The Portland daily press., 1896-04-23
BUSINESS CLEANED UP.
House Will Be Ready For Early
Adjournment.
SENATE HOWEVER Is NOT so FAR
ALONG.
Fears That Session May Be Prolonged for
Political Effect-Democratio Attitude
Towards Speaker Reeds Candidacy For
the Presidency


Towards Speaker Reeds Candidacy For
the Presidency.
ESPECIAL TO TEE PREss.J
Washington, April 22.-'I shall ask the
House to stand by me today until we can
pass this bill and send 1t to the Senate
with our compliments, were the words
of Uncle Joe Cannon, ch airman of the
committee on appropriations on Monday,
as he brought up the general deficiency
Dill. The House stood by the chairman,
and before adjournment that evening the
l4th and last of the great appropriation
bills was on it's way to the Senate. Such
rapid, and at the same time careful
work has not been seen in an American
house for many years. On every appro-
priation bill, with one exception only.
there has been debate as long as anyone
wished to debate. That exception was
the river and harbor bill, which was put
through under suspension of the rules.
The wisdom of thus passing that bill has
been generally commended. 10 allow
amendments to river and harbor bill is
to invite increase Of expenditures by
log trolling.
AS the passage of the appropriation
bill is the chief work of Congress, the
House is practically ready to adjourn at
almost any time. 1t has on hand gen.
eral pension bill and bankruptcy bill;
but these can be disposed of in weeks
time.
The chief obstacle to an early adjourn
ment will therefore be the Senate. That
body has yet eight or nine of the appro-
priation bills to act upon There has
seemed to be no plan for delay; but the
impression has gotten abroad that the
Democrats and silverites in the Senate
intend to daily along with the work so
that the credit of an early adjournment
may be taken from the Republican par
ty. The most experienced members of
the House are slow to believe that the
Senate will take such course. 81 can
see no object for it, says Governor Ding
ley, "and men do not usually act with
out a motive"
OF coulse it can he said-because of the
Senate's failure to pass the tariff and
bond bills-that this has been do-noth-
ing Congress, and perhaps the Democrats
in the Senate, feeling that the Repub-
licans are responsible for the House and
Senate, may wish to prolong the spec
tacle. But on the other hand, the pro-
longed sitting of Congress is likely to
keep business disturbed, and. such con-
dition tends to discredit the party re-
sponsible for the national administra-
tion, which is in the hands OF the Demo-
cratic party.
1t has undoubtedly been unfortunate
that the Republicans organized the
United States Senate. By organizing it
the Republicans gavo the impression to
the country that they assumed response
bility for its action. In reality they can
not inlany way control it. The Populists
who assisted them to make the organiza-
tion are always with the Other. side when
positive Republican action is demand
ed.
Yet the Senate has SO far worked very
faithfully towards an early adjourn
ment. The Republicans have done all
they can. Senators Frye. Hale, Allison
and Platt of Connecticut, have made
every effort to expedite the appropriation
bills, ana wherever they have had con-
troll have succeeded. The only trouble
Is that when the bills get out of the
committee into the Senate the Republi-
can side is not. strong enough to have Its
own way.I the Democrats and Populists
chose to delay they can. Indeed, under
the rules of the Senate, relatively
small majority may delay. Yet the Re-
publicans, having the organization, are
responsible in the popular eye, for what
happens
After all, the real ground for fearing
that the Senate is about to defeat an
early adjournment, is the fact that it
has of late thwarted whatever of good
the House has tried to do. The tariff
and bond bills, which would have afford
cd abundant relief and put the country
Oh basis of confidence and prosperity.
were defeated from a combination of
| motives. The free silver mon didn't
| want the country's condition relieved.
as 1t would cause people to forget Is to
1
| 1. The Democrats didn't want the Re-
publican party and Speaker Reed to reap
the credit of such successful legislation.
The Democrats generally do not favor
ths nomination of Speaker Reed for the
Presidency, and the Democratic Sena
tors are disposed to throw all the trigs
in the way. Personally they like him,
and personally they would like to see
him succeed but they realize that his
success would be very bad thing for
their party. A strong Republican ad-
ministration is what they do not want.
The author of the expression "Wbere
was at" has come to bad end. The
House has decided that there was fraud
in his election and has seated in mis- place
a Populist contestant. Mr.. Cobb of
Alabama, who asked where he was sat"
| was popularly supposed at the time to
haya hoan ipfovicotu1 P,7t tboca bo