The Portland daily press., 1897-06-09


House-senator Mills Has Nothing to
Say on Tariff-May Deliver a Broadslde
Later, However.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.l
Washington, June S-The Senate on
sugar schedule reached. A few things
have been passed over temporarily, but
generally time is saved by such proce-
dure, since they are required to at a time
when the work is nearly done and every
one anxious to be through. The progress
is regarded as remarkable, although dur
ing the last of the week the work was re-
tarded by several long speeches. These
were made in good faith, however, and
were legitimate debate, apparently in
tended for no sinister delay. Last week
developed more thoroughly the protection
ators. Clay, the latest Senator to be sent
from the South, excepting McLaurin, Of
South Carolina, practically announced
himself a protectionist. So also has
Bacon, his colleague. These announce
ments perhaps account for the expedition
which is characterizing the Senate work.
1t wouldn't be popular, even on their
side, to obstruct and obstruction started
under such circumstances might recoil on
the heads of the INSTRUCTORS in the form
of forcible adoption Of form of previ-
Gus question.
no v,o,-tc Of he fowl hill under
consideration are the most difficult parts,
since they relate to the schedule of du-
ties. The free list, which amounts to
forty pages, is yet to come, and probably
will lead to no debate to speak of since
the opponents of the bill profess that al
things ought to be on the free list and
are not therefore likely to question the
things that are there. Then there are
the internal revenue and administrative
features, which consist of long para
graphs and many old provisions that
have substantially been in all recent tariff
bills. These features occupy many
pages, and ought to be considered much
more rapidly, counting progress by pages,
than the portions of the measure now
under consideration. These circumstances
lead many to expect the bill to be
passed and sent to conference by the Goth
of June. Some of the Democrats have
predicted this.
The Republican leaders in the Senate
ought to have from the country a great
deal of consideration for the difficulties
under which they labor. They have a
Senate hostile to them as party, and
the only way they could get the bill out
| of committee was by giving all that Sena-
tor Jones of Nevada wanted, and all that
his friends wanted him to want. Now
there are other Jones in the body who
have to be appeased in the same way.
The laugh has been on Senator Morgan
this week. 1t has been discovered that
the Senate, on the occasion of the dedica-
ton of the Grant tomb in New York, did
precisely the same thing in regard to adj
tournaments that the House has been do
ing. And Senator Morgan was present
when it was done. On Wednesday, May
Goth, it was voted that when the Senate
adjourn it be to Friday, and that when
it adjourn on Thursday it be to Monday.
The purpose Of this vote was to fix it so
that the expected absence of a quorum on
Thursday should mot put it out of the
power of the body to adjourn over to
Monday. This is precisely what the
House is lodging 1t is probable that this
fact will have tendency to dampen Mr..
Morgans ardor for great constitutional
investigation. If Congress is bursted
up, the Senate has done its share of burst
| ing.
| In the debate on the tariff bill the Re-
publican members of the Senate are
obliged to exercise a great deal of self
restraint, and at times this is not the
easiest thing in the world. In order to
save time the Republicans came to the
resolution not to make long speeches,
and in general not to talk at all except
where 1t seemed to be absolutely essen
tial. Thus, by leaving the members on
| the other side unanswered in many cases
they would tend to lessen rather than tc
provoke debate This is working very
well SO far as the saving Of time is con
cerned. and on subject that has beer
threshed over SO many times as the tariff
nothing is lost by shortening debate
But when Democratic or Populist Sena
tor gets up and makes some biting or un
fair charge it is hard to let it go unan
swered, or not to answer it with some
equally biting. 1t must be that Senator
Chandler, of New Hampshire, bites hi