The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-10

NIaetiOus-Anu
,,ning Up For Battle.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 0. Especial, Now
hot the presidents annual message to
',,,,ross has been read and discussed by
.,astotesmen it would seem only natural
.,,oct II clearing of the skies as to what
", be done about Cuba and the currency
.ost,on But the situation does not de-
qolon rapidly. The presidents message is
'.ory clear on both these points, but as yet
,o,oress shows no disposition to take up
and pass bill providing the means of
froaking the endless chain which the pres
idont recommended. IL Is said TO be the
ius.,Y of the leaders of the house to
trv 10 agree upon bill, and the banking
vi currency committee will soon meet to
consider measure looking to some action
~ the direction indicated by the president.
Put If is considered very doubtful If such
Hill ever comes to vote in the house.
sneaker Reed doubtless has power to for
,nnlate measure and make it party poll
o. and push it through If he wishes to do
20 hut the speaker is understood to be in
a frame of mind rather Indifferent than
eager.
Tho chief trouble is that the Republic
ans of the house cannot themselves agree
opnarently as to what is best to be done.
A. Mr.. Reed says, ut would be impossi-
ble 70 get ten men together to sign the
same affidavit that they know what the
country wants. The speaker, foreseeng
the difficulty of agreement between the
men of his own party, does not care to
take the risk of trying to force action. He
would only weaken his leadership thereby.
Even il the house frames and passes a
currency measure OF some sort, either a
simple endless chain breaker such as the
president wants or a more elaborate
scheme like that recommended by Secre-
tary Gage in his report to congress, the
senate is pretty sure to sit down upon the
whole affair. Every one here knows just
what the trouble is in the senate. A little
less than IA majority of the senate are in
favor of the gold standard and of every
measure that will tend to its preservation
A little less than majority are openly in
favor of the silver standard, or bimetal'
lsm, and they are not willing to do any
thing that will help to preserve the yellow
metal as the standard of this country. Be
tween these two columns are a number of
men who are in more or less doubt as to
where they stand, but whose desire Is to
escape facing the issue. Under these cir
cumstances it is difficult to see how any
action of positive nature can be expected
A Battle Predicted.
The most experienced men here say they
think nothing of that nature will be done
by this congress. They believe the whole
question will have to go over till after the
financial question has been once more sub
mtted to the people. Most of the leading
men of both parties agree that the battle
between silver and gold has to be fought
over once more before this nation can be
regarded as having settled down either to
one standard or the other. The principal
difference of Opinion between the two
sides is as to whether 1t will take presi-
Dental election to settle it. Some of the
Republicans think the congressional cleo
tons of next year will be sufficiently de-
cisive to determine the matter without
waiting for the campaign of 1900. OF
course they believe the silver cause will
lose next year, and that as result there
of the Democratic party will not care to
make silver the leading issue in 1900. The
Democratic leaders, on the other hand,
believe they are going to win a big victory
next year They say they will carry the
house of representatives, deprive the Re
publicans of complete control of the gov.
eminent and then carry the fight into the
presidential campaign.
In any estimate which one may wish to
make of the work Of this present session
OF congress 1t is necessary to bear in mind
the conditions Of which have just writ
ten. 1t is in large measure a skirmish for
the coming elections. Both parties are
trying to get into the best possible situa
ton for the battle. This applies to indi-
viduals as we'll as parties. Therefore it Is
safe to look for very little action and
great deal of talk. Neither party cares to
incur any unnecessary responsibility. The
Republicans are afraid to strike down the
greenbacks, and the Democrats, being in
minority, are not called upon to do any
thing but oppose the policies of their adj
versaries.
Acres of Eloquent Words.
But talk-there will be no end of that
All the senators who are to go before their
people for reelection, and all the 357 rep
resentatives who must submit to the VIII
OF the voters next fall, are eager to express
themselves. They want to make records
with words rather than with votes, for In
voting they must as n rule follow their
party, whether it leads them into favor with
their home people or not, but the words they
may choose for themselves. So there VIII
be great talking match, an endless chew.
ing of the rag of disputation. Acres and
acres of The Congressional Record will be
filled with words which the able states
men want to send out to their constituents
by means of millions OF printed speeches
Among the shrewd leaders of the house
this craze for talk in every session just be
lore congressional election is well under
stood The managers contriye In every
way in their power to "give the boys q
chance" So no one need be surprised IL
there are in both houses long debates
which will lead the uninitiated to the con
clusion that congress is about to enact the
most important legislation But good
deal of 1t will be stage play, mere pass
ing show in which the various actors are
TO strut and froth for the benefit OF their
admiring constituents back In the states
such Is political and legislative lie III
Washington. "How to get back to my
scat" is n much more impOrtant question