The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-05-14
ashingtnn Letter.

Washington, MAY Sth, 1S97.-killed
by an overdose of tariff, may be the
epitaph on the tomb of the Republican
party, if the tariff bill which WAS this
week reported to the senate Is not radi-
cally changed in many of the schedules.
1t has started fight among the Repub-
licans that NAV result in killing the tar
iff bill as well as the Republican party,
although, of course, the chances are
that the differences will be patched up
in some way and bill of some sort pur
through at this session of congress
That the fight is now raging is shown
by the open threats of the New England
senators to stay in Washington all sum-
mer rather than see the duty on hides,
which the senate finance committee has
put in the bill, remain In the bill, aud
these senators are already irving to get
Democratic senators to promise to vote
with them to strike out the duty on
hides when the bill is voted upon by
sessions in the senate, The western SEN
ators who forced the duty on hides into
the bill. have informed the New Eng
land senators that they were not going
to stand idly by and see that duty on
hides struck out of the bill, when they
COuii get even ny COlilDluallIS NllI TIE
Democrats and adopting an amendmen'
providing for a horizontal reduction in
all cotton, wooden and steel manufac-
lures. Representative Grosvenor, of
Ohio, says of the new bill, for that is;
$50 far as relates to the wool schedule,
the bill is unsatisfactory, and cannot be
passed. / do not believe it can pass the
house The sugar schedule will be very
gratifying to the American Sugar Ref
ming Co and unsatisfactory to the best
sugar producers in the country. The
New England manufacturers are fully
provided for. The bill will probably not
reach the house in the form reported to
the senate, and if it should it would
meet with very strong opposition. The
duty on tea will be very unpopular.
Those Republicans representing districts
having large brewing interests are much
worked up over the increase of Al cents
a barrel in the tax on beer and will fight
it.
Senator Jones, of Ark who is regard
ed as a tariff expert as well As one of the
most careful political observers of the
time, said of the present situation
''Ihls tariff bill means the disruption of
the Republican party. The taxes i'm
posed by 1t will be resented by the peo-
pie. New England will certainly go
Democratic on the question of duty on
hides, but the lesson that will be taught
by this one item might be applied to
every other section of the country. The
next house of representatives will be
Democratic by very large majority"
Senator Jones, in reply to a question
said he thought the debate on the tariff
bill, which is to begin Oh the 18th inst.
would last until about the first of July
1t is the general disposition in con-
gress to regard the trip to Europe upon
| which Senator Wolcott. eX Vice Presi-
| dent Stevenson, and General Paine will
start this week, with credentials author
izing them to negotiate with Eupopean
governments in behalf of international
bimetallism, as nothing more than a
pleasant summer junket for those three
| gentlemen There are not a dozen men
In congress who seriously think interna-
| tlonal bimetallism more than a dream.
| concocted to stave off an independent
| settlement of the financial question by
this country.
In place Of the retroactive tariff in the
Dingley tariff bill the Republicans of the
oelidle committee nave inserted a clause
making July 1st the date upon which
the new duties will go into effect, and
unless all the congressional prophets
are away off the date will be changed
| again.
The fact was made very plain by the
| assignments of Republicans to the COM
mlttee vacancies made by the Republi-
can caucus that Boss Hanna isn't the
whole thing in the senate whatever he
may have been in the campaign or NAV
be with the administration. He didn' t
| even get chairmanship. The only
| other Republicans left without chairman
ships are PenrOSe, of Pennsylvania, and
Deboe of Ken ucky, who took his seat
this week. Boss Plat also got turned
down by the Republicans He wanted
place on the finance, and is doing a
lot of kicking because he didn't get it.
The senate rejected the arbitration
| treaty this week by vote, of 43 to %
Everybody is glad it is out of the wav.
The senate also passed the free home
| stead bill.
instead of increasing the issue of pie,
Mr. Mckinley is curtailing it, much to
| the disgust of the hungry horde He is
keeping it back because he thinks it will
be needed to get the tariff bill through.
and for the same reason he has not
made the modification in the civil ser
vice rules that he has decided to make.