The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-02-09

III WILL PROBABLY Be KNOCKED OUT
IN THE SENATE

But che Wilson BnI WIN 90 Through .Euas
About as the Adm inistration Wants IL to
-Go-Logio and ConcIusions-The Lobby
at Work
WAsHINGToN, ID. c., Feb. Special T.
The tariff bin is 10 no danger of defeat ia
the senate. 1t viii pass that body and
finally 20 the president built on the lines
lstid down in the Chicago platform. I'M
some ways st viii cOndemn-at least by
omission-some of the planks of THAT mucn
talked of platform The discussion of the
tariff in the lower house accomplished alb
solutely and positively nothing. There IS
no body of men probably 10 the country So
absolutely free from sentiment as the rank
and file of the men-of these times who come
to congress This is particularly true Of
the lower body Of congress They make up
their minds to vote on this measure or that
without any reference whatever as to the
speeches made for or against It, On any
measure except those OF national lnpor-
lance congressman vote with their parity
If there is nothing Of a political nature
about a bill, they vote as their best friend
votes Tit is only in very rare instances
that congre@nen take the trouble-or.
for that matter, have the time-to look into
the merits Of a measure upon which they
are called to vote.
Congressnaen and Friendship
This is the natural outcome of our sys-
tenn of legislation With nearly 800
men I'D our lower legislative branch,
it is almost impossible that all the
thousands of bills should be closely
scrutinized- The only wonder is that
there is not more of the vicious legis-
latiOn TO point to. Congress men, as a rule.
are inclined to work together Zach man
realizes that in order to secure the passage
of legislation beneficial 50 his section lie
must have the assistance Of his colleague.
He is therefore inclined to assist his neigh
Dor In this way much legislation goes
through that should have no place on the
statute books. But with such bill as the
Wilson tariff bill it is am understood mat
ter that friendship has nothing whatever to
do with it. Tt was so when the Mckinley
bill was made law. Men voted then, as
they voted last week, in accordance with
the wishes OF their constituents or from The
force of their own personal convictions
From the vote bin of such national
Importance the public can obtain true
sense of the position of the house and SEN
ate
The fight on the income tax has been the
most bitter Of anything in recent years,
with the possible exception Of the contest
over what is known as the force bill. Handi-
capped with this income tax proposition.
some believed that the tariff bin would
meet with certain defeat. This was absurd.
The Democratic party, standing pledged TO
tariff reform and i'm control Of every branch
of the government service both legislative
and executive, could not afford TO do any
thing but pass the BILL 4 failure would
have been political suicide. and whatever
their mistake may have been in the past
the leaders of the party are not yet ready to
knowingly commit self destruction
Tho Income Tax Idea.
The tariff bill viii go through the senate, /
be signed by the president, and it viii be-
come a law, superseding the Mckinley
act On the statute books. In just what
shape it viii go through it IS impossible 10
say. The debate has gone far enough 70 (
demonstrate that the admin stratiOn IS /
going to have pretty much the kind Of 4 T
bill it wants. This naturally leads one to /
the belief that the income tax viii be /
knocked ont ia the senate That is the F
talk at this time. Mr.. Cleveland was con- T
siderably surprised, it IS said, by the adop- T
tion OF the income tax proposition DY the f
Democrats of the house The deed had +
scarcely been accomplished before the chief +
executive realized the seriousness of the {
situation. He thercupOn turned his atten- 7
ton to the senate, and his friends claim he f
has sufficient assurances to warrant him in .
feeling that the income tax amendment TO +
the Wilson bin viii be stricken out in the
senate.
There viii be the same flood Of talk in
the senate on the tariff as was given ia Che
house The country viii have to bear it,
even if it cannot grim There is a move
ment on foot to put a tax of q cent a pound
on sugar. There is tremendous pressure
behind il, and from present appearances IL
viii go through the senate. The lobby Is
here i'm great force. The lead ore people are
here with 9 big wad OF money and are
spending 1t freely where ~ will do the most
GOOD They lost their fight III the house,
lead ore being put ON the free list, and are
now directing all their efforts to the senate
The Lobby at Work.
Another big lobby with another big wad
of money viii be here next week. They
viii represent the coal people, who want the
-f AFfsNf ffI n0T f4r