The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-04-25
REPUBLICAN DISCOkD.

A dispatch from Washington to the
Baltimore Sun says:
''Not in 10 years has there been time
when the situation in national politics
was so threatening for the Republican
party as at present. We are just prepar-
ing to go before the country for the cleo
ton of new House Of Representatives.
Apparently it will be 1890 over again.
How arc we preparing for it? We seem
to have no leader. The Republicans in
the House are leaderless mob. A mi
nority of the Republicans there combine
with the Democrats, and that is an end
of party responsibility and party discip-
line.
Exactly the same situation prevails in
the Senate There is no leader, and a few
Senators who were elected as Republicans
stand ready to form an alliance with the
Democrats-if, indeed, the alliance has
not been formed already-to overthrow
the policy Of the Administration and bid
defiance to party authority. BOW is it to
end? Unless the big men of the party
| come to their senses it will end in disas-
| ter after disaster and loss of the Presi-
dency in 1901"
This statement was made today by a
prominent Republican, who was asked
for his opinion as to what the signs of the
times in the party meant. He would not
allow his name to be used, but he spoke
with much feeling. His expressions are
only in line with what can be heard when
ever two or three leading politicians get
together. On all sides the gravity of the
situation is growing. Sentiment for
tariff revision, Democratic unity and
Republican discord-that is the situation
in a nutshell.
Your correspondent has talked today
with many of the men who have much to
do with making the policy of the Republi-
can party. The burden of their tales of
| woe is that for the time being Congress
is in position of antagonism to the
| Administration, and it is for tie Admins
tration to step in and assert itself They
point out that the Republicans have ceas-
ed to have leaders in either branch of
Congress and that the Democrats, who
have had no effective leadership for years
are really molding the legislation.
One prominent Republican said that the
trouble in the House was to be laid pri-
marily at the door of Representative
Babcock, of Wisconsin, who stirred up
the question of tariff revision.
Nearly all the Republican leaders, how
ever, fail to discern that at the root of all
the trouble lies the demand for reduc-
ton of the tariff either by revision or BY
reciprocal treaty.
Some of the difficulty in the House is
laid by leading Republicans to the Spea-
ker. This does not explain the situation
in the Senate, which is almost parallel
| The Republican Congressional Com
mittee, it is said on good authority, is feel
ing very nervous and is looking to the
National Committee to take hold of the
coming Congressional campaign and help
out. 1t is doubtful if it can get any help
| from the National Committee, the House
| having from the outset Of the present
session ignored the National Committees
advice.
The outlook is bad for the Republicans
all over the country. This statement is
made not on the authority of idle gossip,
but on reports gathered by members of
| Congress who have been in close touch
with the public pulse.