The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-19
New Tariff Bill May Strike
II in Senate.
Danger In the Influence Ex-
erted by Sugar Trust.
Mr.. Hanna Thinks the Bill Will
Reach the President in June.

AS nave alrehuy tApiaincui tncre As no
doubt Of the ability Of the managers of the
house top put IL through that body on sched-
ule time. But the ssnate is another story.
1t has its own peculiar methods, and Is be-
sides body without party majority at
this time, without n 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 II "a tangle wero TO come first
in the finance committee, which must
consider the bill when IL Is received from
tho house, and later on the floor OF the
senate itself. The country will doubtless
be demanding early action. The lire 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 ID will now prove it.
self to be the same Indifferent, thick skim
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 sem
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 mguesses
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 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
I'm the house bill are not satisfactory to the
trust, and 1t is well understood they are
not, they will be made satisfactory in the
senate or certain senator's will know the
reason why. It Is wholly within the cards
for little sugar ooterie 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 a fine oppor.
tunity to demand concessions as the price
of their support or as n 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 OF any
other schedule, they need not permit IL 10
become generally known that this Is THEN
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 Ger
tain things in which their own immediate
constituents arc interested, thus giving o
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 tt
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
dal.
Special Friends.
I mention sugar simply as the most con
spicuous of tho 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 n senator, or who might
get i'm the political pathway of a senator II
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 pro
spectiye profits may depend upon It, He
comes down to sec his senator, The two
have long and confidential talks They
reach an understanding. AS n result of Ii
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 n very long and
most interesting speech, which he has been
patiently awaiting u chance 10 deliver. He
opposes an early vote because he wants Il
be heard i'm defense of his constituents.
80 it goes with other things and with
other men, each after its and his kind. j
do not envy tho men who are 10 be held re
sponsible for the passage of the tariff bill
through the senate. They have most diff
ficult row 10 hoe. They must needs be di
plomatists, generals, pilots and leaders all
In one. The leaders Of the new tariff fight
i'm the senate are Senators Allison and AL
drich. They are experienced men, and they
can do what the Republican party wants
done IL any one can. They are to- have tht
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 thost
who think the new law can be passed In
go days The Mckinley bill was reported
to the house April 10, 1890, but President
Harrison did not get IL until Sept, 30, Tn,
Wilson bill was presented 10 the house OF
representatives by its author and the com
mittcc Dec. 10, 1893. but IL did not fall in
to the hands of President Cleveland at tho
White House till Aug. 10, becoming "a law
on the 27th Of that month by expiration
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 tho
Dingloy bill will 90 20 President Mckinley
for his signature ly the middle Of June M
the latest, three -IllaHtAs- exactly from
the day ~ was introduced In the house by
Mr.. Dinrlcy. let VIZ wait and sec.
Half the statesmen In town are now sit
ting up with the midnight lamp preparing
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