The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-20
THE TARIFF DEBATERS
IRREGULARITIES OF THE DEMO
CRATIC TAKERS OF THE SENATE.
Republicans Content to Let the Mi
nority DO the observation-disclosures
of Joe" WheeIer's stories.
speelal . the Ina!anapoIIs journal.

WASHINGTON, June l9.-The heaVy talk
ing in the pending tariff discussion is be-
ing done by the Democrats. Senators Jones
of Arkansas. Vest of Missouri White Of
California, Caffery of Louisiana and Mills
of Texas, are on their feet two-thirds of
the time of the Senate sessions. Their
voices are raised in continuous opposition.
Senators Jones and Vest do the detail fight
ing, and they sometimes branch off into
long speeches. Both are interesting takers
and thoroughly understand the subject
Senator White is good deal OF a humorist,
and spices his remarks with pat sayings
calculated to provoke smiles and laughter.
Senator Gallery is tiresome, and unkind
critics say that he has taken the place Of
former Senator Wilkinson CALI of Florida,
as the greatest bore in the Senate. He can
clean out the galleries and drive his col
leagues into the cIoahroom with unfailing
regularity every time he gets up on his legs
to talk. Senator Mills is not an interesting
speaker. He yells so loud that ne browns
his voice and produces muffled roars that
rise and fall from thunderous heights to
husky whispers. BY agreement between
themselves the Republicans do nd more
talking than they are absolutely compelled
to In explanation of the various paragraphs
as they come up. They sit silent under at
tacks and tongue lashings of the opposi
ton, leaving to Senators Aldrieh, Allison
and two or three others the duty of making
brief replies, as may seem necessary to keep
the record right for future reference. When
it comes to votes the Senate tariff majority
is as unbroken as Speaker Reeds phalanx
in the House. The sole and only object that
this majority has seems to be to get an
early vote. Talking is at discount.
The conference committee of the two
branches of Congress, upon which will de-
volve the work of reconstructing the tariff
bill, VIII probably consist of four
teen members-seven from the Senate and
seven from the House. The House mem
bers will, in all probability, be Chairman
Dingley and Messrs. Payne Dalzell and
Hopkins, Republicans, and Bailey, McMillin
and Wheeler Democrats. The Senate con-
ferees will probably be Chairman Morrill,
and Messrs. Allison and Aldrich, Repub-
hcans; Jones, of Nevada, independent. and
Vest, Jones, of Arkansas, and White, Dem
ocrats. Senator Harris, of Tennessee, who
is the ranking Democratic member of the
committee, will be incapacitated from serv-
ing on account Of poor health 1t is barely
possible that Senator Morrill, may, for the
same reason, give way to Plat, OF Con-
necticut. On the House side Mr.. Payne,
of New York, is regarded as the strongest
man, having apparently better command
of the details Of tariff legislation than even
Chairman Dingley. OF the Democratic
House conferees McMillin is the best
posted. Senators Aldrich and Allison, and
Jones, Vest and White are accounted ex-
perts. 1t seems to be the general impress
sion that the Senate conferees will eutclass
the House members, but the House end of
the committee is expected to show great
stubbornness on many of the disputed
points, and with a solid majority behind
them they may be able to compel Senate
acquiscence. 1t is expected that the tariff
bill will be in conference between two and
three weeks, although there is a bare pos
sibility that it may be rushed through
sooner. $50
OF all the Cabinet officers Secretary Gage
seems to have made the best impress
sion on Congress and the public He
is a good mixer" makes friends easily
and has the faculty of inspiring confidence
in those he meets. Senators and represent
tatives have seen a great deal of Secretary
Gage during the last three months, and
the judgment they have formed as to his
ability is most flattering. He has impressed
them as being a man who thoroughly UNI
derstands his business, and, whether they
agree with him or not they will be con-
vinced that whatever plans or suggestions
he may offer will be the carefully ma
tured product of ripe experience and
trained Judgment. Anything that comes
from Secretary Gage. whether it be in
month, six months or a year, on the mat
ter of currency reform will command and
receive the respectful consideration of both
branches of Congress. His reports and rec
dot IL, III
practical value, and there will be no suspi~
cion that they are the theories of a mere
doctrinaire, to be analysed and torn 10
pieces as a matter of duty. Mr.. Gage could
not have put in three months to better adj
vantage to the country and his party than
IN making the personal acquaintance of
members of Congress and ouher public men.
as he has done,
AT the beginning of every new admins
tration the sneaks and spies in the depart
ments attempt to gain the favor of their
superiors by carrying tales to them, and,
by pulling others down. try to improve
their own conditions. Unfortunately they
succeed sometimes but to the credit of the
higher officials it can be said that the sneak
obtains very little satisfaction as a general
rule. Where the spies have the slightest
ShCouAdSeilieilti however, tney soon succeed
in demoralizing an entire department. Such
is the condition in one of the principal bu-
reaus where promotions have recently oc-
CURED which are the direct result of tale
bearing. In one instance a poor widow
who had been worn out nursing two sick
children, was shown some little favor by
her division clerk, and the clerk who keeps
the record of the time employees are away
from their desks. In this case the poor
woman was not charged for half DAY or
a day that she was absent. This was a
breach of discipline. and it was reported
by one of the men in the division who hap
pened to hear about it. The chief, the rec
ord clerk ard the widow dismissed in
stantly, and the sneak who carried the
information to the head of the bureau was
promoted. The widow was afterward REIN
stated at smaller salary but the others
viii probably never get back on the rolls
again. This little story illustrates the rigid
discipline that prevails in not few of the
government bureaus. although to the credit
of the service it can be stated that the
above described method of enforcing the
rules does not generally obtain.
One Of the things that will come up be-
fore Congress at its regular session will