The morning call., 1891-12-27
TINKERING
THE TARIFF.
What the Democrats Will Now
Attempt to Do.
NO Prospects Of Passing Free Coinage Bill.
& Protection for Alaska Seal
ROOkerieS.
Special for THE MORNING GILL

| WASHINGTON. Dec. 26.-It is reported
that tariff bill on the line of the Mills
Dill will be introduced and referred to the
| committee on Interstate and Foreign Com
| merce of which Mills is Chairman.
1t is believed that if this is done the COM
mittee will report the bill favorably, and
mat 1t will stand some chance Of passing.
The Mills supporters claim that a good
many Democratic members who voted for
Crisp because they considered him best fit
ted by temperament for the Speakership are
IN favoNOf passing a general tariff bill in
stead OF doing it piecemeal as Springer
| contempiates. The Mills men claim that a
majority of the House Democrats will vote
TO send such a general tariff bill to the
Mills committee, instead of sending it to
Chairman Springer of the Ways and Means
| Committee. The Republicans would of
course have something to say about what
committee should consider the tariff bills
McKenna of California is a member of the
| Ways and Means Com mittee, and he does
not believe that the House would consent
| to the Commerce Committee acting upon the
| bill. Geary of California who is member
| OF the last-named committee, believes that
a majority of the Democrats In the House
would rather see the tariff bill in charge of
Mills than Springer. AT any rate the pros
| poets Of a lively time in the Democratic
ranks seem bright enough.
DIRECT VOTE FOR SENATOR'S.
The Post publishes editorialy short ex-
tracts from the prominent newspapers ia
voring the selection of United States Sena-
tors by direct vote of the people. Some of
| them are as follows:
| Pittsburg Post: We would like to see the
| Democratic House pass such an amendment
| and national convention iudorse it. Sena-
| tor Palmer Of Illinois is a strong champion
| Of the reform.
| Philadelphia Evening Telegraph; The
election of United States Senators by popu-
| lar vote is a reform that will come in the
| near future. 1t is favored by both Republi-
| cans and Democrats, and as conservative as
the Senate itself has always been on this
| question, 1t is now favored by many of the
members of that body, and probably by
majority of them.
| Philadelphia Record: Senator Turpie: has
made strong argument in favor of such a
change in the Constitution of the United
| States as would permit of the vote of the
people for United States Senator. In max
ing this change one step further should be
taken, and the President and Vice Presi-
| Gent be made elective by a direct vote. To
| thi- conclusion must we come at last.
| chicago Tribune: So great is the political
| conservatism of Americans that it is not
| likely that Senator Turpie's amendment
will meet with an immediate warm and en-
thusiastic response. There is no reason,
| however, why Congress should not submit
| it to the States for their consideration. If
that is done, it will not take long to find out
whether there is any general demand Tor
| the change.
| FREE COINAGE AGITATION.
| Al this time there appears to be an excel
| lent prospect of an agreement among the
| Democrats to avoid disturbing the dscus-
| sions in the House through the agitation of
| the silver question. 1t does not appear that
| the silver men contemplate any abandon
| ment of their principles or of the hope of
securing the free coinage Of silver at some
| time in the not very remote future, but
some Of the most active and earnest among
them Will discourage any agitation of the
| question, when the only thing that could be
accomplished would be to divide their party
and provoke hostility in the East, where
| Il
revision Of the tariff as the party believes
to be important. 1t is regarded as entirely
probable that such radical free silver men as
| Bland, will be satisfied TO make declara-
tion of principles " for the hundredth time"
and then to await the coming of the time
when there may be at least some little pros
pect of accomplishing their aims.
COULD NOT BE PASSED.
| III is very doubtful that a free-coinage bill
| could be put through the Senate at this
| Congress, though that was the only body to
pass such bill during the last Congress.
| Everybody understands how the action of
| the Senate was brought about at that time
that the election-bll fight had more than
anything else to do with 1t. The same in-
| tuences probably cannot be made to work
in this Congress. but, even if it were posi-
ble to pass bill til rough both Houses of
| Congress, it would certainly he vetoed by
the President, and nothing would be accom-
| plished by such course except to excite
| irritation. The chances are, therefore. that
the agitation will be postponed by the
| friends of free coinage, who are practical
| enough to care for results only. withoutany
| desire to make an empty show.
PROTECTING THE RooKERIES
| N"ptolH tHe
| revenue steamer Rush, has made his report
to the Treasury Department of the cruise of
| that vessel in Alaskan waters from October
| 18th TO December 5th. He said the weather
| was b0ister0us nearly all the time and con-
| slderab lie difficulty was experienced in exc
| cutting the orders OF the department COLI
corning the collection Of data in regard to
| pelagic sealing and the landing of mail and
| StCraS ni
| he is convinced, if it is necessary to guard
the rookeries on st. Paul and st. George Is
land until December 1st, 1t would be the
wisest policy to place an officer of the
revenue marine on the islands in charge of
| number of men to act as leaders In organZ-
| ing company or squad Of natives for regu-
| lar patrol and guard. These men would
| only be required to he at the stations or
| rookeries on the lee side of the islands, as il
| is impossible to land on the western side in
| bad weather. Lii calm weather guard
should be placed at each rookery
FOOD FOR RUssIA's POOR.
Senator Washhurn of Minnesota wrote to
| Secretary Of the Navy Tracy asking the use
OF naval vessel TO transport to Europe the
| breadstuffs contributed in this country for
| the relief of the famine sufferers in Russia
| Secretary Tracy replied that 1t gives him
| pleasure to say that the Navy Department
concurs heartily in the proposal and will
| willingly do all in its power to further so
generous and suitable project. The sail
| ing ship Constellation, now at Annapolis,
which was formerly used to carry food to
the starving people OF Ireland, is available.
THE BENICIA GUN-FoUNDRY.
| Representative McKenna, when Congress
reassembles, will introduce in the House a
bill appropriating $1,000, 600 for the erection,
| purchase or manufacture of the necessary
buildings. machinery, tools and fixtures for
| gun factory for finishing and senbhng
ordnance for the army and navy and for
| constructing the mounts for ammunition
and other accessories therefor, with a pro-
viso that not more than $500, 600 of this sum
shall be expended for the erection and COM