Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-07
SENATOR VOORHEES, TALKS
He Sees No Reason Why Tariff Agreement
Should Not Be Reached.
The Presidents Letter a Help "a
the Sugar IssWe-Iroa aud Coal
the DiHicuity.

Senator Noohees. chairman of the con-
ference, who has been confined to his house
by severe illness ever since the work OF
the conference began. says in an interview
on the tariff situation in conference:
1T seems to me there ought TO he but
little. If airy. difficulty in reaching an agree
ment between the two houses. The ways
and means committee of the House did not.
in the first instance, report in favor of
free sugar but were overruled by the House
and free sugar put in the Wilson bin. j
would gladly have concurred in this, but it
was ascertAined with mathematical
certainty that such a bill could by no pos
sibility pass the Senate.
ION this point of difference between the
two houses l look upon the Presidents let
ter to Mr.. Wilson as help rather than a
hiniraace toward compromise settlement
The concession which the President 'ad-
vises the House TO make sugar. is lib
eral and ought TO be at once satisfactory
TO every legitimate sugar interest. j can
entertain no doubt that IL will furnish the
basis Of successful sugar schedule. Mr.
Caffsry has announced in the SeBs te,as un-
derstand him, that Louisiana will accept ~
per cent al Nalorern, without any refer
ence to the trust, especially IL the bounty
az least PORTION of it, is continued to
the planters "a few months longer. Under
these circumstances i am unable to see
how che sugar issue cal remain any longer
an obstacle to an ayr, emert.
The only other points of serious trou-
bic are embraced in the question whether
coal aud iron shall be free or have a tariff
duty laid on them of 40 cents per ton.
These are exceedingly small and insigniii-
cant items of controversy on which TO de-
feat great national system OF revenue
reform, obstruct all legislation looking to
that end, disappoint and defangc every
business of the country, greatly embsrrass
the democratic party. and infiict the gravest
calamties on all classes OF people.
If legislation shall entirely fail at this
time. owing to stubborn disagreement as
. to whether there shall be a small duty on
coal. and a small duty on iron ore, or
whether these two articles shall be on the
free list. the men who make that result in
evitable may rest assured that they will be
held in everlasting remembrance and ever
lasting execration; they will be burned in
effigy from one ocean TO the other, and their
, names wil be pilloriej i'm The detestation of
the American people.
There is so little ground i'm my mind. now.
for a fnal disagreement that those who
continue TO insist On small things and thus
compel such disg greement will be held as
criminals by all iust-mini led people.
The sugar question being practically out
of the way. as / have shown. by conces-
sion. the Senate ought. in my judgment 70
concede free coal and free ron ore. and of
course. il would do so but for a membership
in that body which can be counted on the
fingers of one hand. / have nc disposition
To reflect on the motives Of those who differ
from me in opinion. but this small minority
of the Senate have SUBSTANTIALLY carried
their point on sugar. can very easily end
very honorably afford to make concessions
on coal and iron. Such action on .heir part.
and the great results which would follow,
would be hailed by the American people as
a blessed deliverance from the present cri-
sis in our affairs