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AMD TOPEKA TRIBUNE.
VOL. TV. NO. 17.1
$1.00 A TEAR. j
TOPEKA, KANSAS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBEE U, 1892.
i oyyiciAL paper of ttjui
IPXOPLJB'S FAK1Y OIP KANSAS.
CMGHES3
ffot
Much Concerned About Anything
Except Appropriations.
Washington, December 11. In both
houses the work is progressing in a man
ner that indicates lack of real .earnest
neas. The prominent features of this
week's proceedings are likely to be the
anti-option bill in the senate and an ap
propriation bill in the house. The anti
option bill is the unfinished business on
the senate calendar, and is expected to
be laid before that bod to-morrow unless
an early adjournment prevents it.
In the morning huur Senator Mitchell
will dis?uss his joint resolution propos
ing an amendment to the constitution
providing for the election of senators by
the votes of the qualified electors of the
states. Th'i joint resolution is indorsed
by the committee on privileges and elec
tions, and u undoubtedly strong in the
senate, but because of its great impor
tance it is hardly to be assumed that it
can be passed during the scanty oppor
tunity offered by the morning hour.
Once the anti-option bill is laid before
the senate it will be open to discussion
again, and positive action on the matter
is expected this week. From present
indications the daily, sessions will be
short, and an adjournment will be taken
from Thursday to the following Monday.
It is quite probable that in the house
next week a great deal of information
and opinions based on information will
bejsubmitted relative to the condition
of the treasury.
It is the expectation of the leaders
that with the exception of Monday, when
bills concerning the District of Colombia
will have right of way, practically the
wbrletime of the house during the week
will be devoted to consideration of the
regular appropriation bills. The debate
will begin on the army appropriation bill
which the military committee will report
on Monday, and which Chairman Oath
waite at present intends to call up on
Tuesday.
It is likely that the debate will take a
much wider range than this bill, and
will embrace the state of the revenues,
of existing appropriations and, if it is
possible, of the policy of the democratic
partv. The army bill in its aggregate
shows a reduction from the total amount
carried by the bill for the current fiscal
year, but there bare been several in
creases made in the appropriations under
the head of "Department of Ordnance."
The military committee would not be
surprised if an attack was made rn some
of these items by Mr. Hoi man and other
rigid economists. It is prepared for any
criticisms which may be made by adopt
ing in its report the statements made by
General Flagler showing the real and
urgent necessity for additional appro
priations, and is in for a lively right if
need be.
The appropriation committee has been
at work on the District of Columbia and
fortification appropriation bills for some
time, and expects to report the latter
bill in time to be taken np as soon as the
army bill is passed.
The District of Columbia bill has
caused considerable trouble to the sub
committee in charge of it. A host of
local government officials have been ex
amined, and on Monday the sub-committee
will begin the annual preparation of
theHll. It is believed that the bill will
be reported to the house the latter part
of this week.
Estimates for deficiencies have been re
ceived and they will be embodied in an
urgency deficiency bill, to be reported to
the house and taken up almost imme
diately for action, any other bills under
discussion to temporarily give way.
It is the purpose of the managers of
the house to get all these bills over to
the senate before the holiday recess. The
accomplishment of this purpose largely
depends on the temper of the house,
which, if ia the mood, can protract con
sideration of the bills over several weeks.
MONDAY.
Davis, of Kansas, from the committee
on labor, reported the bill to prohibit
the employment of convict labor on pub
lie works.
In the senate certificates of election of
electors for president and vice president
of the United States were presented
from the states of New Jersey, Colorado,
Connecticut and Ohio, and placed on
file.
Numerous petitions and remonstrances
against the passage of the anti-option
bill were presented and referred to- the
committee on agriculture. Petitions
were also presented for closing the
World's fair on Sundays, and in favor of
the construction of the Nicaragua canal.
Senator Stewart introduced a bill
amending the existing Sherman act so
as to provide for the free silver coinage
of silver bullion now held in the treas
ury, and in addition, for the issue of
treasury notes based on the silver de
posits, which notes are to bo rechimable
in gold or silver coin at the option of the
government, and aie made legal tenders.
Senators Peffer and Call were ap
pointed additional members of the com
mittee on immigration.
Missouri has lately added another ad
vocate to the People's cause. The Daily
and Weekly Wa$p, under the manage
ment of Prof. W. T. Foster, will here
after be devoted to the principles of
Populism, and will contain the profes
sor's weather and scientific writings.
Write to the Advocate for terms to
solicitors. You will not lose anything by
doing so.
BETALIATION.
The Steamship Companies Uniting Against
the Chandler Bill.
Washington, D. C, December 11.
The representative of the Qlobe-Democrat
is in a position to give a forecast of what
the united steamship companies may do
in the event that congress should pass an
act suspending immigration for one year
as proposed by the Chandler bill, recently
introduced. The steamship companies
look upon such legislation as foreshadow
ing a permanent act, excluding immi
gration for an indefinite period. They
say that the inducements held out by
Senator Chandler in an interview, that
they could find their compensation in
carrying visitors to the exposition during
the year that immigration ia suspended,
are not praotical. They see in the Chan
dler bill a direct menace, and must cast
about for something else to employ their
ships, which represent an enormous cap
ital. The question is, what course will
they take'
It is very probable that as soon as the
Chandler bill comes regularly Defore
congress, and its passage becomes
assured, a meeting will take place be
tween all the steamship companies car
rying freight and passengers between
European and American ports. This
meeting will include representatives of
English, Germ in, French, Italian, Bel
gium, Dutch and other lines. A resolu
tion will be submitted, deciding on the
part of all lines interested to close
American ports like New York, Phila
delphia and Baltimore, to European
traffic, and to divert their carrying busi
ness to Halifax. This resolution will
probably be carried, and the combined
lines will at once enter upon a course of
retaliation upon Amerioan commerce.
The lines will refuse to carry exposition
visitors except by way of Halifax, and in
the same way will treat all freight in
tended for American ports.
If this policy is followed, as there is
good ground for assuming, one conse
quence will be to stimulate American
shipping. It will at once necessitate the
building of a large merchant fleet to take
care or. tne business now carried in
European bottoms. The only damage
likely to ensue is the losses sustained by
American merchants, exporters and im
porters from the delay in creating a new
merchant marine, and the extra expense
involved in shipping via Halifax.
Another problem involved is, how far
retaliatory measures of this sort can be
carried without making an international
question of them. The fact is pointed
out that already an act is proposed in
Germany to prohibit the operation of
foreign steamship agents in the empire,
the evident intention being the protec
tion of the German carrying trade. In
the event of complications ensuing be
tween the United States and the Euro
pean steamship companies, by leason of
the refusal of these lines to do business
with American ports, England, Germany
and other countries interested may 'vim
bine in the enactment ot laws putting a
prohibitive tax on American vessels en
gaged in the carrying business with their
ports. In that event the question is al
most certain to pass into a diplomatic
sphere, and become a subject for interna
tional arbitration. England will in all
probability be ready to enter into a com
bination with the other powers, for the
reason that Canada will derive the im
mense profit from the boycott of Ameri
can ports, should that prove to be the
ultimate policy of the steamship compa
nies, and because any interference with
her carrying trade invariably touches a
tender spot, not to speak of the fact , that
any serious disagreement between conti
nental' Europe and the United States,
relating to the commerce of the h'gh
seas, always redounds to her pecuniary
profit.
The Chandler bill has many adherents
in both branches of congress, and it is
not assuming too much responsibility to
predict that it will pass, if not in its pres
ent entirety, at least in a modified foim.
It is not in any sense a partisan measure.
Fully as many democrats as republicans
have openly committed themselves to
this or some measure like it that will
check the evils of immigration, and, if
possible, suspend immigration entirely.
That the steamship companies are appre
hensive for their business is natural, and
it is comparatively easy to trace, even at
so early a date, what they will do to off-
set the effects of such legislation, should
it come to pass. They will, as detailed
above, play Halifax against American
porta and await the result, in the hoDeof
creating an international crisis by which
they may profit
Mine Inspector Stewart says in his
last report that the coal product of Kan
sas for last year was G9,000,000 bushels,
the largest the st te ever had. Of the
nineteen counties that produce coal,
Crawford yielded 33 per cent.; Cherokee.
32 per cent; Osage, 17 per cent., and
Leavenworth, 10 per cent. Since 189,
when the last report was made, Chero
kee increased its percentage of the whole
state product, but the three other coun-
ti s fell off some. Ia 1889 these four
counties yielded the same propon ion of
the p oduct of Kansas that they gave
last year. With proper legislation to
regulate mines and mining there is no
telling how much coal Kansas would
produce.
The Populists in ihe California legis
lature hold the balance of power, and
will dictate who shall be Senator Fel-
ton's successor.