Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-25
Subjects Demanding Legislation by
Congress.
SENATOR HARRIS ON fHE PROSPECTS
Expects the President to Call an
Extra Session.
DECLINE OF SILVER VOTE

Senator Harris of Kansas arrived in the
city yesterday. Discussing the prospects of
general legislation at the coming session of
Congress and the probability of an extra
session, he said to Star reporter:
Tremendous pressure is being brought
to bear upon the President Tor an extra ses-
sion. All the sound money democrats of
the country and thousands of republicans
are clamoring for currency reform, and
they want an extra session which shall be
devoted to this subject. l do not how
President Mckinley can conscientiously
disregard the prayers of these people. The
gold democrats were largely Instrumental
in electng him and have been among his
strongest supporters since he entered the
White House. Mr.. Mckinley called an eX-
ira session of the present Congress to
satisfy the protective tariff advocates and
secured the passage of the Dinghy bill.
Why should he not accommodate his cur
rency reform friends in the same manner
and accord them special legislation? l
think it is idle to talk of the prospects of
currency bill being passed during the COM
ing session of Congress. Secretary Cages
ideas, as Incorporated in the McCieary bill,
can never pass the Senate as it is now con-
stftuted, and the advocates OF reform must
await the next Congress before hoping to
secure the passage of bill.
Tariff Legislation.
do you think there will be ally tariff
legislation enacted during this session.
was asked.
ut Mil be absolutely necessary for the
Congress to amend the tariff laws now on
the statute books The Dinsiey bill is not
even satisfactory measure as Il revenue
producer during peace basis, let alone While
the country is just recoupns afte- war
Changes must be made in the Dill which
shah produce more money. The ''iificulty
is that our exports are too larS" in proper
ton 10 our imports. and sufficient amount
of money to defray the expenses of the
government is not coming INTO oi:r customs
houses. Besides this, however, The people
are dissatisfied with the war revenue meas
ure. Its provisions ale not clearly deemed
and its schedules are incomplete 1t is
making great deal of Touiie among the
people and they desire changes. " hat the
Congress should do is to provide tor more
internal taxation. / think an income tax
and a tax on corporations would fit the
situation and prevent deficiency in our
receipts F"
What will be done regarding TIE pre-.
scripton of a form of government for
| Porto Rico and the Pniil,pines?'' was
asked.
u think the President is right wheu he
says that the military form of government
must be continued for some time III these
! islands. We must have zine to get all the
| facts and study the situation carefully. We
must communicate with the people OF the
| islands and learn their VIEWS The military
| laws will probably prevail for year or
| more and no legislation affecting the sub
| lect will be enacted during this Congress.
| 1t would be Impossible Cor Us - leGisia tie
| intellgently with the informs. tio1 we now
! have bearing on the question:
Pacific Railroad Indebtedness.
What action will Congress take regard
| ing the settlement of outstanding Pacific
| railroad debts?'
| Congress will in al probability be called
| upon to settle the debt of the Sioux City
/ and Pacific railroad during the session.
This debt, with interest, amounts tC about
/ A,W0,000 and several bases of settlement
| will probably be proposed. The original
| bonded debt of this road is about 81 ftt fDl,
| the remainder being made up Of interest.
| A proposition has been made TO pay the
| government the principal of this debt. al
| lowing the interest to be wiped out: but |
J do not anticipate that this will be accepted.
We ought to have every cent Of this money,
and these who are careful in looking out
| for the interests of the government as
| against those of the Pacific railroads viii
probably insist upon receiving one hundred
| cents on a dollar.
| How do you account for the great falling
| off in the free silver vote IN Kansas at the
| recent election?"
Falling or in Free Silver Votes.
! THE loss of the free silver forces can be
| attributed to apathy on the part Of voters
| and the good condition of the wheat crops
| i'll the state The VIII eat belt CT Kansas is
| situated almost in the middle of the state,
| being strip of land ahont one hundred
| miles long and extending from the north
ern to the southern boundary. Last year
| the wheat crop in the belt was an excellent
| one and the farmers secured good prices for
| their product. This year there are pros
| poets of another good crop and the wheat
| in the ground for next summers threshing
! is showing uD in excellent shape.
| Il recently talked with one of the wheat
| belt farmers and questioned him regarding
| the prospects for a crop and the result of
| the election. Well he said, you see last
| year | raised about 1000 bushels of wheat
| and got 80 cents a bushel for it. That was
| pretty good for me, and it enabled me to
| pay off the mortgage on the farm. This
| year the prospects are equally coed, ami
| ] hope to lay aside a little on the receipts
| of the crop now in the ground. | have
| always been democrat, but things are
| coming my way | guess | will just let
good enough alone and not vote for a
change in politics. This man / likened to
| the fellow who had had enc good, square
meal and who was convinced that he vas
! going to get another the next day. although
| he was trusting in providence to secure ii.
| Again, it is a fact that at least 81, 030 DEM
ocratic voters stayed away from the polls
against 1900 the republican side.
The apathetic feeling On the part of voters
of our ticket shown by these figures
tells the story of our defeat more plainly
than anything else.
There also feeling prevalent
| among the people that the administration
should be supported in the fight against
Spain, and a great many of the voters
were of the opinion that vote against the
President and his followers would be tam
tamount to an expression of sympathy
with Spain. For that reason great many
of the democrats cast their ballots with
the republicans"
Cruise to the Rattlefields.
The American liner New York late