The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-07
WHEN HAWAII is LET IN
CONGRESS MAY BE DEPENDED UPON
TO CUT THE SESSION SHORT
Very Little Constructive Legislation
Expected With House and Senate
at Odds on Any Financial Legfs-
latiOn-NO bankruptcy Bill Ex-
pected.
Washington Bureau st. Paul Globe,
Corcordn Building.
speeial to The s.. PauI Globe.

I
Corcoran Building.
Special to The ST Paul Globe.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.-The present
session Of congress is not likely to be
long one. The extra session, extend
ing from the 18th of March to the lat
ter part of July, not only disposed OF
the tariff, but accomplished certain
preliminary work like the naming of
the committees, so that on the regular
assem- milling of congress in December it
was able to proceed with considerable
rapidity. Nor have these expectations
been unrealized. The appropriation
bills are being presented IN good sea-
son and thus far have been promptly
disposed Of. The manifest decision of
the Republican leaders to go before
the country IN the fall elections upon
the issue made by the Teller resolution
VIII also be a potent influence in favor
OF short session. Another financial
battle might prove interminable, but
since the cautious element in the Re-
publican party is apparently ascendant
no further aggressive action is likely
TO De very seriously attempted. This
at least saves a wearisome free silver
DEBATE, however urgent our needs Of
currency reform may be. In fact, cir
cumstances are felt to be not generally
ripe for constructive legislation. 1t is
doubtful If such a bankruptcy bill as
could be got through the present SEN
ate would be worth having. Immigra-
tion is practically disposed of for the
present congress. Less of the Pacific
railroad problem remains than fell to
the preceding congress; and altogeth-
er there is a disposition observab bic in
the house not to attempt very much
until the United States senate again
becomes, by some decisive party vic
tory, either flesh. fowl, or good red
herring.
The uncertain element In estimating
the length Of the congressional session
is Hawaii According to the present
outlook, your correspondent sees no
reason to change the statement made
in these dispatches for some weeks
that the two-thirds vote in the senate
necessary for the ratification of the
impending treaty is not obtainable.
But the result will be brought about
by narrow margin. It has been ar
gued that II annexation failed by rati-
ication it would also fail of a mere
majority for a joint resolution, on ac-
count Of the moral effect of the first
defeat either real or confessed; but
1t is hard to see that this would cost
the annexation cause enough to defeat
1t, If the Morgan resolution can be
brought to a vote. How many sena-
tors, 1t may be asked, are likely to
support the treaty and then turn
about and oppose annexation by the
method resorted to in the acquisition
of Texas? Not enough to turn the
scale. While the house is the more
conservative branch, 1t probably pos
Eesses an annexation majority. The
project is regarded as being distinctly
q Republican measure; it was the
parting ambition Of the last Repub-
Hcan administration and one of the
earliest announced policies of the
present. In the senate almost the en-
tire party strength has been brought
into line for the treaty, and while
few Republicans in the house will be
courageous enough to stand in the
way Of the party programme 1t can
not be expected that their number will
be large. Even their votes will be off
set to an extent by those Democrats
who favor annexation. 1t therefore
looks as If Hawaii were coming in by
joint resolution, and that the question
will not seriously prolong the present
session of congress. Annexation will
doubtless make necessary some new
legislation for the government of the
Islands, but that need not demand the
attention Of congress more than a few
weeks.
Politicians have not got over wonder
Ing how 1t happened that party lines
remained substantially unbrolken on the
Teller resolution in the house, while in
the senate the silverites carried off a
majority of fifteen. The difference in
the length of the respective terms of
senators and representatives accounts
in part for this result. The house has
been elected since silver became the
dcmiI. ating issue between the parties
Not so of the senate New York and
New Jersey did not realize IN 1893 that
they were electing senators whom the
eXigencies of politics would in 1898 drive
into the free silver camp. The Rocky
Mountains have hardly accustomed
themselves to the new party align
ments. and some of their senators still
cling to che Republican name and ira
ditions long after they have abandoned
what has now become that party's
dominating idea. A few years will cor
rect all this. Carter and Wolcott and
the group of Mckinley free silverites
will either have to follow the logic of
the situation and go over to silver, or
succeed in taking their states over 10
sound money.
But even with this allowance 1t was
a matter of surprise that party lines
were so intact in the house vote. Of
the two Democrats who broke party
ranks. one. Mr.. McAleer. was elected as
an independent in triangular contest,
and the other, Mr.. Elliott, will doubt
less be unseated before many weeks are
over. He comes from the Charleston, S.
c.. district. to which Gov. Tillman's
gerrymander allotted a heavy negro
rajority. The two Republicans who
failed to keep party steps are out
growths of the North Carolina Populis-
tic alliance. That alliance, too, is break
ing up. The logic of events has been
against 1t. the Democrats are now the
true allies Of the Populists, which was
not the case in North Carolina eight
years ago But the wonder is that in so
short time the two parties have be-
come modified so completely to the new
issue made by the Chicago convention.
and in this particular the action of The
house doubtless foreshadows the future
of the senate.
The acceptance by the house leaders
of the Teller resolution upon which to
go before the country in the fall cleo
tions places a few Republicans in an
embarrassing position. What, for in
stance, are Chandler and his followers
to do in New Hampshire? When Re-
publican orators go about the state
condemning the Democratic party for
everywhere be recalled that the senior
Republican senator voted with the
Democrats in that assault This was
an instance where Mr.. Gallinger's con-
sistent policy of -Chandlerism
served him in good stead He and
SulIoway, responsive to the heavenly
calling of opposing Chandler, have
come out as clean-cut gold standard
men. 1t looks as If Mr.. Chandler had
carried his fun rather too far, even
though his term of office has some
years yet to run. New Hampshire