Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-08-21

serted making it discretionary either
with the president or congress to restore
the duty if certain contingencies arise.
This subject is now under consideration,
and the committee will endeavor to rec
ommend what they consider best for the
Interests of the American people. He
does not look for any material changes
in the bill as now constituted for he claims
thai it was prepared with the greatest
care after due deliberatiOn by party lead
ers. and 1t will not do for any man or set
Of men within the party lines to try and
make it appear that there Is a wide
division on the subject. The considera-
ton of the bill, so far as it mas progressed
shows that the republicans, with a few ex-
ceptions, are sustaining the committee on
finance Senator Aldrich is the one man
in the senate who can answer any question
that may be propounded concerning the
various schedules. Senator Aldrich says
he does not know how long the debate on
the tariff bill will continue.
1.-The attitude of the ways and means COM
mittee toward a possible amendment to
the Mckinley bill is no longer antagonis-
tic Mr. Mckinley said: Il am not
speaking for publication to anyone con-
corning my attitude toward reciprocity. |
can still only repeat my previous declar-
alton that | am for reel procity with
equality. ! believe that the ways and
means committee will favor any PROPOSE
ton presented to them which shows how
we can get dollar for dollar in any legisla-
tion of this kind" Another member of
the ways and means committee, who does
not wish his name used, said: 1--WE are
merely waiting to hear from the president.
If he can show us how the tariff bill can
be amended so as to open foreign markets
as we'll as to create home market for the
farm products Of the United States, | for
one shall be only too glad to join with
others in enacting such legislation.
These two statements of themselves are
enough to show that the temper of the
republican majority of the ways and means
committe is not in the least discordant
with the ambition of the administration
to enlarge the market for agricultural pro-
ducts of the United States in return for
admitting the sugar of countries to the
south, all OF which are within the line
drawn by the Monroe doctrine. One of
the leading members of the ways and
means committee says that he regrets very
much the revelations which have been
made concerning the inside history of the
conference between Secretary Blaine and
the committee, because these revelations
have been disconnected and incomplete
He added that 1t was the popular impress
sion that the secretary had appeared be-
fore the committee and advocated reciprOc-
ity IN Sugar, and that he found the COM
mittee unwilling to listen to him. It has
been repeatedly stated, he said, that but
one member of the committee was in favor
of keeping the duty on sugar until the
United States could utilize its free admis-
sion by eXacting similar concessions from
other countries.
The conferences between the president
and Mr.. Blaine, it is also known. referred
to the new phase which the negotiations
over the Behring's sea difficulty have as
sumed. Precisely what this issue is, and
whether it is regarded by the administra-
ton as unfavorable to the interests of the
United States is not known here So far
the president has not seen fit to communi-
cate Oh this subject to any of the many
visitors who have called at the white house
since his return. The general impression.
however, prevails that the recent publica-
ton OF the Behring's sea correspondence
has materially strengthened the case of the
United States, Notwithstanding the. I'M
patriotic efforts of democratic sheets and
the Blaine-hating crowds of mugwump
organs to belittle the splendid effort of the
administration to stand up for American
rights against the unwarranted encroach-
ments of q foreign power; and that, there
fore, the present status of the negotiations
is to &c regarded as more satisfactory than
when Mr.. Blaine saw himself compelled to
write his celebrated note of June 80 in re-
ply to Lord Salisbury's protest.