The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-19
Several Senator'S Gone and Others
Have Arranged to Leave the
Country This Week.
DEMOCRATS CAN DEFEAT IT
ID f TIE MINED FILIBUSTERING
WOULD KILL THE MEASURE.
House Members Have Agreed to Give
Two Days for Debate to Ap-
pease the Opposition.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, July 18--If the Demo-
cratic senators are SO disposed, they can
prevent the passage of the tariff bill this
week. but there is nothing to indicate
that they have any such sinister purpose.
The prospects are that final vote will be
reached Wednesday or Thursday in that
body. The Democrats having it in their
power to embarrass the passage of The
bill, may insist on restoring cotton ties,
burlaps and few other articles to the free
list, and, if they do, the Republicans will
have to yield, but the friends of the bill
have the impression that the opposition
leaders will not press that point TO the
limit, contenting themselves with violent
stage play having the semblance of earn
estness, but not the reality; and that they
will not fight to the death" taxation of
these items, Arkansas Jones has threat
ened. The Democratic management of the
tariff fight in the Senate up to date. while
troublesome to the Republicans and time
consuming cannot, on the whole, be char
acterized as ''unsportsmanlike," and there
is small probability that the tactics of the
leaders will be changed, now that the end
is approaching.
Republican leaders are banking on the
generosity of the opposition. They realize
their helplessness. as partisans being in a
minority, and being further handicapped
by absenteeism They are, in point of fact,
at the mercy of their political opponents,
and We're it not that the Democrats are as
anxious as the Republicans to have done
with the tariff discussion and get away,
the country would certainly be treated to
an entertaining flibuster. The element
lacking is the disposition to engage in that
sort of advertisement. The Democrats, like
the Republicans, are tired out and, besides
the Democrats have been subjected to a
steady pressure from the business interests
to let the bill go through and to refrain
from playing peanut politics and flibus-
tering. This pressure they find impossible
to resist; hence the willingness to permit
the passage of the bill.
What is troubling the Republican leaders
most is the desertions that are taking place
almost daily and the consequent
danger of threatening a quorum on that ac-
count Senators Frye, Lodge and Hoar
have been away for some time, and Sena-
tors Culom and Kyle will sail for Europe
on Tuesday. Frye and Hoar do not expect
to return; Lodge says he will come back if
it be necessary to do so. Cullom has been
planning his European trip for months,
and will not abandon it. Kyle lodged a
vote the first passage of the BILL but is
classified as a. member of the reserve whose
vote would be given for the bill if it We're
absolutely necessary for the passage of the
measure. Other desertions are threatened
if adjournment do not take place by Sat
urday next. The last day Of the tariff dis
cussion will therefore be a race for a
quorum in the Senate. The reconstructed
tariff bill, as it will be reported back to
both branches of Congress by the confer
ence committee tomorrow (Monday), will
be on the general lines of the original House
bill. Many changes in minor par
ticulars have been made in the
Senate and in conference, but with
out materially I departing from the
House creation, and, in most instances, the
alterations have been in the direction of
Improvement The law should be the most
satisfactory to the entire country of any
ever spread the statute books. 1t is a
protection bill, and yet avoids conspicuous
favoritism or oppression and, better than
that, promises to be an adequate revenue
producer within six eight months.