Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-08-29
ALEX ANDRIA VA.
FRIDAY EVENING. AUGUST %.
A Great yictory-A skillful Leader.


The 6nal determination Dy the U. b, SEN
ate to postpone, until next winter, the coz
derstion of the federal election, or foice
bill, has given to the country great reilef
,r,m that extreme tension which for months
has kept the people in state OF nervous
avc;tsment While the matter Is not finally
settled, yet, immediate danger being over
ali feel relieved. There is not man In the
country, with any Knowledge of puolic al
fairs. who did not believe, on July % last.
that the federal election bill, would become
a law before the present session OF Congress
would adjourn. The republican majority 10
both houses of Congress was 30 we'll drill
cd, 80 obedient to caucus, and SO cetermin-
ed to secure the next House, by any means
whatever. that there remainded no room for
conjecture that any management Dy tnf
democratic minority could possibly defeat
the federal election bill. 1t was passed
through the House with whoop and went
10 the Senate with all the prestige of party
platform promise, and all the persuasion OF
an undivided party in the House. Inc
tariff bill, the other platform measure, bad
preceded tho election bill, and been
promptly reported TO the Senate, and waa
undergoing consideration. A policy OF IN
broken silence on the part of the repuDh-
cans had been determined upon, and from
the republican press there went daily to
the country the osy against democratic
talk-speect- making delay. 1t was
the policy OF the republicans to observe
mastery inactivity, an imputerbsbie silence
in the hope and expectation that the coun-
try would weary of one-sided discussion, and
send up demand for vote upon the tariff
bill. That bill disposed OF, the federal cleo
ton bill was ready to take it's place on the
calendar and for it's passage through the
Senate. Against such republican tactics
there remaipded with the democrats only
the over of physical endurance,she capaci-
ty to speak on until the session ended. Ine
sole reliance of the country was upon the
capacity OF democratic Senators to endure
the strain of speaking and tiibustering
month after month. The sense of the peo
pie against evident and apparent dilstory
tactics was relied on by the republican Sem
ators to react upon the democrats and de-
ter them from persistence In their only
means OF defeating the obnoxious measure.
The near approach of congressional cleo
ton aided the republican msjority and CO.
Outraged them in the hope that demo-
cratic speaking for the purpose Of delay,
and not for the discussion of the bill, would
react In their favor and be the means OF
gaining coDgressmen e. the North. The
outlook on July 29sh was anything but en-
couraging or hopeful for either the people
of the South or for the democratic party OF
the whole ccuatsy. But one fault had been
committed by the republican ajority the
finance committee of the Senate reported
The tariff bill without any explanatory re-
port, The bill which affected the fortunes
of the people, and which was 10 become
law and remain law ior ten or twenty
years, had been extensively amended by the
Senate committee, but was reported witt
out one line of explanation and without one
single reason for any change in duties, or
any argument why the bill should pass.
That remarkable absence Of all explanation,
coupled with the silence tactics Of the re-
publicans on the floor OF the Senate, opened
to that wstchful and astute leader OF the
democrats, Senator Gormap, point of as
sault, which with masterful astutenees
and ability he seized, and upon which he
concentrated his forces fer an attack. The
speech of Senator Gormsn on July 3Oth
offered DO salient points OF striking oratory
it had no remarkable passages to be
handed down and be remembered,
but il was telling arrsignmeat of the f.
nance committee for lis dereliotion of duty,
in no. obeying the resolution of the Senate
as to the nature and character of the report
which should accompany the tariff bill. LIS
purpose, to draw the republicans away from
their silent tactics, and to put them on their
defence of the bill, was successful In every
respect. Almost every member of the d.
nance committee was dragged out of his
she'll aud forced to take the floor and ex-
plain and defend the bill. From that day
to this the republicans have consumed more
time In debate than the democrats they
have been on the defensive. and instead OF
forcing the democrats into the undesirable
position of debate for the purposes Of delay,
Senator German has placed them In the
fore front of discussion for the necessity Of
defence. The bill has been thoroughly dis
cussed, cruelty disSscted, until its euormi-
ties of taxation, its inequalities of burdens.
and It's effects on the revenue, have divided
the solid republican maj GRITTY and placed the
passage of the bill in jeopardy. But the
full debate of the tariff bill. however desira-