Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-03-27
LOBE sIs At WORK.
i Small Army Fighting ior ] Tariff
-, Vail
Nov IL Tails FIaases cenaitlss y nsse
up-A peliiicsl Necessity.

WASHINGTON. March 70. - ISpeclaLl
..'rhe real fun on this thing will begin whep
IL gets IL conferences. and tbereM be the
incest bit Of trickery probably and ceT
tainiy the most vigorous jostling known
IN conference committee for many years. Z
10 said Republican representative who
has taken an active part in the tarih dis
cussion In the house. and in response e
various questions be added:
.There is very ticklish point to come
mn IN rexar, to the formation Of the con
ference committee, for in all probability
one man on that committee will have thu
decision Of questions which mean many
millions Of dollars to special interests. The
ordinary course OF settling the difference
between the two houses w0nld be like this
Mr.. Voorhees,, as chairman Of the senate
finance committee, would head the senate
conferees. and with him would be his best
Democrat ard the leading Republican oil
the committee. In like manner Mr.. vii
son should head the house committee, and
with him be Mr.. McMillin and the best Re
publican. probably Tom Reed
.There is, however, SO much difference Of
opinion in the senate among Democrats
that all kinds Of schemes will be played tC
determine who that second Democrat shall
he. In the ordinary course it would bt
Mcpherson, but right there will probably
be a contest, and right there the lobbyists
will try to get in their work. 1t wouldn't
exactly do to have Mr.. Harris associated
with Mr.. Voorhees,, for that would Ike alto
gether too ne.sided. 1t will, in fact, be a
political necessity to have that second Dem
ocrat a representative of the SO called con
servatives
Boss Of the situation.
"These fellows are accustomed to look Q
long way ahead, and they are already fig.
uring on the men who are to compose the
conference committee. That one man will
lie the kingpin of the whole machine-the
boss Of the situation and for the time be-
ing the arbiter Of many great interests.
Though he be chaste as ice and as pure as
snow. he shall not escape calumny, as
Shakespeare says or makes Hamlet say.
II is position will be far from enviable. he
can tie the committee and will of course be
bombartled on all sides. He will be accused
OF having sold ont to every trust, real OF
imaginary; he will be besieged from early
morn till dewy eve, and altogether life will
be made burden to him. He will in all
probability be the most powerful man in
the United States for the time being-that
IL. If we assume that the report of the con-
ference committee is to be accepted.
Now, should not wonder if the bill
should be in conference nearly as long as 1t
is to be under discussion in the senate, and
after that the chances are at least even
that there will be another heated discus.
sion in both houses. One thing is certain
the house-that is, the majority-is reso-
T., t.1, hat
nightly to accept the senate rates on coal
and iron ore, aud it is equally certain that
IL the bill gets through the senate at all
it must be with those interests favored at
least as much as they are in the reported
bill. 1t il rather lame and impotent con-
clusion of all this talk to say that the wis
est man in congress can give no decisive
opinion as to the shape of the bill when
finally passed--that is, if it passes at all.
What we do know is that there will be q
redhot fight in conference, that it will re-
suit in a fearful amount of personal abuse,
which will chiefly fall on the one man !
spoke of, and that after that it will re.
quire another sharp fight to make the
house accept the report Of the conference
committee
Silk Culture In Kansas.
As il to add point to the remarks of this
gentleman and others who agree with him,
u fresh set of lobbyists arrives every day.
and small army of men are fighting for a
tariff OH WOOL There is strong flavor of
Ohio politics in the crowd which has re-
Gently bcsieged the room of the finance
committee and electioneered senators at ev-
cry favorable opportunity. They claim, Of
course, that the wool industry will be ut
terly ruined if the tariff is adopted in the
shape reported. 1t is of incidental interest
also to learn that Senator PETERS measure
for the encouragement of silk culture in
Kansas and elsewhere has met with favor
able reception, and the senator is now con-
fident that the dry climate and peculiar
soil of that state are just exactly suited to
sericulture.
The judiciary committee of the house has
considered and is considering quite anum-
Der OF curious propositions, as to all of
which Judge Culberson says in his terse
way, "They will be reported adversely. and
yotl needn't bother about them except as u
matter of curiosity" 1t is indeed curious
fact that thousands of petitions from all
sorts Of religious societies and groups of in
,lividnals should have been sent here in
favor of an amendment inserting recog-
milton of the Deity and the Christian reli-
gion in the constitution. More of these
came from Ohio than from any other state
and more from Ohio and Pennsylvania than
from all other states. some Of them several
met with more favorable consideration is
the basis.
Rnt1rOnh Matters.