Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-25
TARIFF NEGOTIATIONS.
Mr.. Randall's Conferences with tn,
Ways and Means Committee.
A FAILURE TO AGREE so FAR-MR. RANDALL
THINKS THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A PRO
lection DEMOCRAT ON THE COMMITTEE.

Negotiations are still going on between the
House ways and means committee and Mr..
Randall, but the prospect of coming to an
agreement is not good. These conferences have
been going on for the past month, and have
been pressed with much earnestness by the
ways and means committee during the past
few days. Mr.. Breckenridge, of Arkansas, had
a long talk with the Pennsylvania yesterday,
pressing him to declare his position. Mr..
Breckenridge has been acting for the committee
in all these late conferences, and they have
been conducted in a very friendly spirit. The
ways aud means committee are very con-
ciliatory, and all overtures have been made
with the view o: securing perfect
HARMONY IN THE PARTY.
They want, if possible, to prepare a bill upon
which the party may be united, and are de-
termined that a failure in this shall not be
through want of effort on their part. They say
that the party is in disagreement on all ques-
lions of policy-the party resolved against ex-
travagant expenditures and have been increas-
ing rather than diminishing them; instead of
reducing they have increased the surplus; the
policy of the administration on the debt ques-
ton Is opposed to the declarations of the party;
they are split on silver-and now If they do not
agree upon the tariff, nothing is left upon
which to 60 before the country.
MR.. RANDALL CONSULTED ALL THROUGH.
The committee has not called upon Mr.. Ran
dali for the first time recently These conferences
through individual members have been going
on for the past TWO months, in the most friendly
spirit possible. Mr.. Randall has been asked for
suggestions and in a friendly manner has made
some. In every case his suggestions have been
followed by the committee. Every item he has
asked should be stricken out of the bill has been
stricken out by the committee, but they have
failed to get from him any final proposition, by
which they can come to An agreement He
has not refused their overtures, but has re-
NAMED non-commital. Everything against
which he has raised an objection having been
stricken out of the BILL the question was put to
him by Mr.. Breckenridge yesterday to know il
he had any further suggestions to make, and IL
having all his suggestions followed he would
still oppose any tariff legislation. He did not
answer this question, and made no further sug-
gestions, failing to indicate in any way what
course he would follow. All this was done
pleasantly. and both parties consider the mat
ter still open.
Mr.. RANDALLS PROPOSITION
is understood to be that the time when he
should have been consulted was when the com.
mittee was being formed. He said then that he
wanted one protectionist democrat and one
conservative democrat put upon the commit
tee, but 1t was made up as an exclusively free
trade committee. II the bill comes In the House
In u shape conforming with his suggestions, he
may vote for 1t, but he will not attempt to
speak for other protectionists In the party.