Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-18
Democrats Claim This Week Will Finish II in
Committee Of whole.

is materially different from the one he
formerly championed but the general pur-
port Is the same. 1t will be opposed by
representatives from the large cities and
their vicinities, and it is believed that a
majority of the House favor the principle
of the bill. The author hopes that debate
on it will not extend over two days and if
there should be difficulty experienced in
bringing it to close, the power of the COM
mittee on rules will be invoked 90 that it
will burden the calendar no longer than
Wednesday at the longest.
Then Joseph will bring forward his bill
to admit New Mexico to statehood. This
will be opposed, it is sopposed, by the Re-
publicans, probably without avail. After
these two bills are out of the way it is
thought the general deficiency bill will be
put upon its passage. 1t will be reported
to the House, it is understood, Tuesday of
this week. Should it not be taken up,
Cooper stands ready to urge his bill, pro-
y.ding for the taxation of greenbacks the
same as gold and silver are taxed, which
has been favorably reported from the com
mittee on banking and currency.
The friends of the bill providing for the
election of senators by the direct vote of
the people are earnestly pressing the House
managers for day on which that measure
may be given the right of way. The
majority of the members of the committee
on rules is understood to favor the consid
Grafton of the above named bills in the
order given.
The Democratic managers look forward
to the coming week in the Senate with con-
fidence. The Republicans are outwardly
Indifferent. Harris, the parliamentarian in
charge Of the skirmish line in the great
contest, declared last night that
when next Saturday came, the
tariff bill would be out of the committee of
the whole, and Mr.. Aldrich, the Republican
leader, admitted that the outlook is favora-
BILE to rapid progress. These declarations
would appear to justify the conclusion that
the end was approaching; nevertheless, in
those portions Of the bill which are yet to
be acted upon, there is much that must
cause debate.
Last weeks programme was really amaz-
ing under the peculiar difficulties that con-
fronted the managers. The revolt against
any further increase in the wool schedule
was led by Senators Mills, Villas, Coke,
George and Berry, and for three days the
party managers labored to bring about an
agreement.
Meanwhile Quay, armed with an endless
speech, refused to listen to any agreement
until the concessions demanded by Smith
and Murphy, reinforced by the senator
from Pennsylvania, were conceded by the
revolving Democrats. As soon as this was
done, voting began on paragraph after par
agraph, remodelled anew for the last time,
went through according to programme,
George and Berry refusing to vote.
But two schedules remain before the free
list is reached. They are paper and sun
dries. Little debate is expected on either.
The Democrats believe the free list will be
agreed to as fast as read, but Western Re-
publicans, when raw wool is reached in the
free Est, will renew the attack and seek to
have a small duty, at last, put upon that
article. Every member of the committee
on the Democratic side, have declared that
under no condition will he consent to the
removal from the free list and some men,
bers asset that it is the only thing demanded
by the party platform which is left in the
bill. The vote in the Senate a few days
ago was too close to be ignored when the
question comes up again.
The surprise would not be veIy great if
some small duty is placed on raw wool.
Although no positive announcement to that
effect has been made it is believed the
Democrats will be willing to recede from
all their proposed amendments to the ad-
ministrative feature of The bill if by 90
doing they can shorten the time for debate.
Forty-ni pages are devoted to this SUBJ
ject and amendments are numerous, and it
is obvious that debate would be very mate
rally shortened by letting the Mckinley
administrative bill stand unsmended.
Secretary Carlisle and the customs Off
cials who have been consulted, agree that
owing to the length Of debate up to this
tine, it would be better to permit the ad-
ministrative act of June, 1890, to stand
rather than to attempt to reconstruct it at
this late day. The argument 10 also made
that a new law could be enforced better un-
der the method of administration with
which the customs officers are familiar and
which has been construed by the depart
ment and courts, than under regulations
that changed the system in any degree.
The remaining bone of contention in the
majority party is the income tax, and this
will cause some lively debate, although it
may not be protfacted.