The commonwealth., 1902-01-23
WILL THERE BE A ROW?
to The Commonwealth.

| The most adrClt leadership In both The
Senate and the House has alone pre-
vented the development Of serious
| tactionai Disturbances in Republican
ranks during the week just passed ano
! il is only question of time when they
will break out in a violent form on The
| floors OF these bodies. It IS difficult
| for one not actually on the scene tt
appreciate TO what an extent the House
! of Representatives has ceased to be s
deliberatiye body. For time the Re
publican members felt themselves re
paid for their loss of power by the ex-
ample Of perfect discipline which they
set to the country, but now that they
are in So great majority as to believe
themselves relieved from the danger oil
democratic aggressions, they are long.
ing for the birthright which they
bartered.
Smarting with a sense OF their less
Of Influence the Representatives are
humiliated by the arrogance of certain
Senators who to-day openly say that
the attitude of the House towards any
of the Important questions which Con
gress must answer Is of no importance
as the Senate can and will rectify the
errors OF the ''irnpulsive and irresponsi-
BILE" lower body. Senator Cullum is
to-day preparing a speech in support
OF mis- contention that the House has
no right to be heard in the matter OF
reciprocal treaties which are, the Sena-
tor alleges, matter for the Senate and
President alone to consider. In view
of the very important subject of reel
procity with Cuba which must soon be
determ ined the position of the senior
Senator from Illinois and large num-
Der Of his colleagues is particularly ex-
asperatlng.
There is no mistaklng the Intent of
the Dingley bill which says that such
treaties must be approved Shy Con-
gress," but Senators Culium, Lodge,
Spooner, Frye, Hanna and others hold
to the opinion that, according to the
constitution, the President and the
Senate "aione constitute the treaty
making power" Senator Lodge modi-
fes his opinion somewhat, however, by
saying that be believes that it would
be courtesy to consult the House be-
cause any reciprocal treaty affects the
question OF raising revenue.
The Philippine tariff bill will be re-
ported to the Senate to-day or to-. NOR
row and it is predicted that the debate
on its provisions will last for month.
Senator Lodge processes to believe that
1t Will be eventually passed as reported
but there are members of bis own party
who greatly differ from him and who
say that it will have to be referred
back to the committee. Prominent
among these is Senator Mitchell, of
Oregon. after the bill gets through
the Senate it will have to pass the
House, ard if the Senate persists In
Its determination to exclude that BODY
from voice Ia the Cuban reciprocity
affair there Is every possibility that Mr.
Payne, chairman OF the Ways and
Means Committee, and his colleagues
will treat the measure with little con-
s delation, as they believe that Senator
Lodge, IN his capacity OF champion of
the administration, will be thus brought
to terms and Will be forced to oppose
the Senate Foreign Relations Commit
tee in order to relieve Secretary Root
from his present en- barrassing position.
The Isthnilan Canal, while by no
means partisan question, IS capable
OF causing trouble that may deyelop
along partisan lines. Senator Morgan,
who is as firmly committed to the
Nlcaraguan route as ever, called at the
White House recently and came away
seriously dissatisfied with the result OF
his interview with the President. He
Is also much disturbed at Senator
Hanna's apparent disaffect:on in favor
OF the Darien route. This route would
require the construction OF a tunnel
five miles long, through solid granite
mountain aud the Senator from Ala
bama considers it lacking in feasibility
and its agitation merely an attempt to
delay canal legislation.
The Committee on Resolutions of
the Democratic House caucus held 2
meeting on Friday afternoon, and
while no definite policy was determined
upon, the members arrived at a very
close estimate OF the policy which it
would recommend at the next meeting
OF the caucus. It was not deemed adyis.
able to commit the party at this early
date to definite policy on the major,-
ty OF the questions with which Con-
gress Will haYe to deal. There is no