Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-25
NEW MEN AND NEW MEASURES.
The Problem Before the Demoerats-The
Speakership and the Committees.

The Problem Before the Demoerats-The
speakership and the Committees.
The reports made by the new members
elected to the next House and by others who
come 10 Washington from those sections Of the
country where there is the most political dis
turbanees-disturbance Of political creeds-in-
dictate the growth of the opposition to high
tariff. ~ represented by the Mckinley bill, has
got beyond the expectation Of the most SAN
guine tariff reformer and that every other issue
will have to give way before that of reduction
Of taxation. There are now a number OF the
Farmers Alliance men in Washington who have
come in quietly TO get peep at Congress and
see what the body is like that they are to be
members of when it next convenes. They all
make the same report as to the state of the
public sentiment in their respective localities.
One cannot listen to them without becoming
convinced that the Mckinley bill has done
much to destroy the protective system. The
dangers which the moderate protectionists saw,
which caused them to oppose the Mckinley bill,
lest the people, being too heavily burdened
would revolt and overthrow the whole Of pro-
lection, appears to be very near at hand, and
the widest hopes OF the absolute free trader
are given promise of fulillment Men who
come here from among the humber, the dis
contented classes, in different parts OF the
country say, regardless of what their own
opinions are. that where but short while ago
the advocates Of reduced tariff had to deal very
gently with the protection question, lest they
offend men who thought they were benefited
by protection, the cry is
LOUD AND BOLD FoR FREE TRADE.
The people do not stop at slice, but demand
the whole loaf. They are demanding more
money and are making all sorts OF. demands be-
sides. but the relief from taxation is the one
thing for which they cry louder than for any
of the rest The democrats of Congress see
this and are impressed with the idea that they
will have to bring IN measure Of relief far
more radical than they have ever before con-
templated il they are to meet the demands
which the reform educational campaign en-
forced by the terrible example of the Mckinley
bill has excited. This imposes upon them
very delicate task, which they are already
thinking Of seriously and preparing themselves
for, and the more they think Of it the deeper
they are impressed with sense of the neces-
slty of keeping the party united and devoting
themselves to this question, leaving other
issues to be settled as they may. They must
deepen the channel and keep within its bounds
sensible of the responsibility and it is consid-
cred in all their plans for the future.
THE SPEAKER AND THE COMMITTEES
There is general agreement among the sew
srsl candidates for the speskership that who
ever is elected Speaker OF the next House
there will have to be thorough reorganization
Of the ways and means committee 30 as to have
every section Of the country represented in the
majority, the south being represented and
nothing more. The danger of q sectional fight
over the speakership has been considered and
there is q practical agreement-excluding from
it. of course, these northern candidates-that
the best speakership material is to be found in
the south. and that to the north, east and west
it is matter Of much greater Importance to
control the committees. 1t is, therefore re-
garded by the wisest party managers as likely
that the Speaker viii be southern man and
that the other sections will have the making of
the committees to their own satisfaction. This
will involve general shaking up Of the House
and an overthrow Of traditions as to prece-
dence. but the situation, the introduction of
the new element into the House, the fact that a
majority Of the democrats will not come from
the south, renders 1t necessary, and it is con-
sidered as obviously the best policy for the
party.