People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 August 1893 — Washington Letter. [ARTICLE]

Washington Letter.

! Prom Our Bcffalar CorremvmUent. Washington, D. C., Aug. 11th. The first week of congress has been largely devoted to caucuses and conferences. The anti-silver Democrats have caucussed and organized for the fight, and it cannot be denied that their organization in the House is compact and strong. The free-coinage men in the House have also caucussed and organized, besides passing the following resolution: Resolved, ' that we will support a bill repealing the purchasing clause of the Sherman act and concurrently providing for the free and unlimited coinage of silver, with full legal’ tender on such a ratio as will provide and maintain the parity between gold and silver. In addition it authorized the appointment of a committee of seven to draft a bill in accordance with the above resolution and to take steps to secui'e a full and free discussion and consideration thereof, and a vote of the House upon the bill and all proper amendments. J udge Culbertson, of Texas, who presided over the caucus, was added to the committee after the following members were selected: Bland, Sibley, Boatner, Bankhead and I^ailey. The disposition of the Democratic senators in the short discussion which was precipitated early in the week to strike out independently, caused the managers of that party to calf a caucus to consider methods of business, and it is reported to have been one of the liveliest held for a long time. No conclusion was reached, and a committee of five was appointed with instructions to try to arrange a program upon which the caucus could agree. The task is not envied by their colleagues. The Senate committee on finance held its first meeting yesterday and made arrangements to begin the consideration of the numerous financial bills that have already been introduced and referred to it. When this committee was first selected it was strongly in favor of free coinage, and it is believed to be so yet, although Senator Voorhees, its chairman, has announced his willingness to vote for the unconditional repeal of the Sherman law. Senator Sherman has been counted by some people as one of those who favored applying cloture to the silver debate in the Senate, but he took-the very first opportunity given liim to declare against cloture. He said: “I wish to see the broadest discussion, because if there ever was a time when fair discussion should be allowed it is now. I would not hurry or hasten any man In the expression of his opinion. I believe that the time has come, after we have considered the matter with moderation and patience, when we will cotne to some common agreement that will relieve the public mind.” The occasion of Mr. Sherman’s remarks was the introduction by Senator Lodge, of Massachusetts, ©f a resolution instructing the finance committee to immediately report a bill for the repeal of the Sherman law and providing that a vote should be taken upon it on August 22nd. The adoption of such a resolution would of itself be the most binding sort of a cloture rule, and the senators think its introduction was a bit of presumption on the part of a new senator.

It is claimed by the administration representatives that a poll of the House, made by them this week, shows a majority of thirty-five for the repeal of the Sherman silver law, and that all they now need is an agreement by which a vote can be reached at an early day. The silver men deny the correctness of this poll, and claim that men have been counted only favor the repeal of the law conditionally. That is, if a satisfactory substitute be presented to take its pla'ce. Negotiations have been going on all the week to get the matter before the house at once, instead of waiting for the appointment of committees and adoption of rules. While this is irregular and for that reason opposed. by many members, it will be legal and can be accomplished by a majority vote of the house. The idea is that an agreement shall be made allowing so much time for the discussion of bills to be introduced by the silver men and then to vote upon all those bills and if all of them be defeated then t® vote on the repeal of the Sherman law. According to the present understanding this will be done

whether an agreement be reached or not. The only difference being, that with an agreement between the silver and ti-silver men there would be no filibustering and a date would be set to begin voting upon the bills and amendments, while without au agreement there would almost certainly be filli- j bustering and the discussion would be liable to be prolonged indefinately. Representative j Bland says the silver men will | not attempt to flllibuster if a fair j time be allowed for discussion.