The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-11-12
THE NEXT HOUSE.
Hon. Nelson Dingley Expresses Views
on the Situation.

Next House Will Hardly be Able to Lecis
| ProbIem-Mr. Reed VIII be the Next
| Speaker.
Hon. Nelson Dingley, Jr., Lewis
ton, was in the city Saturday, and called
upon several friends, among them MIR.
Reed. Mr.. Dingley expressed himself as
pleased and not little astonished at the
magnitude. OF the Republican victory.
While such triumph was gratifying,
the great Republican majority that it
had brought into the House would be a
source OF some embarrassment at first
| until the mass of new and inexperienced
members should become accustomed to
their duties and trained in the metk DDS
| OF the House. Mr.. Dingley does not ex-
pect radical legislation from the Demo-
| Gratis at the remaining session of the
present Congress. The crushing defeat
which they have experienced will not
dispose them to do more than pass the
appropriation bills.
The newly elected Congress, which
will not meet until Decem Der, 1895, will
be confronted by serious problems. I'm
fortunately it will not be in position to
deal with them conclusively. The Sem
ate, while not under Democraticsc control,
will have Populist section able 70 hold
the balance of power. This will pre-
vent on both the tariff and currency cues.
tions action satisfactory to the Republic
can House. The currency question is
getting to be of grave and pressing
moment. Not only is our money divided
| unscientifically into about as many
kinds as there are months in the year:
but our National Banking system which
affords an ex ceedingly important portion
OF our currency, must soon be reorgan-
ized and readjusted. The bonds upon
which the currency is based ar. matur-
ing and will soon be paid. The people
will hardly sanction the creation of
debt for the sake of sustaining bank
ing system. Therefore a new basis must
be found.
The Republican party is the only or
ganization capable of solving satisfac-
torily these problems of the currency.
The Democratic party is too full of false
and mischievous notions on financial
subjects.
The new House of Representatives hav-
ing Senate and President of hostile
political faith, must content itself with
doing little more than discuss the great
questions. Probably the House will
press the appropriation bills to the front
at once., and keep them before the
House until they are passed. By that
time Congress will be ready for an early
adjournment.
Mr.. Dingley hardly thinks that anoth-
er general revision of the tariff will
be made tor many years. Indeed none
could be made for three years. Special
features will be legislated upon to carry
out the protective policy; but the diff
culties of general tariff revision are too
great to invite such action. Besides
many provisions of the. Democratic tariff
are fully protective. Senator Sherman
has stated in the Senate that capital
in this country has lost in the last eigh-
teen months more than the cost of the
civil war, which was six thousand mill
ion of dollars. That Mr.. Dingley believes
to be fact.
Labor is suffering also from the effects
of the recent tariff legislation. The
great strikes which have been going on
in New England are making the reduc.
ion of wages to meet the new conditions
of competition imposed by the Demo
cratic tariff law. Our manufacturers
are meeting severer competition from
abroad, but they are not going to lie
down. They will fight for their market
and the only way they can lessen the
cost of production is by reducing the
wages of labor. Wages being reduced the
workingmen get less money to spend,
and in con sequence buy less. Thus con-
sumption is decreased and all interests
suffer. Mr.. Dingley believes that busi-
ness is improving surely, although slow
ly. The recovery will not be immediate
but undou btedly we have reached and
passed the lowest point.
Mr.. Reed will undoubtedly be Speaker
of the next House, and lin MIR. Dingley's
opinion his strong will and high reputa-
tion will ensure an orderly and successful
administration of the new House-a body
which, with it's large contingent of new
ana inexperienced mem bers, must tax
the resources of the leaders.
Mr.. Dinglev believes that business and
laboring men will be slow to forget the
experiences OF the last two years, and
that they will give their confidence to
the Republican party for a long time
to come.
The agitation for free silver has un-
doubtedly received bad blow in the |
recent election. The defeat of MIR. Bland.
of Missouri, who has been pre-eminent |
for about twenty years as the silver |