al or suspension of the purchase of silver bullion.
They are ready to-day, to-morrow, or at any moment, to vote for
such repeal. It is equally well known that not more than one-fourth
or one-fifth of the Democratic Senators are in favor of such repeal,
and they will resort to extreme measures to prevent it. They are
openly pronounced for the free coinage of silver or the continuation
of the existing law. The pretense made that Republican Senators
would sacrifice the public interests for a mere political scheme
is without foundation, and I feel like denouncing it. If the
Democratic party will furnish a contingent of ten Senators in
support of the repeal of the silver act of 1890, it will pass the
Senate within ten days. The Democratic party as now represented
in the Senate is, and has been, for the free coinage of silver.
I hope the eastern Democracy and Mr. Cleveland may have some
influence in changing their opinions."

Subsequent events proved the wisdom of this delay.

On January 17, 1893, I reported from the committee on finance the
bill referred to. On the 3rd of February the question of the repeal
of this silver purchasing clause was incidentally brought to the
attention of the Senate by Mr. Teller, who announced that it was
not among the possibilities that it would be repealed at that
session. I took this occasion to explain that the reason why I
had not previously moved to take this bill up was that I was not
satisfied there was a majority in favor of its passage. The question
why it was not taken up had been frequently discussed in the
newspapers, but I did not consider it my duty to make such a motion
when it would merely lead to debate and thus consume valuable time,
though any other Senator was at liberty to make the motion if he
chose to do so. A motion to take it up was subsequently made by
Senator Hill and defeated by a vote of yeas 23, nays 42.

No action was taken on the bill, and I only mention it in view of
subsequent events.

Immediately after the Senate convened on the 18th of January, 1893,
I arose and announced the death of ex-President Hayes in the
following terms:

"It becomes my painful duty to announce to the Senate the death of
Rutherford Birchard Hayes, at his residence in Fremont, Ohio, last
evening at eleven o'clock. By the usage of the Senate, when one
who has been President of the United States dies during the session
of the Senate, it has been, as a mark of respect to hi