The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-31

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30.-(Spectal.)-Al IN
tere est here centers in the elections. NC
other subject Of national concern Is seri'
ously discussed.
Even the failure of the Panama Canal
negotiations and Cuba's virtual rejection
Of our treaty. two issues OF great grav'
ity. are for the moment. almost unnoticed
men of affairs devoting their attenton to
domestic politics.
Az usual. the volume of estimates from
each side IL abundant. Figures are made
To show startling results, carrying dis
NAV or gladness as individual predelic-
tons may lean. Few mon. even amongst
the best-informed, care to make calcula-
lions for themselves leaving the work OF
tabulating estimates to the newspapers
as the unthinking muititudes do. Little
attention seems to be paid to the guesses
of the respective party Congressional
campaign committees.
These committees have played a smaller
part in the general work of the canvas
this year than probably ever before. Can
didafes in the 2S6 districts have made
their own fights upon their own lines,
materially aided In some instances. no.
is bly, In New York and Alabama, by State
committees Of the respective parties. The
Conversational committees have been
larseIy overlooked or disregarded. Each
district has been contested mainly upon
lines best adapted locally. For example.
three Of the Republican nominees in Mas
sachusetts are making tariff revision their
main issues, while all the other nominees
of that party in that State are stoutly
and stubbornly fighting for Dingleyfsm.
Most Of the Eastern Republicans gen
er ally are out-and-out Dingleyites. while
in the West tariff revision has very pow
erful Republican support. Thus a large
element Of the Republican party has come
to endorse the supreme issue Of the DEM
ocracy-the reform Of the tariff.
President Roosevelt himself is Of this
mind, and It is we'll understood that he
will in his forthcoming annual message
to Congress urge the creation of a per-
manent non-partisan tariff commission,
whose duty shall be to hear evidence and
from time to time recommend to Con-
gress such changes in the tariff as may
be deemed advisable.
A statesman Of great information and
sound judgment tells me he Is convinced
that II the Republicans elect a majority
OF the next House the President will early
next spring call the new Congress to-
gethsr In extraordinary session for the
purpose Of revising the tarin. II the
House 10 Democratic there will be no ex-
ira session, for the President would not
allow Democrats the credit for tariff re-
vision. There Is no doubt that the first
regular session of the next Congress will
be largely devoted to the tariff, provided
the subject Is not disposed Of in an extra
session.
Democratic prospects for carrying the
House unmistakab:y Improve as election
day approaches. One of those peculiar
popular waves sometimes observable in
national elections, most notably in "a and
go, Is now stirring the country. 1t may
not be strong enough this time to lift
the minority party into the majority in
Congress, but the chances are decidedly
favorable to that end. The Republicans
are alarmed, the Democrats confident.
Mr.. CleveIand's recent wise and cheer
ing words have had a magical effect.
BY two or three brief letters he has re-
united the party. and for the first time
in eight years its ranks arc closed in
the endless struggle for he common
rights of the people. The various fac
lions of the dissatisfied and disorganfzed
have turned again to that splendid per-
sonaIi:y, which twice led the Democracy
to great victories-the only full Victories
the party has enjoyed in forty-two years
Whatever the result of next weeks cleo
tons, with Mr.. Cleveland to counsel the
party may look to 1904 serenely conf
dent.
II II were not fo- the pending elections.
Colombia's refusal to accede to the Amer
Tran nronnsitions az 70 the Panama Ca