The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-21
ESPECIAL TO THE pREss.1

Washington, June 19.-On Friday, after
having made unusual progress for two
days, the Senate again relapsed into talk.
The source of it was the irreconcilable
difference which has developed among the
Democrats of the South The new pro-
| tectionists and the old free traders went
at it again, hammer and tongs. The
| leaders of the new movement among the
southern Democrats are not all young
national politics and in the Senate. Sen
ator Bacon of Georgia, who opened the
ball on Friday, is an old Confederate sol
dier. His colleague, Mr.. Clay, is a
younger man, who has come upon the
stage since the war. Tillman of South
seems to have been kept out of it by the
illness which destroyed one of his eyes.
His colleague, Nc Laurin, was not born un-
til 1860. The most prominent parts in
this Democratic wrangle on Friday on
the free trade side were taken by Senator
Senator Berry is one of the striking fig
ures of the Senate. He lost leg at the
battle of Corinth and goes about on
| crutches. He believes fervently in free
trade, and said that although his state
was great lumber state, yet he should
vote for free lumber. Tillman is fire
brand for his own party, as well as for
| the Republicans. He is virtually pro-
| tectionist, although he claims that he
does not believe in the principle carried
| to such an extent as to foster trusts. He
is undoubtedly a remarkable man, and so
He is fearless, probably reckless straight
forward to brutality even; in short seems
to be such a man as might have played
a surprising part had he lived in France
in the days of the French revolution. No
one who sees him in the Senate, and hears
not only in the words themselves, but
forcible in the bearing of the man-will
doubt that he was one of the most power
full, if not really the most powerful of
the leaders who rent the Democratic
party asunder at Chicago, and put on
|
Organism and other radicalisms. Nc
Laurin is very different man from Till
man. He is highly educated, courteous in
manner and speech, an adherent of the
old regime so far as the politics of his
state go, neither reckless nor violent in
speech or in his political ideas. That he
and Tillman stand together for protection
indicates that there must be strong SEN
timent in South Carolina in favor of it.
Neither are the two Georgia members of
the same school as Tillman. AS far from
sympathising with him as possible, they
stand with him on the tariff question,
and the quartette from the two states are
making it very uncomfortable for the
Democracy of ante ellum ideas on the
tariff.
When the spirited passage of arms
among the Democrats was finished on
Friday, and the Vice President was hast
ening to put the question on pending
amendment, Senator Stewart was seen to
arise and claim the floor He had to be
heard, and began, while Senators began
to leave the chamber. Mr.. Stewart is for
the tariff bill, and his speeches seem to
be made with the best intention in the
world. He is always drawn into the
debate by some point ON the principle of
protection; but when he is once en-
barked his craft can take but one road,
and he always comes around to the point
that it is no use to have more business in
this country until you give the people
more money to do business with. Then
he tells how the money of the world is
controlled by few men in London with
branch Office in New York, and this
point being reached few stop to listen
longer When he finishes all the contest
ants in the former heated scenes have had
time to cool off, and things move quietly.
1t may be, after all, that Mr.. Stewart
and his silver speeches have their use in
this debate as a wet towel bound around
the head sometimes helps the fevered
brain of the student at his lessons.
The Republicans of the House are tax
ing steps to get their members back in
greater numbers, as of late they have been
running perilously near the edge of a
defeat in the votes with the Democrats.
1t is always easier to keep the Demo-
Gratis here than the Republicans. Most
of the Democrats come from the South,