The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-12
Gossip at
the Capital

Special Correspondence of The Tribune.
Washington, May II.
Chairman Dingley, of the committee on
ways and means, has been exceedingly
discreet in his verbal utterances, to the
representatives of the press, OF opinion
upon the senate version of the tarlt'
but he is just beginning to find out that
he has been extensively free In his critl-
cisms I'm the Journal, a paper owned and
edited by him, and published at Lewiston,
Maine. 1t may be said that Mr.. Dingley
cannot write all the editorials for MS
paper while attending to his duties at
Washington, but no enc in congress OF out
of Il here will believe that the dlstin-
gushed chairman would permit any
wicked partner, or any budding aspirant
for editorial honors fresh from the pine
forests, 70 print one word In relation 10
the senate bill contrary to the convic-
tons of Mr. Dhngley. Whether the chair
man writes these things himself and for
wards them by natl or telegraph, or
whether they are written by another, they
are accepted here as the oracular express
sions of the chief of ways and means,
though they be guarded with care, and eN-
presslve of the mildest form only of the
emotions that have shaken Mr. DinRley
since his great measure has been gong
through the threshing machine of the sub
committee of the committee on finance.
These utterances have brought more
than a little trouble to the soul of Mr..
Dingley. Friends Of the senate measure,
and senators who merely stick'e for the
ordinary etiquette that usually obtains oe-
tween the two bodies of congress, are
hauling Dingley over the Goals for his
significant utterances. In one article that
is thrust under his eyes by his critics he
says sneerngly that the till had to be
modified to suit tie Populst Senator Jones,
before II could be reported at all. AS Mr.
Jones is as good protectionist as Mr..
Dngley, snd as good a Republican In eV-
erything except his view of the silver
problem, this is thought to be rather
equivocal and distasteful outburst. When
he was called to account for 1t by sena-
tor, Mr. Dingley took refuge behind the
impersonaAty of newspaper editorials"
but would not entirely disclaim respon-
sibiity. In the article referred to Mr..
Dingley also speaks of 1.-The vocal SEN
ate," to make more forcible the differ
ence of that body from the body of which
Mr.. Dingley is a member. Vocal Is
very strong expression for SO mild man
as Dingley.
But Mr.. Ding!ey does not seem to have
been disciplined by the criticisms of his
first cautious words about the senate bill.
The latest number of his paper to reach
this city has raised n veritable tempest.
Only a few copies are taken here, but
a few are enough. They are shown around
the entire senate and are widening rap
idly the breach between the two bodies
which was already as wide as that be-
tween the Lords and Commons. In this
last article Mr.. Dingley starts out with
the sentence: at is said that President
- Kinley is much disappointed over the
senate committee tariff bill" Senators
ask who the 'It' is who has said" such
a thing for President Mckinley, who Is
known to have absolutely refused to say
one word that would seem to be an in
reference with the right of congress to
decide tariff matters according to its own
wisdom.
The most remarkable utterance of Mr.
Dingley's paper, however, Is the following
and II has caused animated retorts from
members of the committee on finance, and
from senators generally on the Republi-
can side: 1T is learned that the Repub-
hcan senators have already outlined. in
a general way, the plan which they will
follow in passing the bill, and that plan
contenplates it's adoption by the house
without reference to a conference COM
inittee. They will keep the bill before the
senate constantly after II Is called up for
consideration on the 18th instant, and by
beginning the daily sessions at an early
hour and continuing them at night, II will
aim to complete the consideration OF the
bill, IL possible before the end of the
fiscal year. The bill will then be sent
to the house, and II a committee Of con-
ference is asked, the senate will decline to
appoint ore, and the house will thus be
forced to the necessity of accepting the
senate bill or prolonging the contest in
definitely, with the possibility OF having
no bill at all. If such an eXigency should
arise, we should again be confronted with
the power of the senate not only to bunco
the balance Of the government, but also
to defeat the will of the people as plainly
expressed last November"
Following this is the assertion that the
bill Is drafted on British revenue lines,
that ii was dictated by local interests,
and that the sugar trust Is in powerful
evidence in the sugar schedules" Again,
"if the senate sugar schedule should be-
come a law the profits Of the sugar trust,
which, under the Wilson-Gorman bill,
have been enormous, would be doubled
This Is regarded here as the most re-
markable utterance that ever emanated
from a member of the finance committee
of one body of congress in regard to the
action or tho nnance committee or the
other body. In this case II is the chair
man OF the finance committee of the
house, and IT is fairly assumed that
through his paper he speaks after con-
sultation with his colleagues, and that his
opinion is the opinion of the Republican
membership of ways and means. 1t is in
evitab.e that such utterances, assumed to
be with the knowledge not only of Chair
man DiDgley, but also OF the Republicans
or ways and means, must make trouble.
A senator who always knows what is In
contemplation tells me today that nothing
ever said by members of one house in re-
gard to the character or performances
OF the other house has created feeling
which compares In bitterness to that
which has been aroused by the extraor-
dinary language of Mr.. Dingley. This
senator declares that at the proper time
Republican members of the senate will
call attention to the matter. The chances
are, however, that senators other than Re
publican VIII call attention to IT at an I'M
proper time.
Clerk OF the House Mcdowell was re-
latlng to a grouo OF congressman the
other day his experience as a newspaper
editor In order to show that men are