The Washington times., 1894-03-23
BETWEEN YOU AND NE.


Senators Brice and German now say the
tariff bill will pass the Senate substantially as
reported. Each one was interested in some
OF the schedules, and by the means OF the
caucus served warning on the Finance Com
mittee that some changes must be made or
the bill would fail. The caucus not only
operated on the Senate committee, but 1t was
notification to Mr.. Cleveland that the Sem
ute was not in very complacent mood. Both
the President and the committee took the
hint. A very pressing invitation came down
one evening for Senator German to visit the
White House to confer about certain Mary
land appointments. A similar conference
was held with the Senator from Ohio.
Mr.. German has not made many visits to
the White House since it changed occupants
little over year ago. On at least two
different occasions notes requesting him to
call on the President were received by him.
when he returned word that he was too busy.
He accepted the last, and armed neutrality
now exists. Senator Brice has not been one
of the prime favorites at the Executive Man.
sion. bur the President has discovered that he
has always really loved the Ohio man.
Senator Mcpherson is another who has not
warmed chair in the White House very often
of late. He still keeps his distance. He asks
no favors. and is very curt when he has occa-
sion to speak OF the President. He is opposed
to the tariff bill as it now stands. and will try
to have it amended to meet his views, but he
will vote for it. He chara"terizes the bill as
un-Democratic and un-American and in no
way an improvement on the present law.
Can such things be?
When u company was organized for the big
electric plant at Niagara Falls Mr.. Cleveland
and Mr.. Bissell were solicited to subscribe for
stock. Mr. Cleveland was not then President,
and Mr.. Bissell's loftest dreams had never
scared so high as n Cabinet position. The
story is-and it is doubtful if such things can
really bc-that some sort OF joint subscription
of stock was made by thetwo. When the time
came to pay Mr.. Cleveland had either used
his surplus cash in some other way or had
become convinced that the scheme was
Utopian. Mr. Bissell paid it all, and
held on to the stock. Not a very great while
ago he sold out the stock at a premium large
enough to net him something in the neigh
borhood OF 100000 Mr.. Cleveland suddenly
remembered that he had subscribed for half
of that stock and he asked his Postmaster
General to divide the profits. Mr.. Bissell
could not, or at least ne did not, see 1t i'll that
light.
No, it doesn't seem as if such things can be.
The sugar and the whisky trusts have
bagged their game, but there is great danger
that the sugar game will get away. The
silver men, who were nearly all supposed to
be in favor of the Democratic doctrine OF
low tariff. are now threatening to abandon
these allies. The silver men are not
so strong in Numbers as many OF
the others. but they make up In
cohesiveness what they lack in numbers,
and the trust that happens to get in their way
will meet with trouble. The silver men de-
pend more on the sentiment in favor OF the
white metal among the people than anything
else. If reciprocity treaties. which furnish
market for the product of the western farms,
are cancelled. the West and South will de-
mand. with more unanimity and emphasis
than ever, the free coinage of silver. Ii the
sugar trust prevails, the treaties must be can
celed. The success of the sugar trust means
free silver II sugar fails. the lead. coal. and
iron combinations will win-a point or two at
least.
The trusts are not out of money. notwith-
standing the hard times. Their agents all
have plethoric pocketbooks, and the more
they spend the fatter their pocketbooks seem
to become. Methods of work have changed
from those in vogue in other times. Men do
not now loaf about the hotel lobbies, Offering
to bet large sums that this or that measure
will be defeated. That practice served its
day. but newer and silver methods have been
introduced. The Sam Ward grand banquets
have also dis appeared. Once IN a while one
hears of a quiet little dinner given at
some uptown resort. where not more than
half dozen congenial souls sit around the
board; but those little dinners, innocent as
they appear. are wonderfully potent. The
Credit Mohiier, De Golyer and Pacific Mail
scandals made the lobbyists more careful.
There is not likely to be any deep and dark
investigation to blow out of political exist
ence any of those now occupying high places;
the tracks of the lobby are too well covered.
The Stock Exchange is one of the potent
agencies of the lobby. and pointer" by
which the investment of few dollars turns
into several hundred in a day or two, makes
a man wondrously kind toward the party
from whom the hint is gotten. Millions are
not given away in this manner, but thousands
are. The number of congressman who occa-
sionally dabble In stocks has largely increased
during the present session. and it is believed
few have dabbled unsuccessfully. Other men
may lose on the Stock Exchange. but'a Con-
gresham. or one who can influence Con-
gressman hardly ever. They almost always
buv on the right side OF the market. In al
most every hotel lobby there is Il sort of Con-
gressional bucket shop" in full running or
der. The operator changes almost daily, and
it is hard to run him down.
The Times is not Juggling advertisers
into its columns; il doesn't have tC. Its
advertisers will get results all right.