The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-22


AS l have already explained, there is 10
doubt of the ability of the managers Of the
house TO put ii through that body on sched
ule time. But the senate Is another story.
1t has its own peculiar methods and Is be-
SIDES body without party majority at
this time, without head, without strong
leadership. Although the disposition of
the opposition is to let the bill go through
after reasonable amount of debate, the
senate Is queer place they do such
things and say such things over there. 1t
would surprise no one familiar with the
upper branch if a tangle were to come first
In the finance committee, which must con-
slider the bill when il is received from the
house. and later on the floor of the senate
itself. The country will doubtless be de-
handing early action. The fire of the
press. big guns and little guns, will be
aimed at the house of lords. But the SEN
ate has shown great deal of ability to
withstand this sort of pressure in the past
and the chances are it will now prove it.
self to be the same Indifferent, thick skin
ned affair.
A Sugar Coterie.
The chief danger, as the situation Is
viewed by old observers, lies not so much
in political opposition as in individual de-
mands. 1t is well known that in the SEN
ate there are men who act as the special
representatives of certain interests. Just
why they do is perhaps their own business.
Cestainly they are not communicative
about it, and other people can only guess,
with consciousness that their guesses
may be wide of the mark and exceedingly
unjust in the bargain. Take sugar, for in
no lae HaI
its friends in the senate, and there is no
reason to suppose it will not have them
now. AS matter of fact, they are there
waiting in silence and grim determination
for the appearance of the bill from the 9TH
er end of the capitol. If the sugar duties
in the house bill are not satisfactory to the
trust, and it is well understood they are
not, they will be made satisfactory in the
senate or certain senators will know the
reason why. 1t is wholly within the cards
for little sugar cotcrie to be formed on
the floor of the senate for the purpose of
securing changes in the rates more favor
able to the trust and to the sugar growers
Of Louisiana. AS the senate is divided po-
litically, these men will have fine oppor-
tunity to demand concessions as the price
of their support or as reward for with
drawal of their opposition.
In the senate it Is so easy to secure delay
under one pretext or another without show
ing ones hand. If senators go in together
to demand concessions in the sugar or any
other schedule, they need not permit it to
become generally known that this Is their
object So far as the public is concerned,
the desire of these senators to continue the
debate will be placed upon some other and
some more creditable ground, or items in
the bill not at all related TO sugar will be
used to masquerade behind, perhaps certain
things in which their own immediate con-
stituents are interested, thus givinga color
of right and of devotion to their states to
their course. But the milk in the cocoa
nut will be known, of course, to the Re-
publican managers, and they will have to
decide whether or not they will fight these
people or yield to them. A contest means
delay-just how much no one can tell.
Concession means destruction of the sym
metry of the bill, perhaps national scan
dial.
Special Friends.
/ mention sugar simply as the most con-
spicuous of the articles which are likely to
find their special friends and pleaders.in
the senate. There are others. 1t some.
times happens that small articles find
stanch defenders. A rich man who has
helped to make a senator, or who might get
In the political pathway of a senator If he
were SO disposed, Is interested in para
graph i'm the tariff bill. Hundreds of thou
sands of dollars of his wealth or of his pros
pective profits may depend upon it. He
comes down to see his senator. The two
have long and confidential talks. They
reach an understanding. AS result of it
the only thing the public perceives is that
Senator Blank is exceedingly eager to dis
cuss the tariff. He is heralded in the news.
papers as having prepared very long and
most interesting speech, which he has been
patiently awaiting chance to deliver. He
opposes an early vote because he wants to
be heard in defense of his constituents
So it goes with other things and with
other men, each after its and his kind. l
do not envy the men who are to be held re-
sponsible for the passage of the tariff bill
through the senate. They have a most diff
6cult row to hoe. They must needs be dip
lomatists, generals, pilots and leaders, all in
one. The leaders of the new tariff fight in
the senate are Senators Allison and Aid.
rich. They are experienced men, and they
can do what the Republican party wants
done If any one can. They are to have the
assistance of Mr.. Hanna, who, though
senator, Is still chairman of the national
Republican, committee.
Senator Hanna's View.
The record of the senate with tariff leg
islation Is not very encouraging to those
who I'll ink the new law can be passed in
go dayI The Mckinley bill was reported
to the house April 10, 1890, but President
Harrison did not get II until Sept 30. The
Wilson bill was presented to the house of
representatives by its author and the COM
mittee Dec 10, 1898, but it did not fall
into the hands of President Cleveland at
the White House till Aug Is, becoming
law on the eth Of that month by expira.
ton Of the time limit. The Mckinley bill
was five and half months before congress,
while the Wilson law was pending for
eight months. Mr.. Hanna thinks the
Dingley bill will go to President Mckinley
for his signature by the middle of June at