The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-16
HONOR FOR LONG.
How the Kansas Congressman
Outgeneraled the Democracy
and the Republicans OPP
posed to Porto Rican
Tariff.

the Republican whip" appears in the
Kansas City Journal from its Washington
correspondent:
II Representative Chester I. Long. of
the seventh Kansas district, made a ma
tlonal reputation when he delivered his
recent speech in the house on the Puerto
t9a tarlIf Dill, he certainly augmented
that reputation greatly in the events of
me past week, and in the final passage of
the bill by the house
Mr.. Long was temporarily in charge of
republican pairs. The responsibility at
Iaened to this position is not to be con-
whip as he is commonly called, prac-
tically determines when votes on import
AM ,ieg1siat1on are to be taken and lines
up his side preparatory to the vote. 1t
requires a politician in the better sense of
me word and a man thoroughly capable
OF organizing ability. Such a man Mr..
Long has proven himself to be, and he is
cesses.
The Republican majority normally is
nineteen This would have been a good.
clear majority for the bill, but nine Re
publicans were outspolken in their opposi-
ton and Joined the Democrats. Allowing
for the change, this left the Republican
majority but one. Add Sibley, of Penn
sylvania, and but two was all the margin
the friends of the bill had. To secure a
p9 Ii1 ana ana Surer majority was the task 10
which Mr. Long was assigned, and a task
STATE ana ms party 1t was done by neat
pairing; pairing which was only success
working indefatigagi1 1oo PAIRS we're a ara
ranged, some between absent Republicans
ana democrats here who otherwise would
nave voted against the bill. This was
shrewdly manipulated, and to good ad-
vantage Hardest of all, perhaps though,
was securing the attendance or pairing of
every Republican. This is time Of year
when conventions are being held Many
were away attending conventions, manag-
ing campaigns, some sick, others attend
| ing to private business. This made it
| harder than otherwise for Mr. Long
| When he took charge of pairs on the bill
| on Wednesday, April f. forty-fiVe Repub-
| licans were absent from WASHINGTON
n lais f.
\ tendance was herculean task. One week
| later, however, when the vote was taken,
| voted else he was paired. Not a man was
overlooked. Weak Republicans. few of
whom there We're were braced up and
lined up with great care and skill Not
| vote was missing
On the. other hand. the Democrats. who
| worked hard, were not so successful
| perhaps so sl1illful in their work Several
dld not vote; others We're absent and un-
paired some We're IN town sick; the Re-
| publicans triumphed, but after a hard
struggle, and Kansas was in the struggle.
| On every hand Mr. Long IS commended
| for his efforts. The party leaders speak
highly of what he has done and appre-
| ciate it. the papers have very comph-
! mentary notices. Conspicuous among
them is a statement by the Washington
| Star to the effect that Mr.. Longs work
in securing the attendance of members
and arranging pairs is the most thorough
COMMENTS OF THE PRESS.
The Post says: Mr.. Long, the Repub
lican whip accomplished unusually good
| paired when the final vote came. He
| clearly outgeneraled the Democrats
the arran cement of pairs that the real
| skill came into play Mr.. Long was able
to secure a pair for every absent Republic
| can
The New York Tribune said: There
had been a good deal of jockeying and
sharp practice attempted by the Demo-
Gratis in regard to pairs, but every effort
by them to gain an undue advantage was
frustrated by the Xigilant Republican
whip, Mr.. Long, of Kansas, whose skill
full work ELECTED the warmest admiration
and commentator from his fellow Re
publcans''
The Philadelphia Press, Postmaster
printed across its front page the morning
following the vote the pictures of Con
spicuous figures in the passage of the
Porto Rico bill" comprising Mr.. Payne,
Mr.. Dalzell, General Grosvenor, members
of the committee of ways and means, Mr..
Long, as Republican whip, and Speak
er Henderson.
The Washington Evening Star, a paper
which has been bitterly opposed to the
bill from the beginning, had the following
editorial notice the day after its passage
Yesterdays triumph in the house of
representatives was not of reason. of NOR
ais, of justice, but purely of party disct-
pine The Republican whip was the
cacy of the Porto Rican bill were moth
ing. They contained only such appeals as
had before been made, and therefore mad
lost their novelty. The sole reliance was
on mastering the members and getting
them into line. This was accomplished
after week of hard work, and the bill
was passed That tells the story.
The Washington Post, which has also
vigorously opposed the bill. contains the
! following recognition of the strength of
the Republican organiza ton:
"A critical examination OF w edneSdayl s
vote the Porto Rican tariff bill leaves
us with the impression that its final pas
sage by the house reflects much more
credit upon the Republican organization
in congress than upon the party's states
manship and wisdom It IS question
whether the bill could have passed had
the discipline in the Democratic ranks
been perfect. Had the Democratic mem
bers been kept at their posts and been
sentees, and generally been held to
strict performance of their duty the sue
cess of Wednesday would have been
achieved. if at all with the utmost diff
fculty and by a very narrow margin.
THE Republican majority in the house
even counting the recent accessions by
the unseating of the two Democrats
Young and Robbins, is only about eigh-
teen-certainly not more than twenty
and as nine Republicans voted against
the bill, that majority under normal con-
ditions would have been practically eX-
with Mr. Boutelle, Of Maine, who could
not possibly have been present-a clear
> waste of strengthened another Stallngs
Of Alabama was absent on electloneeflns
business, without a pair These two votes
stroyed the Republican majority entirely
Tho fact remains, however, that the bill
went through by majority of eight ano
that fact, as we have shown. speaks vol
umes for the superior discipline and or
ganization of the Republicans 1t is plain
it is beyond contention or dispute, thai
the Democrats have been juggled in some
way, or have. in pursuit of their private
interests, neglected party obligation
''Of course, this is a matter between
Democratic constituencies and their repre-
sentatives in congress- II the latter car
successfully explain things, we shall con
clude that the former are represented
about well they deserve. 1t IS moth
ing to We survey the field with hum
! orous impartiality-"