The Opelousas courier., 1900-03-31
Washington, ID. c., News.
Frem our Regular Correspondent.

Washington, March 26, 1900.
Boss Hanna, having failed to
convince all Of the Republican
Senators, by telling them that the
passage of the Porto Rico tariff
bill was necessary to get certain
big campaign contributions, is now
vigorously welding the party
whip on the shoulders of the
kickers, with able assistance on
the quiet from Mr.. Mckinley.
It was to help him that Senator
Foraker got the Senate Porto
Rico bill sent back to Committee.
This leaves the deck clear for the
House bill, which deals exclusive
ly with the Porto Rico tariff.
Every energy is now to be bent to
force that through the Senate
without amendment. Five or six
Republican Senators still threaten
to flibuster against q vote.
Senator Cockrell, speaking for
the Democratic Senators, just be-
fore the Senate passed the bill
authorizing the appointment Of a
Commission to go to China and
Japan and make a report on cem-
mercial conditions in those coun-
tries, said /: s'The Republican
party is in absolute centrel, and
we on this side of the Chamber
are powerless to prevent the en-
actment of any legislation COM
ing from the Republican party
and deemed necessary by it. |
will not antagonize this bill, al
though | do not agree with it in
principle. | want it understood
now, and understood distinctly.
that hereafter, absolute respon-
sibility must rest upon the Re
publican party for the passage of
all resolutions and bills.
Senator Tillman utilized his
pitchfork to toss a few agravating
questions to the almost distract
ed Republican Senators. Among
the questions, which no Republi-
can seriously attempted to an
swer, were the following "Has
the President changed his mind
or not Is he leading his party
or has he surrendered to the die
tates Of special interest, follow
ing the triumphal car like a pris-
oner Of war? VIII some gentle
man please tell me whether the
President is for free trade with
Porto Rico, or is he not .? After
waiting in vain for q reply to his
questions, Mr.. Tillman said with
sardonic laugh "a dumbness
falls upon US ALL He then viv-
idly sketched the present
troubles of the Republican party,
and predicted that the people
would sweep it from power, for
not recognizing the aag-the Con-
stitutien and liberty must travel
together, and charged the Repub-
lican party with indirection. hy-
pocricy, and dirty work. Sena-
ter Spooner sought to divert at
tentien from Tillman's plain
talk about Porto Rico by shifting
the debate to the suppression of
the negro vote in South Carolina,
but Mr.. Tillman met him at once
by declaring that he had no apel-
ogies to make for the actien of
the white people of South Caro-
lima, adding ''When you could
get nothing more from US by law,
yeu turned a horde Of negroes
and carpet baggers loose upon US
to steal everything we had left.
We are here to stay, and we de-
mand our rights. We are not to
be trampled on and hampered
and patronized any longer. | say
that as a South Carelinian, | am
the equal of any Senator ON this
foor. | propose to have my say
here, no matter whose feelings
are hurt.
Representative Caldwell, Of H.,
shelieves that Senator Cullum will
bsE9ceeded by a Democrat. He
said think I have.a right te
be sanguine in my hopes that we
shall elect Democrat to the q.
S. Senate. The present law dis
tricting the State makes it pes
sible for lis to carry the legisla.
ture, although the Republicans
have majority in the State some
where between $4,000 and 45,.
900.
One result of the investigation
now being made by the House
Military Committee Of the Fede.
raj troops in Idaho, is the resolu.
ton offered in the House by Rep.
resentative Lentz, of Ohio, ano
in the Senate by Senator Allen, o1
Nebraska, calling for the with
drawal Of Federal troops from
| the Ceur d'Alene district il
Idaho; the revocation of the labol
permit system, and restoration o.
| the right of habeas corpus. Tht
| resolution declares that the fur
ther use of q. S. troops in aidin|
and assisting the maintenance 0
martial law is improper, unneces
1 cary and unlawful