours, as one Senator after another abandoned the Senate from sheer exhaustion. At midnight a roll-call disclosed three short of a quorum. It took forty minutes to secure the necessary three. They were Palmer, Berry, and Blackburn. Ten minutes later the quorum was broken again, and this time it took an hour and ten minutes to find a sufficient number for business. During the long wait Voorhees said that he would consent to a recess, but he would not yield to adjournment. His admission was taken to mean that the fight was lost. No sooner had a quorum been secured than it was broken for the third time. This time Sergeant-at-arms Bright made written report to the Senate that at the homes of sixteen absent Senators it was reported that they “were not in.” He specified many other excuses of absentees. It was only too plain that the Sergeant-at-arms’ report was designed as a pretext to make adjournment'natural and necessary. The last word of the report had hardly left the clerk's lips when Voorhees was on his feet. “Mr. President,” said he, in a voice without tremor or emotion, “there need be no comment on the meaning of that report. It tells its own story. I move that the Senate adjourn.” The vote was put and carried without a dissenting voice and the fate of the silver repeal bill was sealed'. What will next bo done is difficult to tell. The silver men have now shown their ability to dictate terms, and it is thought the end will be a compromise on the lines of the Harris amendment. Mr. Harris* Amendment. The amendment introduced by Mr. Harris provides: 1. For the coinage of all the silver bullion In the treasury. representing the government seigniorage, Into full legal-tender dollars at the rate of 3,000,i.00 per month. 2. When this seigniorage shall have been coined the Secretary of the Treasury shall purchase each month bullion sufficient to coin dollars, and to coin the bullion into legaltender dollars. 3. That all paper notes or certificates of less denomination than $1” shall be redeemed and not reissued and that national bank notes of less denomination than $lO shall be redeemed and the national banks required to substitute notes of that denomination. 4. That the $2.50 and $5 gold pieces shall no longer be coined, but when received at the treasury shall be i ecolned as eagles and double eagles. 5. That the holders of standard silver dollars shall be able to exchange such dollars on presentation for notes of the same legal-tender qualities as such silver dollars, which shall be paid for their redemption.