The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-04-28
NEWS FROM CONGRESS
PACIFIC RAILROADS UP IN THE SEN
ATE.
The National Committee of the Peo-
pies Party Votes Against the Prop
OsttfOn by a Large Majority.
Special to the Ranrocontatiyo

Special to the Representative.
WASHINGTON, d. c., April 19.-The
Peoples party now occupies a command
ing position in the house Of representatives
The Peoples party congressman, under the
leadership of Simpson and Bell, have prac-
tically assumed the leadership Of the op-
position. 1t looks very much as If Bailey,
the Democratic leader. has an understand
Ing with. Speaker Reed and Leader Ding
ley on the Republican side At any rate
Bailey is insisting that the Democrats shall
not oppose the Republican do nothing
policy. AS soon as this was apparent the
Feopes party marched solidly to the
front and demanded that Speaker Reed
appoint the committees and give congress
chance to legislate. Simpsons arraign-
ment Of Reeds autocratic and despotic
methods was one of the finest and most
telllng speeches that has been made in
congress for many months.
when Reed attempted to reply, one of
MS excuses for not appointing the COM
mlttees was that he had not had time to
1am1llarize himself with the qualifications
OF the members of the house. stating that
usually the speaker had from March 4
until December at the opening of the regu-
lar session to arrange his committees.
simpson, In reply, asked Reed how he or
anyone else knew that he would be speaker
untli congress met to elect a speaker He
SAID that Speaker Reeds assumption was
the most glaring piece of political "sooner.
ism that the country had ever witnessed
II was palpable hit: everybody enjoyed
~ -, ana Heed was SO completely f1oored that
ire uio not attempt to reply, but blushed
deeply at his own inadvertence
A considerable element Of silver Dome
rphQtItnGr De-
tion IN approving the Republican policy
ana are openly backing up the PEOPLES
Party In the position which it has taken
me New York Journal few davs ago
puolshed leading editorial commendinc
the position taken by the PEOPLES Party
congressman, and saying that the silver
democrats ought to fall in line and take
the same position. ~
II IS clear that it is Bailey's purpose
10 nave congress adjourn with nothing
IoAe ~ except tne passage Of the tariff bill
He hopes by this means to give the Demo.
cratlc party chance to make oDDosition
10 the Dlngley bill the leading issue in the
next campaign. We have predicted This in
former ietters-that there was a deep-laid
plan betewen certain leaders OF the two
Old parties to sidetrack the financial ones.
tloh with the tariff question for the f,1ture
UNDER WHICH KING?
In TINS connection Il is important to rote
tne dltference between the address Dut for
ward on Monday of last week ny the Ma
tlonal Association of Democratic C,lnhe
and the address delivered bv lion yilIi,,o
=. Bryan on Tuesday night following at
tne celebration of Jefferslns birthday
ne address Of the clubs is pitched dis
tlnctiy in the key of the CID Democratic
slogan OF tariff reform. In short, The ad-
dress takes the Dingley bill .or its text
ana spends its force in a.raignng it.
The address reads very much like =
chapter of the Democratic campaign book
OF 1882. when Cleveland was the canddat o
ana tariff was the leading issue 1t las
down afresh all of the old Democratic
contentious on the tariff and rlagnife,
'hem. Inc address is important: 1st, be-
cause it was not hastily dra wn and pub
lished; and I'd. because it is issued at this
time. The authorship is attributed to Hon.
Chauncey F. Black, the president of the
Association of Clubs, and man who
ranks high in his party
On the other hand, Mr.. Bryan in his ad-
dress delivered the next day after the ad-
dress of the clubs was published insists
that the fight must be continued on the
line Of the last campaign. His whole
speech was pitched in the key Of financial
and monopoly reforms. 1t reads like one Of
his speeches in the last campaign. He
takes the position, pointed and cearcut,
that no tariff legislation can restore pros
perity, and that tariff reform is of second
ary consideration compared with the great
and overShadOwing questions brought to
the front in the last campaign.
The difference between this address of
the clubs and Mr.. Bryan's speech is ex-
actly the difference that appears
among the Democrats in the house Of rep
resentatives. Which element in the Demo-
cratic party will triumph. 1t Is impossible
to say; but one thing is certain: the Peo-
pies party will see that financial and
monopoly reforms are the leading ques-
tions for the future.
WILL NOT CALL A CONFERENCE.
The national committee of the Peoples
party has by large majority voted against
holding a general conference Of the party
at this time.
Chairman Davis Of the foreign relations
committee, made unsuccessful effort to
bring the arbitration treaty to vote last
week. He has given notice that he Will
make another effort during this week. 1t
Is greatly to be regretted that this treaty
could not have been discussed in open ses-
sion. The American people have but little
conception Of how deep and dangerous a
trap is set for them in this proposition
which is being pressed under the false
gluse Of peace and good will.
The various parties in the senate have
not been able to reach agreement as to
the organization OF the committees AS is
well known, no party has a majority and
whatever IS done must be arranged by an
uIicci StdlHlHS DetNce1 inc various parties.
Senator Morgan has been pressing with
vigor and eloQUently his Cuban resolution
He has given notice that he will press it to
vote during the early part Of the coming
week, II possible. The country would GER
tainiy like to the senat ors put on record
in favor Of or against this very just and
patriotic resolution.
PACIFIC RAILROADS AGAIN
The Peoples party senators have de-
termaned to prevent the president and at
torney general, II possible from d!sposing
Of the Union and Central Pacific rai1oads
at private or secret sale. They will de-
mand that the executive take no action IN
this important question wd;hou: the con-
sent o: congress.
It will be remembered that when the
Huntington funding bal was before the
house a. tho last session that it, was
generally understood that that bill, which
proposed to extend the deb; OF tho Pacific
railroads for one hundred years would
pass the house. and that Huntington and
Ibis allies were making hard fight to
secure a majority for 1t in the senate
VIXEN they ascer, aimed that they could not
pass their measure through the senate
and realized that az attempt to do 81.
would give the Peoples party senators an
opportunity to ventilate the gigantic steal
and corruption coruected with these Pa
oiflc railroads. and to demand that II was
the duty ot the government 20 take charge