The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-02-10
ELKTON, FEBRUARY 10, 1894
THE WILSON BILL IN THE SENATE

Although the Wilson bill with its
most Objectionable features has passed
the House, it IS by no means certain
that it will pass the Snate in the same
form, if indeed it pass it at all.
The Democratic majority in the
Senate is small ; at least halt of it IS
made up of members who are not in
sympathy with the Cleveland admlnistra
ton, and it is we'll known that some of
the features of the original bill, indepen.
dentof the income tax, are Objectionable
to Democratic Senator's Not few of
the Democrats in the House who voted
for fer it -ddiiaa-se--in the hope and belief
that what they lacked the courage to
do in offering it opposition will be done
by the Senate.
In the Senate it will be impossible to
apply the whip and spur as has been
done III the House for forcing the ill
to any early vote. 1t will first be
taken up by the Finance Committee
which will overhaul all the schedules
and will doubtless lay it before the
Senate in a shape different from that
in which the comittee will receive it.
There is no likelihood that the bill will
be out of the committee before March
or April, and the debate in the Senate
will be a prolonged one. Under no
circumstances can a vote be reached
before the middle of the summer, and
of course the bill will then go to a
conference committee as the Mckinley
bill did after the Senate had spent four
months in its consideration. 1t is
impossible now to make any reasonable
speculation as 10 the form which the
bill will take when it finally emerges
from the Senate for the decision of the
joint conference.
But if there shall be no essential
modification CT the bill by the Senate
or by the Conference Committee the
duty of the Republicans will be plain
and unmistakeable. 1t will be to fight
the measure with every parliamentary
weapon at their command. The Wilson
bill proposes the overthrow of Amer,
can industries it revolutlonizes the
economic and financial policy of the
government 1t is avowedIy a step
towards more sweeping changes in the
future and it is In opposition to day to
the sense and will of great majority
of the American people. The Repubi-
cans should resist it to the bitter end
and they will be justified in such a
course not only by their convictions OF
right and duty but by the knowledge
that the people expect them to stand
together like stone wall in opposition,
and will sustain them at the polls.
The Republican policy in the Senate
should be general repetition of the
same tactics by which the Democrats
in that body succeeded IN defeating
the Federal Elections bill IN 1890. 1t
should be based on the condition that
so radical measure as the Wilson bill
now is should not finally be acted upon
until the sense Of the people has been
taken at the polls. In other words
the Republicans should insist upon the
postponement of a vote in the Senate
until December next. II in the mean
time, at the November election, when
the bill will be the vital and paramount
issue at the polls, the people should
sustain it by the election of Demo
cratic House the Republicans may
then abondon their opposition and bow
to the popular verdict. If on the
other hand the people should elect a
Republican House, the Democrats will
ne obliged to withdraw the bill as one
condemned by the country.