Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-06-28
. Wearlsu The End.

duced in the House. That body passed
ii March 3lst, POS to 122, and it went to
the Senate. From the first it was
known that the bill would have to run
the gauntlet of Senate not controlled
by the party which was standing spon-
sor for the measure; that there would
come the crucial test and that what
ever the House might edo would have
little or no effect upon the duration OF
time that would be consumed in the
Senate.
VI The need of promptness was apparent
10 the entire country, almost irrespec
I've Of partisan affiliations, for with d
growing deficit, the halting OF cohh-
dence and enterprise waiting on the
settlement of the tariff no intelligent
person in touch with business couli
doubt the necessity for prompt action.
In response to this the House did
what it could to hasten the measure
/ It's success was remarkable, all ths
more SO when 1t is considered that the
Senate after revising. changing rad
ically in some places and substituting
in others has gradually worked around
nearer and nearer to the House meas
IRE. until ii seems that there need be
Ybut short controversy when the mat
ter comes to the committee of confer
tence.
But considering the makeup of the
Senate with its discordant elements.
any one of which was in position 10
simpede if not to destroy the measure,
the bill has made wonderful progress
Nor can it be said that each and every
schedule has not been sufficiently eX-
posed to the criticisms of debate and
the comments of the opposition. The
Republicans have refrained from de-
bates so far as was possible, have
4 yielded to compromise where compro-
mise seemed inevitable until now the
end seems near. Indeed it has come to
Z be regarded as certainty that the bill
n will pass in some form not radically
differept fsam ttssprsxentaone and with
this fe8ing of certainty comes the con
I fidencs. which has been so sadly lack
ing slice the Democratic adminlstra-
3tion with it's threats of free trade went
into po}ver.
The causes for this progress truly re-
markable in view of the existing con-
iitions are pretty generally under
ltood. Practical men all over the
country, whatever their tariff views in
the abstract might be. said we want
sufficient revenue and we haven't got
4: something must be done and it must
e done quickly for we don't know
Mat to expect, what to venture and
i'll not until the matter is adjusted.
lese were the sentiments that Were
Sdly impressed on the mind OF every
Hnber of House and Senate. If dis
Pod to make long speeches. to play
Mapart. Of flibuster there We're the
Esdtions. facing him and calling
r !
Had there been anything to divert
ne attention Of the constituents, like Q
&C al issue, appropriation for a public
uflldng or any legislation affecting
Jality then the representative of that
locality would not only have been di-
verted from the supreme measure but
his constituents as well. In the confu-
sion it would have been possible for
the hostiles to have pressed their hos
ltxlity, for the man who wished to make
exactions to have done SO under cover.
,pne of these opportunities for delay
were afforded simply because Speaker
Reed and the House committee on rules
decided that this special session was
called 10 pass tariff measure.
Day ~ day the country has watched
i'd waited and Congress knew it was
pitched ball-i
ney Left on brcely be overestimated.
Z. Passed balls ,... r,ha en,,
pitches-Wells IN saiutary. Ahe hii"'
McDermott andy seems assured, will
Wells Reagan, -. 49,. ,,a "a
ster, Polhemus. he pes. 'iial eou'u -
penter. Time, 2humstances.