The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-06
The Republics Last Stronghold.


In all probability the cIotuIc rule in
the Senate proposed by Senator Piatt OF
Connecticut VIII not be pressed to an
issue at the present extraordinary ses-
sion Of that body-aIthough in this
POSSIBLY we may be mistaken Be that
as it may, there is Go reason to doubt
that MI Hanna and the financial ana IN
dustrial trust interests Of which he is
the political representative have fully
determined TO reduce the last stronghold
OF free government left to Us to the
condition OF the House of Representa-
tives.
Should this conspiracy succeed it would
be easy for Mr. Hanna u pass d Subsidy
jOb-eyen one twice as bad as that which
failed in the Fifty-sixth Congress
through both branches of the Leg
islature in a week or two after the in
PRODUCTION OF = bill AIS5, he would find
it quite feasible to force the nation to
take the Panama ditch of the hands of
the Administration clique in New York,
which now controls i. and at a profit to
them and their Washington associates of
fifty or sixty million dollars In short
there is nothing that might be desired
by the Hanna combination in the way of
legislation that it could not get by the
mere issuance of an order TO Messrs. Al
drich and Frye in the Senate and
Speaker Henderson in the House.
The experience Of the Iaoe session has
taught the trust leaders that they cannot
hope completely TO sUbvert the popular
Institutions OF the country, and secure all
power 10 an executive imperial and auto
cratic IN its constitution, without first
crushing out the last vesJige Of independ-
ence. the freedom OF debate. and the right
OF free speech in the Capitol But clio
tUTe in the Senate would nearly accom-
pIish their designs. though not fully, as
there is yet the Suprem- Court to be
counted with. That consideration, how
ever, need not and probably does not
worry me inperialists- They know that
when they have the legislative branch
helplessly at their mercy. it VIII not be
difficult TO doctor the Judicial. by increas-
ing the number of Justices OF the SD
preme Court sufficiently TO make q safe
majority OF new appoiutees. who natu-
rally, woU-u ye men recommended by the
trusts and monopoIies as reliably sure TO
Go the bidding of the combination
During the recent Presidential cam
paign when any Democratic opinion that
we were drifting toward government by
a trust eligarchy WAS expressed the Re
publican press and leaders treated the
idea with scorn. and vehementIy denied
that the party purposes eTen squinted
IL such a direction. The result OF the
election showed that the masses Of the.
people believed them II is doubtful if
they could be as convincing now. He
must be a dense and unlettered indk
Yidual who does not see the steady ana
progressive destruction Of one after an
other of eur institutions The once i'm
portart and influential House OF Repre-
sentatives has ceased to be a quantity
worth remembering IN matters Of legfs-
Iation II has become Il thing entirely
perfunctery. It does what It is told 70;
ii has no option but TO obey the orders
handed down from the Hanna headquar-
tiers Should the Senate fan to the same
level. as Immediately II would upon the
adoption Of a cloture rule. then all leg
isIatiye power in effect would pass to
the executive branch OF the Government
to which Congress already has saFrend-
cred its rights and functions IN the Phil
ippine archipelago
There seems to be a chUckIing sense of
triumph among Admin stration men in
the Senate. in that they think they have
in the new Vice President a person ready
and willing TO resort TO any revolutionary
or violent method which his party mas
Jers may demand of him 1t is limited that
they may ask him 70. take the bull oy the
horns and force the clOtUre rule to a
vote. BY locking the doors Of the Cham
Der. calling the roll. and counting Sena-
tors whether they answer 10 their names
or not The alleged project sounds Han
naesCue enough TO he true. Whether MI
Roosevelt would lend himself 10 so nefa-
rinus an assault upon the personal rights
and liberties OF Senator's, OF not. it IS
quite impossible to say; but it does not
seem conceivable that he would However.
if he were 70 pursue sz1ch course il is
hardly TO be doubted that something IN
pleasant would happen for which no pre-
cedeut exists IL the annals Of the United
States Senate.