The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-06-05
THE GREAT TARIFF DEBATE.
PEN PICTURES OF NOTED SEN.
ATORS.

.uciuehts anu CnaractertStfcS OF the
Prominent Men Engaged in the Dis
cussion.
Special to the Augusta Chronicle:
| WASHINGTON, May 29.-The tariff
bill seems to be on the three quarter
stretch at last. 1t has had pretty hard
running for the track up to this point
has been very muddy. The sugar
schedule will be finished by the middle
OF next week at the farthest. Then
paragraph after paragraph will be-
passed with q rapidity which the Sem
ate is'noted for passing appropriation
bills. Senator Hill will speak about
+, free raw material, and the Republicans
| will probably vote with him after first
voting for bounty on sugar. The
schedule as it now stands will pass the
Senate, however, but it is exceedingly
doubtful whether or no it will find safe
anchor in the conference.
The question of the tariff is now los
ing part of its interest, but strange to
say the interest which surrounds the
leaders of this great movement is in
creasing. 1t shows that after all peo-
pie are more interesting than princi-
pies and quaint characters more at
tractive to many people than great
questions. For instance, If Senator
Aldrich takes the floor to talk the gal
AoNiSo "h " Soohiy ShPoiOu, you <hioI1Sl,
on his side of the question, is tariff
expert, the same is true of Frye of
Maine, Allison of Iowa, and u number
of others. Yet a wrangle between Hoar
and Harris, between Chandler and
Vest, between Teller and Voorhees,,
Lindsay and Aldrich, or speech from
Senator German, Hill or Villas will
crowd the galleries for day.
1t is rather curious the number of
men who have come to the front during
this debate. The most remarkable in
cident is that of Senator Jones Of Ar
kansas. He has really supplanted
Senator Voorhees, in Importance on the
Finance Committee. 1t has been
voluntary retirement Of the tall sega
more of the Wabash, the remembrance
of the trying experiment of the extra
session was too fresh in his memory for
him to enter upon another prolonged
and arduous discussion upon the floor.
however, and his presence seems to
add strength to the cause of tariff re-
form. He is getting old and shows his
advancing years. He has reached the
stage when he is willing to remain in
the army to battle. The victory he
Won in the extra session would cover
his closing years with glory from par
liamentary standpoint, even should he
not take any other prominent part in
national legislation. He has certainly
lowered his lance for this Congress a.
least and thrown his mantle upon
Jones, OF Arkansas.
When sitting in his Senate seat. he
has the appearance of u crouching lion
and his tormentors have failed utterly
so far to rouse him from the iethargy
into which he seems to have fallen.
l., 81 of+ IL.
head bowed upon his breast, his face
impassive and absolutely without ex-
preston. He knows that he must rest
and rest fully If he intends to live. Tho
Republicans have tried to gore him
into the open, but he glances at them
In half sleepy vacant manner and re-
sumes his pose which is that of u com
plete enforcement from activity.
The most interesting character in the
fight is Harris of Tennessee. He is
the ringmaster who cracks the whip,
asks the questions and shifts the scene.
All of his life has been spent in party
steel with steel. He is the acknowl-
edged parliamentarian of the Senate
) and the combined forces of the Repub-
licans cannot shake him. There is not
a Senator Democratic or Republican,
who does not love him personally. Nor
Is there any other Senator upon the
floor from whom they would receive
! the rebuffs, satire or lectures as they
do from Harris. Hoar loves dearly
| to make him mad and succeeds in do
| ing IL. Harris speaks with great di-
! .rectness and vigor of language, has O
way of pointing his long foreiinger at
tho face of the man to whom he is talk
ing, and after scoring him soundly dis
, h inn Wi ft,,,n f,f II ,ni
and then "moves to lay the amendment
on the table,"
Harris in reality lays down the law
for the Senate. He is positive and
dogmatic to the last degree, rides
roughshod over everyone that comes in
his way, whether friend or foe, and is
especially equipped for his fight in
close quarters. When Harris rises
the din of the fray is heard, and the
audience look out for blood spots on the
turf. He hasn't particle of humor
and fails to understand why either the
Senate or galleries should laugh when
he courteously dismisses Senator Hoar
as an antagonist not worthy of his steel.
When he rises to make a motion his
words seem to fall to the ground Of
their own weight. 1t is said that lone
! in Olympus could not pronounce the
fate of the world more impressively
than Senator Harris makes a motion
in the tariff fight.
These wrangles represent the daily
show of the Senate, and it is for these
that the galleries are crowded at III
o'clock every day. One of these sham
battles was taking place on the floor
the day that Senator Jarvis was sworn
into the Senate. He sat there eagerly
drinking in every word. His express
sion had been noted by the press gal
lery especially as something unusual
in the Senate, but no one knew how to
define ituntil Angus McSween, a clever
Scotchman and correspondent of the
Baltimore Sun, said:
boys, he thinks it Is all real"
The gallery became Jpn oarious and
the long-suffering Palmer of Illinois
shook his head that tho Vice-Presi-
dent did not rap for order. Senator
Vest represents the reserve corps on
tho Democratic side as Chandler does
on the Republican. When the opposi-
tion charges too heavily upon Jones
and Harris, Vest throws himself into
the breach and helps to hold the bridge.
He is cunning partisan and yet one
OF the readiest debaters on the floor.
He Is very plausible and though he
snarls like dog, whines like cat,
he Is vithal one of the heavy guns OF
the fight. When the noise Is loudest
there you will hear the screech OF
Vest above all his fellows, reaching
out for fame, calling loudly for ap-
| ulnuse