Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-04-27
NATIONAL CAPITAL.
A DEMOCRATIC LEADER is VERY
MUCH NEEDED.
Plea tor Party Harmony The
Chinese Treaty Delayed - Not
Through With Carnegie - The
Quorum Rule.

WASHINGTON, April 90, 1894.
The more one studies the work OF
the Democratic Senators the more ap-
parent it becomes that they need q
leader. There 10 too much guerrilla
fighting. Single leadership is as neces-
sary in politics as in an army, if re.
suits are to be accomplished. 1t may
please the personal friends Of Senator
for him to strike out on his own hook
and make brilliant attack on party
measure, but the example is fatal to
party harmony, as it is always followed
by those who never would have at.
tempted to lead such movement. 1t
is not necessary that a leader shall
have more ability than any of his
followers. All that is needed is that
one man shall be recognized as leader.
The full significance of this will be
plain to any Democrat who will take
the trouble to ask half dozen Demo.
cratic Senators to name the Demo-
cratic leader OF the Senate, and note
the number named. Now. there may
be dozen leading Democratic Sena.
tors. there should be and can be only
one real leader at time. If the Demo-
cratic Senators had one recognized
leader the party would be spared the
spectacle OF the Uncertainty now sur
rounding the tariff bill. OF course
every Democrat knows that the Sen.
ate ls going to pass a tariff bill, but
there is no man who can now say lust
what sort of bill it will be when it is
passed. This situation, with a clear
Democratic majority in the Senate, is
humiliating to every Democrat and
should not be possible and would not
be if the Democratic Senators were
organized as good party men should
be. The attempt to saddle part OF
the responsibility for this unfortunate
state OF affairs upon President Cleye-
land fools no one who 10 conversant
with the attitude the President occu.
pies toward the Senate. His skirts
are clear.
Senator Smith, of New Jersey, add
ed his voice to that of Senator Hill in
attacking the income tax and other
parts OF the tariff bill, in q set speech
delivered in the Senate this week.
After stating his reasons for opposing
the income tax and other schedules OF
the bill, Mr. Smith said: "But in
justice to my party, my State and my
self, ] cannot leave any room for mis-.
apprehension. The Democratic party
is under a distinct obligation to con.
fer the boon OF tariff reform upon the
American people. We cannot hope to
overcome the present dissensions and
fulfill this obligation unless we beat
down all attempts to create discord
within the ranks and strive earnestly
for party harmony" Mr.. Smith has
doubtless heard the story of the eleven
obstinate jurors. His plea for party
harmony recalled it to many OF his
hearers.
Owing to a press of other business
the Senate failed to vote ON the Chinese
treaty this week, and Senator Morgan,
who as chairman of the Committee on
Foreign Relations has charge of it,
having sometime ago made arrange
ments which necessitated his paying
visit to Alabama shout this time, asked
that its further consideration be post
poned until May 8. which was agreed
TO by the Senate. From the best OBJ
tainable information there seems to be
| no doubt of the ratification OF the
treaty by much more than the required
two-thirds vote.
There has been lots of talk here
about the production of evidence show
ing that the Navy Department did not
find out all of the "snide" business
connected with the making of armor
plates by the Carnegie company, but
up to this time nothing new has been
placed before Secretary Herbert, al
though he has been ready and even
anxious to get hold of anything new in
that line.
Forty-seven Democrats in the House
stood out to the last and voted against
the adoption of the rule for counting q
quorum, but its adoption was in.
evitable, and, as long as it seemed i'm
possible to keep Democratic quorum
on hand it is perhaps just as we'll.
There will be no more dead.locks dur
ing this session. That is much to be
thankful for. The Republicans are
pretending to be much pleased over
the adoption of the rule, but as a
matter of fact they are not. 1t ends
their ability to make trouble whenever
they pleased, and for that reason is
disliked by them. 1t is not probable
that the new rule will be put in force
often. Its existence will BE- all that is
needed to make voting quorum. as a
rule.
1t seems q little like putting the
cart before the horse to follow the
quorum-cOunting rule with the en-
forcement of the old law docking the
pay of members of the House for the
time they are absent without leave, ex-
cept on account OF sickness either of
themselves or in their families, but it
is to be done. Perhaps if this law had
been enforced from the beginning of
the session there would have been no
necessity for quorum.counting rule.
1t might have kept a Democratic
quorum on the floor of the House.
Dem.