The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-06-05
Manipulation Of Legislation.
Some Of The Combinations RepubIi-
cans are Making to Shape
Laws as They Wish.

Washington, May $3.50 anxious is
the administration to force it's canal
surrender to Great Britain upon the
country that in order to carry out it's
purpose, it is willing to block all
efforts to make effective the interstate
commerce law.
At first blush the connection between
the two matters may not be seen, but
it exists just the same. The fate of
the canal depends on the selection of
chairman for the Foreign Relations
Committee of the Senate. When Sena- /
tor Davis of minnesota, who was
chairman of that committee died, the
three Senators next in order were
Frye Of Maine, Cullom of Illinois,
and Lodge of Massachusetts, Senator
Frye is chairman of the Committe on
Commerce, and as such, is committed
to the ship subsidy bill, and is unwil-
ling to change his post until this is
disposed of.
In default of him, Senator Cullom
will succeed to the chairmanship, but
it has been understood that he prefer
red to remain at the head of Interstate
Commerce, where splendid chance is
offered to do effective work-the first
chance that has offered for years. If
he refused the chairmanship, Mr..
Lodge would come to the head of
Foreign Relations and for a time it
was believed that this would happen.
But the administration became
alarmed. Mr.. Lodge let it be under
stood that he should at once introduce
resolution to abrogate the Clayton
Bulwer Treaty for the purpose of
sharply defining the issue between
the United States and Great Britain
on the canal question, as well as to
uncover the domestic influences that
are arrayed against the canal enter
prise and that employ the old Clayton
Bulwer convention as the shield of
their real motives Such resolution,
popular as it would be with the people
of the country, would be destructive
to Secretary Hays Anglomanical
treaties.
This brings the situation down to
the fact that any sudden disavowing
of the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, such
as is advocated openly by Senator
Lodge, is not likely to pass unless he
is chairman of the Foreign Committee,
and hence it follows that on the result
of this peculiar Senatorial complica-
tion depends the whole canal question,
and this fact now is said to have been
reported officially to the foreign Office
by Lord Pauncefote, the British Am
bassador. Accordingly the fat has
come forth that either Cullom or Frye
must take the craftsmanship and keep
Lodge out.
As Frye is needed to jam through
the shipping steal, the sacrifice de-
wolves on Cullom, even though his
surrender of the head of the Interstate
Commerce Committee will bring Mr..
Eklins, a strong railway man, to its.
head and stop for the next decade all
chance of much needed reforms.
For years the committee has been
hampered by the open enmity of Sena-
tors Chandler and Wolcott to all re-
form measures, and by the tacit oppo-
sition of Mr.. Elkins to anything that
hampered the railways. Now that
both Chandler and Wolcott are out,
Elkins will be nearly powerless un-
less he is made all-powerful by Sena-
tor Cnllom's surrender Of the chair
manship into his hands.
These changes are inevitable, de-
pending on Senate precedent. If Mr.
Cullom leaves the committee there is
no way of preventing Mr.. Elkins from
succeeding to its headship.