Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-20
SNAG IN SENATE
And the New Tariff Bill May
Strike It.
Hanna Thinks Bill Will Go to Presi-
dent in June.
influence Of Sugar Trust, and Other lstsrsst.
Ing Washington Matter.

Washington, March 19.-(SpeciaD.-
Now that the new tariff bill has been taken
up in the house every one is speculAting
upon the date Of its passage in the senate.
As have already explained, there Is no
doubt Of the ability of the managers of the
house to put it through that body on sched'
ule time. But the senate Is another story.
It 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 a reasonable amount of debate, the
senate is a 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 it is received from the
house, and later on the floor of the senate
ITSELF The country will doubtless be de.
manding 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 q 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.
Certainly they are not communicative
about it, and other people can only guess,
with q consciousness that their guesses
may be wide of the mark and exceedingly
unjust in the bargain. Take sugar, for in
stance. The Sugar trust has always had
its friends in the senate, and there is no
reason to suppose it will not have them
now. AS a 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 TIT
reason why. It is wholly within the cards
for little sugar coterie 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 pc
litically, these men will have fine oppor.
tunity to demand concessions as the price
Of their support or as a 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 senator's go in together
to demand concessions in the sugar or any
other schedule, they need not permit it tc
become generally known that this is theil
object. So far as the public is concerned
the desire of these senators to continue thu
debate will be placed upon some other and
some more creditable ground, or items In
the bill not at all related to sugar will bt
used to masquerade behind, perhaps certain
things in which their own immediate con
stituents are interested, thus giving colo,
of right and of devotion to their states tt
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 a national scan
dial.
Special Friends.
mention sugar simply as the most con
spicuous of the articles which are likely tc
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 senator, Or who might gel
IN the political pathway of a senator if he
were SO disposed, is interested in para
graph in the tariff bill. Hundreds of thou
sands of dollars Of his wealth or of his pros
pective profits may depend upon it. HI
comes down to see his senator. The two
have long and confidential talks. They
reach an understanding. AS result of il
the only thing the public perceives is that
Senator Blank is exceedingly eager to dis
cuss the tariff. He is heraldcd in the news
papers as having prepared very long and
most interesting speech, which he has beer
patiently awaiting a chance to deliver. He
opposes an early vote because he wants tt
be heard in defense of his constituents.
So 1t goes with other things and will
other men, each after its and his kind.
do not envy the men who are to be held re
sponSiDle Tor the passage of tho tariff bill
through the senate. They have most diff
fcult row to hoe. They must needs be dip
lomatists, generals, pilots and leaders all il
one. The leaders Of the new tariff fight IL
the senate are Senators Allison and Aid
rich. They are experienced men, and the,
can do what the Republican party want
done If any owe can. They arc to have tn,
assistance of Mr.. Hanna, who, though f:
senator, is still chairman of the nationa
Republican committee.
Senator Hanna's View,
The record of the senate with tariff leg
1s!atlon Is not very encouraging to thoss
who think the new law can be passed il
10 days. The Mckinley bill was reported
to the house April 16, 1890, but Presiden,
Harrison did not get it until Sept. 30. Th,
Wilson bill was presented to the house o.
representatives by its author and tho ,,o,,,