The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-12-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.

i Change in the Tariff Schedules
! Blaine not Likely to Form
any Combination with Har-
fisOn-Knute Nelson Re-
garded as a Power in
Minnesota Politics.
Union Special Correspondence. .-.4. :
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, $780,
The present session of congress
does not appear to be very pros
pective of exciting events, and
there is more probability of dull
ness than any short.session of con-
gress in many years. While for a
day or two it is exciting enough
when flibustering is going on, yet
the scenes Of the last session of
congress when the Republicans
lacked quorum, and the Demo-
Gratis flibustered by absenting
themselves, makes this session. ex-
tremely dull and uninteresting.
In the senate of course the flibus-
tering will be conducted by means
Of long harangues and debates,
providing the Democrats decide to
prevent the passage of the appor-
tionment bill in that way. That
they intend to prevent such a bill
is evident from the tone of re-
marks made by the Democratic
leaders not only in Washington
but in other parts of the country.
It is a fortunate thing that the
most important legislation for
| Minnesota, and especially the
northern part Of the State, was put
through at the last session. There
are, Of course, a few bills pending
which it would be better to have
passed, but upon the whole the
delegation can consider itself quite
fortunate in having at the long
session of congress secured legis-
lation of the most pressing kind.
One object in having the appor-
tionment bill postponed until the
next congress is that the Demo-
Gratis will then have an opportunity
to legislate, or at least to have an
equal voice in the framing of the
measure. 1t is claimed by those
Democrats who claim to be con-
sentative that with a Republican
senate and Democratic house
more fair, equal and just appor-
tionment bill could be passed than
when both houses are Republican,
and Republican president is in
the White House. But then the
apportionment is a part of the Re-
publican victory of 1888, and it
would be decidedly Mugwumpish
we're the Republicans to relinquish
it for any sentimental purpose.
However, the only way that it can
be defeated at this session is by the
lond-winded debates in the senate,
and it is possible that the Republi-
cans will, before they allow such a
thing to be done, SO change the
rules of the senate that they can
cut off debate and pass the bill.
This, of course, would be an excit-
ing incident, because it would be a
precedent and something that
would shock great many of those
who stand firmly for senatorial
courtesy. Aside from the passage
of the apportionment bill there is
little legislation Of a national char
acter that can be put through ex-
cept, Of course, the usual appro-
priation bills. It is even limited
now by leading Democrats that
any attempt to pass the apportion-
ment bill will be met by filibuster-
ing tactics Of appropriation bills,
and that these will also be post
poned, making an extra session of
congress in the spring imperative,
and giving the Democrats the pre-
cedent of organizing the house
several months before the usual
time. Meanwhile the man with
the local wood-chuck will haunt
the corridors of the capitol, and
longingly wait for quorums, and
for the end Of the tedious debates,
SO that he may be enabled to get
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