The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-05-18

Washington, May II. The Democratic
campaign in the Senate has been fully
mapped ont. Out of it will come. the
Democratic leaders hope, some victories
Tor their party in the approaching fall
campaign and II clean sweep of tho coun
Cry IN the Congressional elections of next
year.
Tor the present all their differences on the
financial question, and will stand together
on the common plane of opposition to
high taxation and to the trusts. They
are congratuating themselves that Pres
ldenJ Mckinley saw fit to make the tariff
issue the paramount one, because on that
issue there are no differences in the DEM
ocratic ranks. Had the financial question
been submitted first to Congress, the split
In the Democratic ranks would have been
as apparent now as it was during the
last campaign. There would have been
factions in the Republican party as we'll,
which is perhaps one reason why it has
been relegated to the background, but
Whatever the moving cause, the Demo
Gratis are perfectly satisfied with the ca
AS it stands mt present.
senator Gray said the other day that
the Republican tariff bill ran athwart of
every conviction of his. life, and that it
was "a challenge to every Democrat who
understands and loves the principles of
his party, 70 untiring warfare in behalf
of the people whom it threatens to ON.
press" Senator Gray, as is we'll known,
Is n gold Democrat, was always n loyal
ana constant supporter of Mr.. Clevelnn d..
BIS declaration is significant and means
that he has IL common plane where he
can stand with the other members of his
party. 1t was also interesting to note the
alacrty with which Senator Lindsay, of
Kentucky, entered thrift skirmish which
was precipitated in the Senate last .Scek.
Mr.. Lindsay is another of the SO called
Sound money" Democrats who had no
sympathy with either Mr.. Bryan or the
silver cause in the last campaign, but he,
too, is now only too willing to lead in the
assault upon the Republican party.
The Republicans in the Senate are on
the defensive 1t was very easy for them
when the WilsonG orman hill was under
consideration, to stand off and throw
rocks Mt the Democrats, placing the lat
ter in most unenviablc position. The
shoe is now on the other foot The Re-
publlcans must stand sponsor for bill
that raises taxation on almost every arti.
Gle, and the only. excuse they can offer is
IL hope that with higher prices will come
better chance TO earn the money with
which to meet the increased cost of liv-
ing. In their bill, too, they have placed
an additional tax on beer If they allow
it to remain in the bill, where it's presence
is said Ivy the finance committee to be a
revenue raising necessity, they will alien
ate all the brewers of the country, and if
they strike 1T out they will lay themse selves
liable to the charge of being afraid to
offend the brewers. In either case the
outcome 5.yill lie to the disadvantage of
the Republicans.
Most of all, however, the Republicans
in the Senate will have to meet face 10
face the questions of undue protection to
the trusts. The sugar schedule, about
which so much has been written already,
is, OF course, the most striking instance
OF benefits afforded, and the very extreme
to which the finance committee went in
placing duties on sugar will go lar toward
assisting the passage Of an antitrust
amendment. The sugar schedule, how.
ever, is not the only text from which the
Democrats will presch their sermons.
The lead trust received additional protec-
ton, and it's stock has risen; the leather
trust stock has also gone mp several dol
lars share, probably because the tariff
on hides will give the trust the control OF
the market. Already the Democratic
managers are going through tie tari Il
bill very carefully, and in the debate
which is soon to begin every item of ben
elit 10 Il trust VIII he exposed and will he
made to do service as campaign material
If the Republicans in the Senate will
only defeat the antitrust amendment the
cup of joy for the Democrats will lie full
Ordinarily an off-year election is unm.
portant This is not the case this year.
| There is enough at stake next fall to war
| rant carefully planned preliminary
campaign, euch rs has been described
No less than three legislatures are to be
elected in the coming fall months, and
upon the result will depend the fate of
three Senators, two of whom Mark
Hanna and Arthur Z. German, are of ma
tional fame. Ohio, Maryland and New
Jersey are the three States which will be
affected by the fight over the tariff bill in
the Senate. In the case of Ohio. 1T is al
ready realized that Mr. Hanna will have
Il hard time to secure his seat. There is
much dissatisfaction in that State, such
as always results from the dispensing OF
the Offices, while the fact that prosperity
has not returned is also thinning ou. the
recent recruits to the Republican ranks
II Mr.. Hanna were not the issue the
votes OF the laboring men would be more
easily kept in line, but there is no way in
which he can be kept out of the cam.
pnlgn. The possibility of n Democratic
lcgisla ture in Ohio next fall is by no
means remote.
In Maryland the outlook is not so GER
tar. but the Indications point to Demo-
cratic success. The local elections during
the.s spring have been Democratic, the same
ntI Gao ~ Il