The San Francisco call., 1896-11-16
VARIOUS VIEWS
Of CONGRESSMEN
Opinions as to What Is the
Most Necessary
Action.
Tariff Legislation Required to
Meet the Existing Deficit
in Revenues.
Gold Democrats Will Join the Reput
iicanS in Defeating the Schemes
of SilveriteS.


bility of tariff legislation in the next ses-
sion of Congress and as TO the likelihood
of an extra session, the Washington Bu-
reau of the United Associated Presses has
sought the written opinions OF number
of prominent Senators and Representa-
tives. The replies received show quite a
diversity of views and are exceedingly in
teresting. a few of them are as follows:
Senator Calvin S. Brice of Ohio re-
spends frankly and fully in these words !:
In answer to your request for my views as to
the effect of the late National election, an
swer: First-Iti is quite certain that the Presi-
dent-elect will, after March 4, 1897, be sus-
tanned by large Republican majority in the
House and by sufficient Republican majority
in the Senate. Second-,The free-silver men
Will be in the minority in the Senate well
as in the House OF Representatives Third
That while some of the free-siiver Senator'S
who have heretofore prevented the passage of
the Dingley BILL with such amendments as
may make certain sufficient revenue. will, in
view of the result of the election, probably
vote with their Republican brethren, it is i'm
material whether they do or not, as, in my
opinion. sufficient number of sound-money
Democratic Senators will assist the Republi-
cans to pass the necessary tariff legislation
in the Fifty-fourth Congress 10 supply the ex-
listing deficit in the revenue. /, at least shall
so vote, and 1 understand that Senator Cor
man and number of others occupy the same
position. Yours very truly,
CALVIN S. BRIcE
Senator Brice's colleague, Senator Sher-
man, who has been quoted at great length
in two interviews Numerically contra
dieting each other, one asserting that the
Dingley bill would pass, the other saying
that there was no chance OF its passage
and that an extra session was inevitable,
refuses to affirm the correctness of either
statement, but writes as follows:
In the present condition OF affairs 1 do not
care to express my opinion as to the proper
tariff and financial legislation of this or the
next Congress. Very truly yours,
JOHN SHERMAN.
Senator W. B. Allison of Iowa, chair
man of the Senate Committee on Appro-
pristions, writes:
1 do not think 1t is practicable to predict
what VIII be done or can be done as respects
tariff and financial legislation during the last
session Of the Fifty-fourth Congress. l hope
the Dingley bill will pass with such modifca-
tions as may be necessary to secure sufficient
revenue TO carry on the Government. If this
cannot be done during the Fifty-fourth it
seems to me an extra session of the Fifty fifth
Congress is inevitable. Very truly yours,
w. B. ALLISON.
Senator Joseph r. HawIey of Connecti-
cut, with a modest disclaimer of any de-
sire to enter the field as a prophet and a
still more deprecatory remark that any,
thing he could say at this time would be
1.-The cheapest commonplace adds these
interesting remarks:
As to the Financial legislation, to be ex-
pected from the coming session l should hope
that a well-guarded, careful bill defining the
circumstances under which the executive
might issue bonds may be passed. The posi-
bility of adopting q satisfactory revision of
the tariff (such as might be expected to re-
main undisturbed) at the last session OF the
Fiity-fourth Congress seems to be very doubt
tul. II the revenues permit it the matter
ought to go over TO the extra session of the
Fifty-ffth Congress with view to securing
such revision as L refer to. If that could be
had itwould probably give tn country a very
desirable rest in the matter Tor the next four
years. Yours truly, JR HAwLEY.
Senator Walthsll of Mississippi says:
that there viii be any important tariff or
financial legislation at the approaching ses.
sion OF Congress. can form no op iniou as to
what will be done at ga possible extra session
of the Fifty-fifth Congress- in advance of the
Senatorial elections to occur during the COM
ing winter. Yours truly, f. C. wALTHALL
The views of Senator Morgan of Alabama
and Senator Tillman of South. Carolina
have already, been published in these
dispatches.
Mr.. Dingley of Maine. chairman OF the
House Committee on Ways and Means
and leader OF the House. refers to his re-
Gently published interviews in United
Associated Presses dispatches in which
he expressed the opinion that there was
not the slightest hope of the passage
OF the so-calied Ding!ey bill by the Senate
at the next session of Congress and
that the House would not propose any,
thing further in this direction at the an
preaching short session. Mr.. Dineley
adds:
This covers all I have to say at present.
Yours truly, N, D1NGIEy.
Representative Grosvenor of Ohio
writes:
rial legislation for the benefit of the country
can be passed in the Fifty-fourth Congress.
Defeat, however crushing. disastrous and far.
reaching, seldom conyinces anybody of the
error of their way, and so the Senators who
have left the Republican party in the interest
OF few silver-mine owners of the West will
resent rather than obey the demands of an
enormous majority OF the people of the United
States that the greatest good shall be the rule
of the action rather than the selfish greed OF
less than fifty soulless corporations of the
Rocky Mountains. Hence these men who have
no future in the Republican party will resist
all attempts TO relieve the treasury by any
legislation that does not recognize the para.
mount interests of the silver-mine owners
The Republicans of Congress viii not submit
10 that, and they will have behind them the
overwhelming support of the American peo.
pie.
Consequently no good can come of the last
session OF the Fifty-fourth Congress. do be.
iieve that the Republican party will be in q
position in the Fifty-fifth Congress to save the
country from bankruptcy and the industries
Of the country from destruction. The line oi
action is matter which will have to be con-
sidered carefully in the future The conf
cence OF the American people in the patriot
Arm nd wfed0un nj the Re nuIlioa, 10 rt,v J. "a