The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-22
II Is BellsVsi That The Senat
Finance Committee Is Ready
AND HAS ACTUALLY BEGUN WORK
Upon Framing = Bill That win succeed
the Wilson Biil-The Chances Are
Much Against the rsssage OF tho VIII
son BIZ What the 4 Ian May BE.

NEW YORK, Dec. 22.--The Press
Washington special says: 1t seems
almost incredible when the forces work
ing against the Wilson bill are analysed
that the bill will pass. A change OF three
or four votes among 20 apparently indli-
ferent senators will defeat the Wilson bill.
Three OF this number cannot be regarded
as strictly party men, and one has
not even Democratic proceivities. When
one realizes that the annual earnings OF
those engaged in gainful occupations in
the United States is $1,000, ,00O, 900, and
that a reduction. in wages of only 20 per
cent. means loss of 8, ZOO, ,0O0, 900 in earn
ings to the people, we have Alright TO as
sumo that three or four senators will be
found patriotic enough and courageous
enough to vote against this tremodous
loss.
Here, then, we have the situation in the
senate, so far as it applies TO what IL
known as the Cleveland Wilson bill. An al
together new danger threatens the bill,
which has not been mentioned, so far as /
know, by the Washington correspondents.
1t has certainly not been given the promi-
nence which its Importance demands--a
new tariff bill altogether, on more con-
servative lines. OF course this will be
skillfully denied by Senator Voorhees,, and
possibly Senator German and his friends,
but nevertheless IL ss.a fact that this plan
has been discussed, il it Is not actually in
contemplation. When asked about the
Wilson bill the other day Senator Voorhees,
quietly responded that the finance COM
mittee of the senate was going
about the revision OF the
Wal not be hurried, he said, nor will
II necessarily be influenced by the
Wilson bill. This was not the first time
the finance committee of the senate had
prepared q tariff bill, and the Information
already collected on this subject by the
committee was far in excess of the some
what rapid and cursory investigation of
20 days, which was the only training
some members OF the ways and means
committee could boast of prior to begin
ing their task.
Tho Senate At Work
In view of this, schedules containing no
less than thirty-four questions, as print
ed in The Press, are to be sent out to
manufactures. These questions have
been passed with great care and skill,
and, IL answered to any considerable ex-
tent, will condemn the Wilson bill in
every feature.
The action OF the finance committee OF
the senate indicates that the advice of
Senator German for a conservative tariff
bill, built on business principles, will be
favored by the senate committee, and that
the Cleveland Wilson free trade, industry
destroying measure may be cut as dead as
II deserves to be should il ever reach the
senate. The questions sent out by the sem
ate open up fundamental questions, such
- advalorem and specific duties, SO called
free raw material, ETC., that have long
Cleveland Wilson bottle, with "none
genuine without this trademark" label.
To tamper with the most sacred ideas of
She White House oracle is dangerous and
nay result in as pretty and unexpected a
dght ~ was ever witnessed in the senate.
Democratic Opportunity.
A, tariff bill such as Senator Aldrich
could easily prepare would give good
many Democrats an opportunity to ex-
tricate themselves from an embarrassing
position and commend itself as the lesser
Of two evils to Republicans.
The guarded statements OF the Demo-
cratic senators who have no love for
CleveIand's free trade notions, the send
ing forth of these exhaustive schedules
end the action aud words of members of
the finance committee all indicate that,
besides the opposition referred to at the
beginning OF this dispatch, the Wilson
comet, may, in its fall from the house,
come "plumb square" against an Opaque
body In the shape OF senate tariff bill.
In this event one or the other
will have to get out of the way. OF course,
this senate bill movement will be denied.
nevertheless, IL Is under serious consider
alton. There Is tremendous struggle
ahead, and, II present indications are
worth anything, II will last many months
perhaps far into the sumner 1t should
be remembered that the Mckinley bill
reached the senate early in June and was
not passed until late in September. Two
months in the house and three in the
senate means May or Juno.