When the advocates of
silver insisted that the provision for bullion purchase was too
vague, a substitute was prepared which definitely required the
Secretary of the Treasury to purchase 4,500,000 ounces of silver
bullion in one month. The bill, as thus amended, was put through
the House under special rule by a strict party vote. But when
the bill reached the Senate, the former party agreement could no
longer be maintained, and the Republican leaders lost control of
the situation. The free silver Republicans combined with most of
the Democrats to substitute a free coinage bill, which passed the
Senate by forty-three yeas to twenty-four nays, all the negative
votes save three coming from the Republican side.
It took all the influence the party leaders could exert to
prevent a silver stampede in the House when the Senate substitute
bill was brought forward; but by dexterous management, a vote of
non-concurrence was passed and a committee of conference was
appointed. The Republican leaders now found themselves in a
situation in which presidential non-interference ceased to be
desirable, but president Harrison could not be stirred to action.
He would not even state his views. As Senator Sherman remarked in
his "Recollections," "The situation at that time was critical. A
large majority of the Senate favored free silver, and it was
feared that the small majority against it in the other House
might yield and agree to it.
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