The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-08-16
THE TARIFF CONFERENCE
THE CONFEREES HAVE ABOUT
AGREED 70 DISAGREE.
Asked for an Earnest of Their Free
Sugar Proposition, the Senate Con-
ferees Were Unable to Sire 1t
Conference Adjourns
Without Day.

WASHINGTON, Aug. l0,-A crisis il
tariff affairs was reached today. boil
in the open session and the secre
councils of the Democratic tariff con
ferees. When the conference close,
tonight it was with the understandin!
that the meeting would be suspended
for the present. No tine was set TO
re- assembling of the conferees tomor
row or thereafter, and it was felt tina
no further sessions might be necessar,
in case the senate acted favorably to-
morrow on Senator Hills resolution
directing the senate conferees to re-
port the situation of affairs. What
was of some importance was the feel
ing expressed by the house conferees
at the close of the conference that in
case the Hill resolution passed
and they believed it would, In
conference would practically be re-
lieved of its work and 1t would remain
only for the house to accept the senate
bill as lesser evil, as they believe,
than the Mckinley law. These con
clusions were reached after day OF
intense excitement among the tariff
leaders.
The day opened with the senate
proposition Tor free sugar still pend-
ing before the conference. Chairman
Wilson and his house associates were
satisfied that the tender of free sugar
was not made in good faith aud that
they had therefore requested the sens
ate conferees to furnish poll of the
senate, showing that ii the proposition
was accepted it would be adopted by
the senate and the bill passed. The
poll was considered as soon as the con
ferees convened. 1t disclosed that in
the event OF the acceptance of the free
sugar amendment the bill as whole
would be voted against by 80 Repub
licans and by Senators Kyle, Allen
ind PETER lPopulistD, and
Gallery and Blanchard Demo.
crats) total of 43 votes, cr
sufficient to defeat the bill Thi {,
poll was made OF. the best judgment
of the senate conterees. The house
accepted it as showing conclusively
that the tender of the free sugar
sm ndment, while made in good faith
by the senate conierees was means
adopted by the conservative senators
for the purpose of defeating tariff
legislation ana leaving the Mckinley
law in Jrce.
TIE discussion brought out for the
first time the statement thai the de-
tensive alliance between certain SEN
ators had proceeded further than
mutual cooperation, aud was now re
duced To u signed agreement While
members OF the Conference did not
claim tn have seen the agreement,
they stated as "A fact that Senators
Kyle, Allen, Prffer, Blanchard nnd
Caffery had reduced their understand
ing to black aud white, ana had sign
ed 1t to the effect that
they would vote against any
DILL which did not contain a bounty
clause tor sugar AS tree sugar
would eliminate the bounty provi~
visions, the signed agreement was re-
garded as sho wing that the five sen
ators combined with the Repu olicaus
would defeat the bill.
1t was while animated comments
we're being made on the foregoing
condition that word reached the cOu-
ference of Senator HIPS cap d'etat
in the open senate The Conferences
hastily adjlurne the senators going
on the floor TO take part ia the dehale.
Mr.. Wilson was not disposed TO
attach much weight to Senator Hilps
move at the outset, and said that is
would be futile, as the senate could
not act while the bill was In con-
ference. This feeling was shared to a
large extent early in the day by houee
leaders who characterized it as one of
the bluffs which were made of late to
demoralizs the house cOnferees and
force them to yield. Later in the
day, however, this feeling gave way
to one Of profound concern over the
situation and the future of the bill.
AT 2 o'clock the conference, or a
remnant of it, again assembled, with
the Hill resolution and the exciting
debate thereon as the main topic
among them All of the house men
were present but Senator Jones was
the only senate conferee in attendance
for any length of time, and 1t was said
Senator Vest felt indisposed to confer
pending the Hill resolution. Little or
no attempt was made to take up items
or schedules, the talk being on the
sensational phrases just developed
and no progress was made up to
O'Clock, when the conference sepa
rated without fixing time for ress-
sembliDg.
The house conferees no longer dis
guised the deep concern they felt over
the future of the bill. They had made
q rough estimate of the vote on the
Hill resolution and they felt 1t would
pass. Under these circumstau ces they
said nothing could be done
until the resolution was disposed of
II through some hnpefEl move il was
defeated, they said " would leave the
conference to proceed and the contest
would be carried on for the Wilson
bill. If, however, 1t passed. 1t would
practically discontinue the conference.
In that event, the house men stated
with satisfaction that they would be
still able to avert the complete failure
of all tariff legislation, by having the
house agree to the senate bill The
senate cOpferees also regarded the sit.
uation as very serious, and they sep
arated from their house colleagues in
no anliable frame OF mind. ft would