The Portland daily press., 1893-12-23
ON THE ANXIOUS SEAT.
Democratic Senator's Hear from the
Folks at Home.
HILL AND MURPHY SHAKE THEIR
HEADS LUGUBRIOUSLY.

One Well Known Democrat Thinks the
Thinner Tariff Reform Is Spread Over
the Country, the Better-senator Mar
tin Is Studying an Object Lesion in
the Probable Ruin of His Own Town
Pc ffer May Oppose the Tariff Bill.
New York, Decent ber ga A Washing
ton despatch TO the Press says:
All forecasts of the fate of the Wilson
free trade bill in the Senate are extreme
ly difficult because at the present
moment the sentiment for and against
the bill has not crystallized. AS in the
House of representatives Democrats
are roundly abusing Professor Wilson
and his proposed measure. There are all
sorts of reasons for this, but the question
which concerns the country most deeply
is whether any of these reasons for oppo-
sition can be removed, or failing of that,
will they prove strong enough to warrant
vote against the bill as whole.
After talking with over score of lead
ing Senators of both political parties
should be inclined to summarize the
situation in the Senate on the tariff bill
iron ore are causing Senators Morgan
and Pugh of f1Alabama, Daniel and Hun
Ton of Virginia, Fulkner and Camden of
West Virginia and German and Gibson
of Maryland trouble. These gentle-
men are not only being harassed with
petitions from the miners and coal Oper-
ators, but the railroad lines depending
almost for existence upon the transporta-
tion of these commodities are vigorously
pressing for fair play. The opposition to
these two items is undoubtedly the most
formidable, because the prime movers
are, almost to man, Democrats. The
opponents of this bill will have some
hard nuts to crack should it ever reach
the Senate. OF the Senators above
mentioned some are declaring they can
not vote for the bill, in its present shape,
others are saying the tariff should be
settled on business principles by the con-
servative Senators of both parties, while
yet others are watchful but doing no
talking.
A widely known Democratic Senator
said to me this morning: "The thinner
spread their tariff reform over the
country the better for the country and
the party"
Both Senators Hill and Murphy when
/ asked them about the probable fate of
the bill in the Senate shook their heads
ana DO6h Qepl0reQ, WIN deeply I'M =
pressive it-is-poor-M Mr.. Cleveland s-mis-
take air the terrible condition of the
working people
There are besides these elements other
forces opposed to the bill in the Senate.
Senator Martin of Kansas is seriously
con ontemplating a tariff object lesson
which threaten S to destroy his own
town. 1t will be hard to convince Mr..
Martin that free trade is good for his
salt industry and the rate of duty of 1888
the proper thing for the cotton schedule.
Senator PETER was once the vice pres1-
dent of the American Protective Tariff
League for Kansas, and in those days he
was regarded as sound for American in
dustry and labor. Under present condi-
tions be is by no means certain to vote
for the Wilson bill The New Jersey
Senators, especially the junior Senator,
is very much alarmed at the turn of
affairs in that state, and they would
both gladly run to cover under shelter of
"a more conservative BILL" Both the
Louisiana and Alabama delegations have
held meetings and expressed dissatisfac-
t1on with the bill.
1t seems almost incredible when the
forces working against this bill are an
alyzed that the bill will pass. A change
of three OR four votes among twenty ap-
parently indifferent Senators will defeat
the Wilson bill. Three OF this number
cannot be regarded as strictly party
men, and one has not even Democratic
proclivities