Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-29
TACTICS IN THE SENATE,
Democratic Slips May Give Republicans
the Chance They Want.

The best opinion at the Capitol today is that
1t would be unwise for anybody to assume that
because final action was not taken by the re-
publican senatorial caucus last night on the
national elections bill the measure, therefore,
is doomed to defeat. 1t is pointed out that the
republicans are proceeding with great care in
the premises, and that guess work a. to
the full meaning of this move or that
is likely to be misleading at this time. It was
only the other day that Mr.. Ingalls, was put
down as opposed to the measure and as pub
licly freely predicting that it would not be
passed at this session of the Senate. Yester-
day, however, he as much as gave formal
notice that an elections bill would be passed at
this session. And SO it is with many other
rumors and deductions now doing serv-
ice in the prints The truth. rs a mat
ter OF logical reasoning, seems to be
that the republicans feel themselves
obliged to go on with the subject now that they
have taken it up. The party is in the largest
measure committed to some definite action in
the premises. The House has made it impossi.
BILE for the Senate to halt. The republicans
are now responsible for at least the desire to
enact such a measure into law, and to 90 before
the country simply upon desire to do thing
when there was the power to do it unused
would be something like suicide.
CONSERVATIVE COUNSEL pRRvA1Is.
At the same time il il manifest that the Sen.
ate is inclined to be much more conservative
on the subject than the House WAS when 1t was
disposed of there. Counsel has been taken of
the comments of the press, and OF many COM
munications that have been received by Sena-
tors from much respected private sources It
is learned that the less the measure resembles
a force bill. or one capable of being converted
by hot partisans into force bill, the better
tors are told, will stand some
strengthening Of the safeguards thrown around
the ballot boxes, but no measure calculated to
revolutionize the whole method Of collecting
popular opinion. That method, while always
guaranteeing safety, should allow wide free
dom OF action and the enforcement of 1t should
remain local. 1t seems to be clear, too, that
the bill to be presented to the Senate will show
the effect OF these suggestions, and so far there
Is nothing to indicate that the House will not
accept the amendments. The situation, in.
deed, IS similar to that produced by the diff
ference OF opinion between the two houses on
the tariff bill. Neither house through any
pride Of opinion can afford to defeat the meas
ure. A compromise is thus rendered impera-
tive.
LIMITING DEBATE.
Meanwhile the question of limiting debate
in the Senate is Of great moment, and the feel
ing is that the democratic Senators are placed
IN a position where the wisest discretion should
be exercised. 1t seems to be conceded that
the utmost resistance to the passage of the
elections bill is to be expected from them and
will be pardoned to them, but equally is it con-
coded that measures SO strong should not be
attempted against any other bill now demand
ing the attention of the Senate. Those repub-
licans who desire change of the Senate's
rules also desire that the democrats should be
made to appear as forcing that change in the
interest of the transaction Of the ordinary
business of the public, and this they are likely
to succeed in doing il debate on any and all
subjects from now on should be unduly ex-
tended. For an instance, it was Mr.. Cock
relrs talk against time on the bill for the trans
fer Of the revenue marine that called forth
from Mr.. Frye yesterday an expression favor
ing the use OF the rule moving the previous
question in the Senate. The republicans are
making up their program slowly and demo-
cratic slips from day to day ali enter into its
cOmDosition