Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-08-21
Correspondence From the Capitol.
WASHINGTON. August 10. ~

WASHINGTON, August 10, go.
The advocates of the Federal Elec-
ton bill are getting very restive because
the tariff does not "get disposed of" more
rapidly. The fact that but four pages
of the bill have been gone over in the
Senate suggests calculation as to how
long it will take to get through the 1S1
pages in the bill, with the most difficult
matter to deal with yet to come. At the
present rate of progress it looks as if the
Federal Election bill might have long
timeto wait yet. 1t cannot be said, how
ever, that the Democrats are at loss to find
things to say about the tariff bill and
that they are talking to kill time. That
they are saying things on the subject that
have some meaning is evidenced by the
fact that the Republicans concluded that
it was necessary to break their compact
of silence and have Mr.. Morrill, reply to
some of the criticisms and defend the
bill. 1t will be very difficult to convict
the Democrats of filibustering, for if half
the legitimate amendments were offered
that might be two months would not be
long time for the consideration Of the
bill. With this condition of things it is
not necessary for the Democrats, even if
they desired to kill time. to proceed in
any but an orderly way. They might
even be generous and pass over many
matters they would like to contest, and
yet vote on the bill cannot possibly be
reached in time to satisfy the necessities
of the Federal Election bill. 1t is a
grave mistake, however, to assume that
the majority of the Republicans have
given up the hope of passing the Elec-
ton bill. But what they are unable to
do is to force the Election bill to the
front as they would like to. Rowell, the
Chairman of the Elections Committee of
the House, who is more the author of
the bill than is Lodge, said Saturday
that he expected the bill to pass, but he
had no idea that it would pass in time to
be in operation during this fall's elections.
~
| Thorough paced as Speaker Reed 8
management of the House of Represen-
tatives has been, he has fallen far short
of accomplishing the task which he set
for himself at the beginning of the ses-
sion. At that time he said he did not
see why the House should not take vote
on every bill before it and adjourn by
the 4th of July. The 4th of July passed
a month ago and the House is still in
session, with the prospect of being in
session month or two longer. All told
not more than nVe nundreu DIS ana
resolutions of all sorts have become
laws this session, while the bills and
resolutions reported to the House-not
to mention the thousands upon which
the committees have not acted-there
are still sixteen hundred on the calendars
upon which the House has not taken a
vote, and many of these, right or wrong
are bills of great importance. General
public bills making select appropriations
are placed on the calendar of the Com
mittee of the whole House on each State
of the Union. About 400 of these are
still waiting to be taken up by the House
The House calendar proper consists Of
general bills which do not carry appro
priations. OF these there are about
200. The private calendar carries about
l 900 bills. Then there are about 10(
bills classed as unfinished business, hav
ing been partly considered by the House
and temporarily laid aside without fina
action, And on the calendar of privileged
reports there are four committee reports
on contested election cases, three of then
recommending the unseating of the SIT
ting members, so that after all the state
ments made by Speaker Reed month
ago that the House had practically COM
pleted its business and would have beer