The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1900-03-16
capital" Letter from Harris.
Washington, Mar. 12, '0O

" lAs W.
Venerated Vermonters -
Great truths have been proclaimed
which at the time of their uttrance hay,
been received with decision or have fallel
fiat on the jaded intellects of a people no
able to comprehend their magnitude
Frinstance, Mark Twain informed
Europe in all seriousness that the only
distinctively criminal class in America il
Congress. How often has that statement
an eminent BritOn asked Ambassador
Choate to what station in this country
our Depew belonged. ''The Grand Cen
trail station was the reply, and yet, hav.
ing ears the Englishman comprehended
not Twas ever thus. In the presiden.
tial campaign in which Hancock shone
refulgent at the head of the democratic
cohorts that statesman vouchsafed the
opinion that the taritfssWas entirely To-
cal issue. For this he was jerred and
hooted by his fellow cOuntrymen,
but in the light of subsequent events the
words OF Hancock were those of inspira-
ton and prophecy. Again frinstance.
Both the great parties are riven and di-
vlded over the question of tariff on the
products of our colonies. Somebody s
OK is gored in some important respect.
Senator Platt of Connecticut objects to
free trade between this country and its
colony of Porto Rico, because the free
importation of Porto Rican tobacco
might lower the price of the Connecti-
cut product. On the other hand the
solid democratic delegation from Louis
ania throw overheard the prime deme-
cratic tenet of free trade and oppose it
in connection with Porto Rico because it
would injure the Louisiana sugar in
dustry. Again on the other hand one of
the ablest Of the republican leaders in the
Senate and in the country, Senator
Davis of Minnesota, a rock-ribbed pro-
tectionist, introduces free trade amend
ment to the Porto Rican bill in the in
terest of the great milling industries of
Minneapolis which want a market for
their flour. On every hand and a dozen
times a day we see party principles
thrown to the four winds in order to cut
and cover some local 'infant industry"
at home, which is struggling along with
a capital of hundred millions more or
less and which aims to control trade and
fix prices in it's line. Witness the colossal
cane and beet sugar trusts and the to-
bacco trusts and dozens of other trusts,
large and small, which might have
to reduce dividends if Gods even handed
justice was down to our PROSTATE and
gasping colonies.
So therefore, beloved, the tariff is dis
tinctly and surely local issue, and just
now is being banged and cutfed about at
the mercy of a purely merclnary mob,
pitiable spectacle for gods and men.
The House has lost three members by
death since the beginning of this session,
a remarkable mortality d yet more re-
markable as to the attendant circumstan-
ces. Chickering of New York fell or
jumped from the third story window of
a New York hotel and was dashed to
pieces, Epes of Virginia was suddenly
taken with appendicitis, and while be
ought to have been undergoing an opera
ton to save his life he was carried into
the House by two attendants and a doc |
tor to vote on the Porto Rican bill He
was then bundled into an ambulence and !
driven to the operating table, but it was
too late and he died in a state of collapse. /
The third and last death was that of
Hurmer of Philadelphia last Thursday, |
the Oldest member in the point Of service.
He had been in the House since 1870, and |
His death leaves Gen. Bingham, also of
the oldest member in SER
vice.
The bill for the relief-or otherwise
of Porto Rico is yet on in the Senate, and
will probably be the calaDder business
this week. Nobody can fortell how long
the debate on it will continue, or what
the bill will look like when it finally
from the smoke of battle. The
House has several appropriation bills,
The Hawaiin territorial bill and numer
)us other matters before it and it is any
Oody's fight as to which will be consider
I'd first. Both Houses are overwhelmed
with business and it is simply matter
If luck mixed with little persistence
IN the part of individual members as to
which will first receive consideration. A
)ill is taken up in its regular order and
considered until something else is
yedged in to sidetrack it, and then it is
helved for an hour, a day, week or in.
1t is as impossible to outline
| for (nnurngS SnUpr1l H9VS /
lhead as it is to fix the date of the COM
ng of local option in Vermont or the
dawn.
| note that the Vermont newspaper
MONITOR the Free Press. alludes to the
TALK Ot Senator Proctor
or the prospective new cabinet position
,f secretary OF commerce and Industry.
merely noted the fact that he was spok-
N of here for the place. That it was
With his sanction, or that he would ac- /
ept the place did not state and do not
believe. The autocrat of the Vermont
breakfast table is hereby reaSsured that
stated a fact. II is not thought for a
moment that the Senator would sacri
ice his pl ce in the Senate for such po-
ition, and | merely noted the fact IS
tated as an indication of the estimation !
II which he is held here.
AS member of the Senate committee J
N territories Sentor Ross has been de-
!
When the Senate was not in session TO a 5
odification of laws for the government |
# Alaska, and the result is a report from |
he committee which makes large vol
Imne, probably the largest that has or |
will come before the Senate at this ses- 5
ion. The work, in the inception of the
avs and the compiling of them is under y
TODD to be very largely the individual
york of Judge Ross, and as the report
will undoubtedly be adopted with few !
minor amendments another monument is Y
rected to the credit of Senator Ross as I
statesman. Z
| think | should say in this connection v
nd without the slightest bias that IL Is a
Xtreme rare that what is known as c
new senator" achieves such a national 4
equation and such standing in the esti- a
nation of his conirees as has Senator /
loss in the time he has been here. 1t il, h
a fact, said to be Unprecedented in late
ears. | may also say that his speech
n the rotation of the United States tU
er colonies, which has gwen him such
tanding would not have been delivered
early as soon as il was had 1t not been c
Dr the earnt st requests OF leaders of the o