The Portland daily press., 1897-08-17

!. " " men the bill reached the senate the
IN % began to be encountered. Any
t saIln Dill whatever is always a struggle
between opposing interests.
CO... ~ ~ true that this might and must be
especially and d'eisea legislation but it is
| tlon. Ii the majority of any party in con.
tToI OF either house is sufficiently large
tnen the result is likely to EXPRESS t6e
| average sentiment of that party. Individ-
uals nave less control and the general sen
lneho mas more control. Thus it was that
the mouse Dill expressed better the general
sentiment of the country and individual
demands had less weight.
haa the senate also been Republican.
with commanding majority, the ACT
would have been better and more in con-
rormity with the wishes of the country.
| Nevertheless. the bill as whole is bet
| ter than we had right to expect with
party politics in the senate in the condi-
ton which actually existed. In that body
the individual had great power because
ms vote might be essential to the passage
OF the bill, and he must be satisfied and
his constituents must be satisfied by the
provisions of the bill.
VI course, under our system, at least in
It's practlcal workings, each member of
congress represents tho opinions and the
interests Of his constituents. whether they
are the lnhabitant of state or of dis
trlct. lie is therefore himself under pres
sure. The opinions, prejudices and in
| terests of his people make themselves felt
IN MS views and actions, and all the more
powerfully when he is the one majority.
which may pass the bill
Inls condition of things manifested it
sell when the Wilson bill passed the house
and became the Brice-Gorman bill when
IL passed the senate and the congress.
| with that example before US, born Of
condition of things the like Of which still
existed, we might well dread as we did
dread the ordeal of the senate. We were
under the further disadvantage that the
senate did not even have nominal ma
jority of one on our side.
Ihere was, however, one thing in our
favor. The country desired the question
settled and knew that it could be settled
| in only one way. Men of all parties knew
| this, and the condition of the country for
| four years had filled one party with deter
mination and the rest at least with toler-
ance.
| When the bill went to the senate the
| question arose as to the duty of the house.
Should it go on with business or await
the action of the senate? We had been
called together in extraordinary session
for one purpose and for one alone. and
| that was to dispose of the one question
which was really pending before the peo
pie of the United Sta 5es-a question
which we all knew had to be settled and
which we thought ought to be settled
speedily.
The old appropriation bills which had
failed to receive the signature of the presi-
dent we were obliged to consider, and did
consider, .sendtng them promptly to tie
senate What ought we then to do next?
Of course, lille the president cou d
call US together for special purpose, he
could not limit our action. Once in SEES
sion we We're at liberty to do whatever we
deemed imperative for the good of the
country. But we were confronted by one
very simple fl OF. We might discuss all
the questions of the hour, but we could
| progress not one STEP
Legislation was impossible The two
| houses were radically opposed. Nobody
can name a. single public question OH
which they We're or are in accord. Bust
ness therefore fwould be impossible, and
| nothing could come of it except stirring
| up OF the country with crude propositions
which, as they could not become law.
would be undertaken with no proper
sense OF responsibility, and discussed
solely on academic and political bases
What the country wanted was a tariff and
rest. Hence any mere discussions
would have but confused this simple issue
and prevented the operation of public
sentiment on the senate.
we, therefore, resisted all attempts to
confuse the people and held the issue ND
before the whole community, with the
result that the popular will has not been
thwarted- There never has been time
in my experience. when the dominant
party Of the house of representatives has
been SO united and SO nearly III lin ous-
In point of fact it Is only just TO say that
the Eetter and more responsible part of
the minority were in open accord and
that there were others who silently
agreed. 1t is true that some gentlemen
IN the senate took this action of the house
in high dudgeon and held it to be uncon-
stitutional, but as the senate had for
years Endorsed every principle involved
there was not much lifc in this conten-
ton.
When we consider the condition of the
senate, controlled by no party and subject
to no party responsibility; when we add to
the fact that there can be in that body
no majority large enough to bring irrele-
want discussion to close, the Republi-
can senators who had charge of the tariff
bill are entitled to great credit for untiJ-
ing patience, parliamentary skill, and
a thorough knowledge of the business of
the country.
One great question then we have set
tied, and settled in accordance with the
general sentiment of the country educated
almost to unanimity by the sorrows and
privations of the last few years. That is
will at once clear up all our difficulties is
perhaps too much to expect. The passage
of general tariff bill is great event
and all great events are liable. like a
birth, to be exhausting; but in the end
it means two lives instead of one. More
over business, in adjusting itself to new
rates, finds out all the errors more surely
than any combination of the keenest in
tellects.
1t should be remembered that this bill
has been enacted under all the usual dis
advantages, with others of it's own. The
refusal of the senate to adopt the retro
active clause which would have discour
aged anticipatory importations has in
flicted severe blow upon the revenues of
the country for one year at least and per
haps two.
1t may be also that we have imported
too much even from the standpoint of the
importer, and rise in certain prices NAV
be but the precursor of an Injurious fan.
These importations, too, will for a period
discourage our manufacturers by an over
stocked market We have certainly in
the time spent in elaboration cost our.
selves for . year all the increased income
\ Iy.ar of<