The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-16
PLAY TO THE GALLERIES
SENATOR'S LIKE ACTORS IN THIS
RESPECT.


RESPECT.
Senatorial Matinees Now a Leading
Attraction at the CapitaI-Wome
Enjoy the GIadiatoriaI Combats.
The Republican Party's Pro-
gramme, Apparently Drifting
With the Tide, but the Leaders
Have Their Big Schemes Well I'm
Hand and Are Merely waiting for
the Field to Clear.
Washington, Feb. 15.-Senators, like
play actors, enjoy playing to full gal
leries, even If the orchestra is but half
full. During the debate on the Philip
pine bill the Senate galleries have been
daily crowded with handsomely gowned
women and their escorts, as Interested
listeners to the acrimonious discussions
between Tillman and Spooner. in one
bout; Hoar and Platt of Connecticut
in another. and Teller and Lodge later
on. Afternoon teas and matinee par
ties are regarded as tame entertain
ment for the ladies, after they have
tween these senatorial gladiators. The
hotter the debate the better the ladies
enjoy it, and as long as they linger in
the galleries. the vain old senators keep
up their "wind jamming."
To the unsophisticated, personal en-
counters We're threatened more than
once during the past week in the SEN
| e
| leries had remained in their seats UNI
| til late in the afternoon they would
have seen Tillman and Spooner laugh
ing and chatting together in the most
friendly manner. The same might have
been said of Teller and Lodge. What
/ senators say in the heat of debate sell
| dom gets into the official record. Each
senator has the privilege of revising his
| remarks before they appear in print,
hence the Record does not show the
bitter personalities so often hurled
around the Senate chamber by excited
/ orators.
earnest and impulsive If not convinc-
! ing His wild gesticulations and his
| somewhat raw and original expressions
| always provoke a laugh from the occu-
pants of the galleries, and in his rough
way he always manages to drive home
a few stubborn facts for his opponents
to ponder over, during their hours of
meditation. In spite of his Spectacular
performances, Senator Tillman is per-
sonally popular on both sides of the
Senate chamber, and he succeeds in
getting fair proportion of local legis-
lation for the benefit of his people in
South Carolina.
There is a profound mystery sur
rounding the programme laid out for
the Republican party In Congress to
follow Only few of the chosen leau-
ers are prepared to indicate what line
of policy is to be followed during the
present session. At present they seem
to be drifting along without pilot or
compass, but way down under the
surface there is master hand at the
| helm at the proper time the course OF
the Republican craft will be apparent.
From one who has been down under
the surface l am Informed that 1t is
part of te political game the Republl-
cans are now playing to let 1t appear
that they have no fixed Legislative pro-
gramme, but are drifting with the tide.
In the first place it is intended that
nearly all of the big annual appropria-
ton bills shall be disposed OF before
any of the great national questions like
the Philippine tariff, Cuban reciprocity,
the repeal of the war tax, the ship sub
| Sidy ana the canal Dllls are pASSeu. III
other words it is part Of the game to
allow these great measures to come up
and be considered from time to time,
but they will be so handled that final
action will be delayed until all of the
| great money bills are out of the way.
AS one of the Republican leaders re-
marked in discussing this subject: 1T
is a good business proposition to as
| certain how much we are going to
spend before we determine how much
tax reduction we can afford. In every
branch of the public service the de-
mand upon the treasury is greater this
year than ever before. We have started
up an era of increasing the salaries
of high officials, and there is no tell
ing how much of the boosted surplus
! will be left by the time we get through
with the regular appropriation bills, the
! river and harbor bill, which is to be
reported next week, and the omnibus
public building bill, which is now in
the stable ready to be wheeled out at
the first opportunity. When we get
through with these measures the ses-
sion may be well advanced and we may
not have much time for the considera-
ton Of Cuba, the Philippines or the
! war