The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-26
At 5 o'clock the Senate held an ex-
ecutlve session and then adjourned.
MEMBERS COMING BACK
All of Them Report Signs of Returning
Prosperity.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.J

washington, June 25-The symptoms
that the tariff bill is approaching it's pas
sage in the Senate are bringing back to
washington the members of the House
who have been scattered at their homes.
The returning statesmen Ering word gen
orally of much better feeling in the
country than few weeks ago. The state
OF business enterprises has unouestionably
improved to such an extent that business
men are feeling it, and do not have to rely
on the bulletins of the commercial aqen-
cies to find it out. 1t is undoubtedly the
fact that the near prospect of the passage
of tariff bill and the final closing up of
agitation on that subject for a time at
least is having great share in bringing
about this good feeling.
The recent election in the Third Maine
District is also regarded here as evidence
that the country is feeling satisfied with
the way things are going, although
Maine's reputation of being rockribbed
Republican state that no storm can sweep
from her moorings, makes the Third Dis
trict a less satisfactory barometer than
might be.
The wool schedule of the tariff bill has
produced more bad blood on the floor of
the Senate than any other schedule. On
Tuesday the feeling was SO intense that
1t really looked for little time as though
the whole bill might be lost, and it took
all the suavity and address of so accom-
plished harmonizer as Senator Allison
to bridge over the difficulty and bring
about accord. The differences were in the
Republican party largely, although the
Montana Senators, who are on the ragged
edge of the party, were involved in the
trouble. On Wednesday also. Senator Hoar
dropped a match into the powder maga-
zine, which Immediately produced the
most stirring speech from Senator Teller.
who said he wanted to see the bill passed
without delay, but wished to servo notice
then and there that the bill would not
pass if the Republican Senators did not
cease bringing in partisan talk Mr.. Tel
ler's speech, which was delivered with
great spirit, had an immediate and very
noticeable effect in stopping all talk ex-
cept that relating to the bill.
There is talk now among the, Senate
managers that the bill will get into con-
ference by the Fourth of July Senator
Allison has been quoted as saying that it
may not be over four days in conference.
But it is pointed out that the Mckinley
bill was in conference about two weeks,
and it is thought that Senator Allison
cannot expect to get through in four days
unless the Senate intend to do consilera-
bic yielding to the demands of the House
conferees.
The good effects Of the House policy of
adjourning for three days at time in
order to wait for the Senate are being
made apparent every day. The most i'm
portant effect, of course, has been to
concentrate public opinion upon the Sen
ate and the tariff bill, and to produce fas.
ter action by that body. But another ex-
cellent effect is seen from day to day.
When the two Houses are at work large
number OF small bills are passed like pen
sion bills, claim bills, and other bills for
small local objects. If the House had
been in session all these weeks it would
have passed several hundred of these small
bills. Now though these bills are of rela-
lively small account they all take time.
and members and Senators are often more
interested in them than in larger meas
ures. So it would have happened that
portion of the time of the Senate each day
would have been taken up with the pas
sage of these House bills, and also in
passing other original Senate bills which
the House might be expected to pass. In
these small measures would have been
possibility of a great amount of delay.
But as it is, with the House sending over
no bills, and with a standing notice post
ed on it's door that no Senate bills need
apply until the tariff bill is out of the
way, nothing is left the Senate but to peg
away at the tariff. And this it has
been doing industriously and to good
purpose.