Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-22
IN A D e N Sc FOG
The Situation of the Repeal Bill in the
Senate.
Fflfbustering May Prevent the Pas.
sage In That Body of the Elec-
tIons and Tariff Bills.


A repeal Senator expressed the situation
Id the Senate to a representative Of The
Star today by saying that they were sur
rounded by a dense fog and could not see
ahead Of them. It had been demonstrated,
he said. that the anti-repeal men had force
enough to keep up q fllibuster Indefinitely
II they were SO disposed. AT present" he
said. "they seem determined to fight until
the Voorhees, bill Is killed. The only ques-
ton appears to be. can they be brought to
yield to public sentiment? If they are not
sensible to public sentiment then there ap-
pears to be no way out Of It."
This appears to be very nearly the situa-
ton as well as anyone can understand 1t.
1t Is evident enough that II the nineteen
men who voted against Mr.. voorhees, last
evening are determined to nlibuster until
the bill is dead they have 1t in their power
to do SO. That number Of Senators could.
under the present practices OF the Senate.
con tinue a flibuster almost without limit.
and it is said that there are several others
who were not then present to vote who be-
long in the ranks Of the obstructionists.
Plans of the ObstructiOnists.
Their expectation is that. without much
ters In the Senate just as they are at pres
ent until the l1th or 18th Of November.
when they expect the bill for the repeal OF
the federal election laws to come over from
the House. By that time they believe that
the advocates OF the voorhees, bill Will nave
practically given UP the fight, Unless COM
promise has been reached meanwhile, ana
that II will not then be difficult TO lay the
bill aside and take up something else. But,
as they say. II the elections bill should not
come from the House by that time, they
could keep up the flibustertug as much Ion
The situation certainly looks more com
piicated than 1t has at any time yet, end
growing out Of this fight over finance there
is danger that the complications may con-
tinue throughout the Congress. TO the detri-
ment Of all important LEGISLATION. The
power to kill of measures by hlibustering
Is unlimited. II there are enough Senators
interested to keep II up, and IL can be ap-
Piled just as well to other measures as to
the one now pending. IT Is very generally
believed that the republicans in the Senate
will apply the same tactics to secure the
defeat OF the federal election bill and the
tariff bill as the silver men are now using
against the Voorhees, bill. II they do, and
keep 1t up, neither the tariff nor the fed
eral elections bill can get through the SEN
ate without q change In the rules
A General Failure.
This opens up the prospect Of Q very gen.
eral failure Of legislation during the Fifty
third Congress. 1t would not be surprising
II the House. without dificulty. should pass
all the important measures which the dem
ocratic managers have In contemplation,
and that all these measures should come UP
against q solid stone wall in the Senate,
rendering this Congress impotent. There
seems to be no doubt that the House will
get through its legislati ation with considerable
expedition. and 1t would be a curious specta-
Gle to have a very business-like House dis
posing OF measures with q free hand and
everything goreed m the Senate A great
situation and 1t occasions considerable ap-
prehension.
The bill for the repeal Of the federal elec-
tons laws will doubtless pass the House by
a considerable majority and other measures
are expected to come up after that to I'LL
In the time before q tariff bill can be report
ed or perhaps there may be a brief recess
ending on the 1st of November. Having
finished their hearing. the committee on
ways and means are going to work at once to
the revision Of the tariff and they expect to
have their bin reported to the House during
the first week Of November In fact. there
is a very pressing demand upon them to
have the bill ready by that time.
The Probable Tariff Bill.
It Is the unanimous sentiment OF the
democrats Of the committee that there
should be a broad and general revision.
with as great a reduction Of duties as can
be accomplished within the lines Of a reve-
nue. tartn. and in all probability the bill
reported will be much more radical than
any yet reported from a democratic ways
and means committee. With such a bill
ss is contemplated, the opposition OF the
republicans will be of the most determined
character, and there may be not entire
harmony amongst the democrats. But
whatever opposition may come from demo-
Gratis in the House. there is every reason
to believe that quite a radical tariff bill
VIII pass the House by substantial majori-
ty. This bill may be expected to excite the
most determined opposition possible from
republicans In the Senate and II Is ques-
tionable whether they will permit a vote to
be taken on 1t there. Against the federal
elections bill and the tariff bill they might
filibuster month in and month out and
without some rule to check flibustering
the democratic majority would be power
less.
A Change Necessary.
Therefore, the present situation as tn the
silver bill and the outlook toward these
other measures makes 1t very evident that
there Is pressing necessity for a change
of methods Of procedure of the Senate. A
prominent republican Senator expressed the
opinion to a representative or The star to-
day that the experience OF the Senate in the
matter OF the silver controversy would con-
vince every one that some rule for cloture
would have to be adopted. He did not be-
lieve that any cloture rule could be adopted
pending this contest, but he believed that
after 1t was ever there will be a general
sentiment In favor Of correcting the evil of
allowing the minority to hold a power To
check all business. The Senator was one
who Is on the silver side of this question
who Is very willing to use this power as
long as the Senate puts 1t in his hands,
But he thinks that this demonstration of
the helplessness Of the majority, when con-
fronted by determined opposition, Will
demonstrate the folly Of the longer adher-
ence to the old-fashioned methods