The age-herald., 1901-01-15
MORGAN CONFIDENT ABOUT CANAL BILL He Will Not Push the Measure
 Immediately FOR FEAR OF PREJUDICE Alabama Senator Will Wait Until the Army and Ship Subsidy Bills
 Are Disposed of-some
 Spite Against Hanna.
FOR FEAR OF PREJUDICE

Senator Morgan, chairman of the Senate committee on inter-oceanic canals, con- tinues confident that the Nicaraguan ca nal bill, which passed the House a the first session of this Congress will pass the Senate before adjournment. He is not pushing the bill before the Senate now be- cause to do so might prejudice it when 1t became possible ito secure its considera- tion. He is waiting until the army bill has been disposed of and until the Senate has decided whether or not to pass the shipping subsidy bill. Then he will ask to have the Ncaraguan canal bill taken up and feels confident that it will then be passed.
 The venerable Alabama Senator hkens the army, the shipping subsidy and the Nicaraguan canal bill to three cars on the same track. Until the first two are out of the way the third can make no progress. If it attempted to jump the army bill car or the shipping subsidy bill car wreck would occur that might be disastrous. Hence he does not move, just now, to have the Nicaraguan bill taken up, but will do so just so soon as the track ahead is clear. It Is of course, possible that an appro- priation bill car may get ahead of the Nic- araguan canal bill, but as there is little tendency to debate appropriation bills this session-uness, of course, they should be used for flibustering purposes against the shipping subsidy bill, which is not in the least likely-the Senator seems to think that the appropriation bill cars, should any of them get ahead of the Nicaraguan canal bill car from some siding, will be gotten out of the way very speedily.
 It is not improbable that the fact that filibustering against the shipping subsidy bill would interfere with, if not destroy, the possibility of getting up the Nicaragua canal bill when the subsidy bill is out Of the way, may tend to lessen the anxiety of some Democratic Senators to filibuster against the shipping bill. The Nicaragua canal bill appears to be very popular on the Democratic side, and, so far as is now known, no Democratic Senator is likely to oppose it.
 Democrats Are Fair.
 The Democrats have been very earnest, indeed in the advocacy of the Nicaragua canal, and have criticised the Republicans for delaying it, first to await the report of the canal investigation commission and second because of the pendency of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty, and finally be- cause the British government had not sig nfied it's intentions regarding the treaty as amended. In these circumstances it might prove very embarrassing to Demo- crats to filibuster against the shipping subsidy bill with the knowledge that by so doing they would jeopardize, if they did not kill the Nicaragua canal bill for ths session.
 In connection with the probable fate of the shipping subsidy bill, it is not uninter- esting to note that much of the desire to filibuster agaist it comes from spite against Mark Hanna. That is the case with Sena- tor Pettigrew of South Dakota and with Butler of North Carolina. These Senators appreciate that if the bill does not get through this session it's chance for passage in the next Congress will be excellent, be- cause in that Congress the Republicans will have increased maJorties in both houses and the opposition will have less capacity for obstructing legislation. But Pettigrew and Butler both retire on March A. and each wishes to get even with Hanna for grievances. either real or fancied, and to make the last hours as effective in curing revenge possible.
 This spirit of spite does not actuate, 1t must be said in fairness and justice, the Democratic Senators, with one or two ex- captions, perhaps. They realize that the Republicans have the power and will pass the bill next Congress if they fail in this. yet they feel bound to oppose it, and state their objections fully and frankly. Their position is not only legitimate but alto- gether creditable. They are acting from sincere belief. But at the same time the political wisdom of not obstructing the Republicans in any legislative programme and of simply stating the reasons for op- posing Republican policies and voting against them cannot be denied. It enables the Republicans to carry out their plans, and if those plans wrong, the sooner the country has an object lesson of the mistakes made by the Republicans the better. If the Republican policies prove to be good, the Democrats could not have stopped them from being carried out in any event, even if they should succeed in delaying legislative action; and in addition to the credit the Republican party would receive for beneficial legislation would be the charge that could advantageously be made by the Republicans that the Demo- crats had obstructed legislation that proved desirable. Thus the Democracy would be harmed by obstructing the Republican pol ices and lose the opportunity of pointing to Republican legislation being bad. This view of the case has impressed itself upon progressive Democratic Senators.
 ALBERT HALSTEAD.
 
 Spajn Watchjnu Carlists