Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-03-12
POLLING THE SENAIE.
Calculating the Vote Has Been !
Common Pastime.
Ii All ths csmbiaatisas Il d Pssminsat-
rasia aad Silver.


the Wilson bill. No matter what else it
may do or mny have done, it has made the
polling industry lively and the room OF the
senate finance committee the storm center
OF the capitol. While every man has his
own polling list, the general mass may be
reduced to three, with slight variations,
and tits suggestive fact that in each OF
she three the Populistsfig as the proba-
bic deciding power. AS there are A Demo
Gratis. 80 Republicans dncluding Stewart on
tariff, Populists and vacancies in the
senate, II is plain that by transferring one
or niorc Of the Populists this way and that
pleasing variety Of combinations can be
made.
II the income tax is left in the bill, it is
considered certain that two or more Demo-
Gratis will vote against it. II i is left cut,
it IS beyond question that all the Populists
g will vote against 1t. II the sugar tax is left
In, it is charged that one Populist will vote
against thsbiIl ii MI should vote against
IL, two Democrats would suffice to defeat it
gin aftill senate. But, IL all three should
sdsctsf for 1t, then five Democrats would be
2 retit1red to beat It, So far the calculation
,ismsthcmatical and easy.
: lzrrs The PopuIist Strength.
-. In this condition there is naturally very
active effort to cnlightan the minds OF
the three recognized Populists. 1t was at
first given out as coming from Senator AL
len and by authority that all the Populists
would vote against the bill il the sugar tax
was left in or the income tax stricken out.
Az this practically amounted to insuring
the defeat of the bill, for nobody is yet able
to figure smaller loss than two Demo
:, crafts i'm either contingency, there was natu-
.tsslly good deal Of buzzing among the
Ii Papulists Of the house, and in no long time
Mr.. Allen virtually repudiated the state
ment.
~ The Populists Of the house are Of one
{ mind in regard to the duty Of their copar-
tisans in the senate and ridicule the idea
that sugar or anything else will influence
$ them except the income tax. With that
out they say: ''All our men in the senate
viii vote against the bill. With that in
they will all vote for it. In fact, they must
, be for it. They simply can't afford to go
against it, for the income tax is our special
w. That is our part of the bill. 1t was
recognized as q great triumph for us when
it was put into the bill here and passed the
, house by such handsome majority. We
d told the Democrats that we could not vote
to make quorum unless 1t was in. 1t is
tie best thing our party has done SO far,
and our senators would not dare to vote
against it. They would be called to az
count very savagely il they should. Set it
j. down rs certainty that, with the income
tax in, the three Populist senators, bluff Us
they may in the debate, are bound to vote
for the bill, no matter what else is in it or
out Of it,"
Certain Contingencies.
Another set of calculators sand it is worth
noting that they are Of the Guti-Populist
tlAss. those who might be called old line
radical Democrats-insist that this is the
time to draw the line once and for all, to
cut loose from every Populist heresy and
plant the Democracy on unassailable
grounds. They declare with enthusiasm
that il the income tax is left out and the
bill supported in the senate in tho shape
recommended finally by the Democrats of
the finance committee they can secure ev-
cry Democratic vote in its favor and beat
both Republicans aud populists by hand
some majority.
"A third class of calculators accept the
first reported statement of Senator Allen
asshowing his real intention to vote against
tho bill unless the sugar bounty Is main
tanned. They calculate, however, on get
ting the other two Populists, in which case
th{y could afford to lose three Democrats,
whereas they declare they are absolutely
certain OF not losing more than two 1t is
also worth noting that each successive cal
dnlation places the passage of the bill at a
later date, and the change providing that it
= shall not so iEto effect until the lst.of July
is taken rs conclusive proof that 1t cannot
in any event become law before the LIST of
June.
Can tho senate frame an entirely new tar
: ifTbills ENTHUSIASTICALLY, no" says Senator
Gibson, but practically, yes. 1t is too late
to False the question AS matter of fact,
nearly all tariff bills have really been franz
ed in the senate. The house does little
more than furnish the basis Examine the
history of previous tariffs, and you will
and il so, and as the power has been exer-
cised from the very start, even by men who
helped make the constitution, it is fixed.
Assuming that il is theoretically unconsti
5 sssional, nevertheless tho bill cannot be-
come a law in any event until it has passed
the house, and when tho house, in which
). the measure originated. accepts the amend
nents of the senate it cures the defect"
This is not the exact language Of Senator
Gibson. but is condensed from his general
reasoning on the subject The right of