Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-07-22
SENATOR HARRIS.
An Authorized Interview in Which BE States the
Position Of the Democratic Senator'S and Gives
the Reasons for the Concessions Made to the
0aaseryatlgs Senator's by * yiaast- o]nmi'-
hs-How Harris Understood the President to
Stand.

NJ ENPHIs, Tenn, July 21.-The Com
mercidL-ADpedL will tomorrow print an
authorized interview with Senator
Harris by its Washington correspondent
in which he says:
II had several interviews with the
President during the tendency of the
tariff bill in the Senate. have under
stood him throughout the Senate's dis
cussion Of the bill TO prefer a strictly
revenue tariff measure, such as l
would have preferred myself. When
the bill came TO the Senate the Demo-
Gratis Of the Finance Committee con-
sidered it and prepared sundry amend
ments in the line Of reducing rates OF
taxation. but when we had prepared
our amendments TO the bill, we aScer-
tanned with absolute certainty that
neither the bill as it came from the
House, or as the Finance Committee
proposed to amend it, could possibly
pass the Senate.
I'VE, the Democratic members OF the
committee, set about TO ascertain the
utimatum OF the four or five Demo-
cratic Senators who refused TO take the
bill as IL came from the Senate COM
mittee, and having learned from these
Senators the smallest concession
which would secure their support OF
the bill, and also having
ascertained that when the concessions
were made the bill in that form would
be a vast Improvement upon the Nc
Kinley law, we decided that, objection
able as were these concessions, even
with them the pending bill greatly re-
duced tariff taxation, and that we had
better accept the bill with, all its oojec-
tionable features than TO perpetrate the
Mckinley law with its much higher
rates and multiform obnoxious features.
THE Democrats Of the Finance Com
mittee reported these concessions to
the Democratic Senators In caucus and
the reasons why they had been made,
all the Democrats being present except
Mills and Irby, and with the exception
of Hill, the Democratic Senators
unanimously agreed to make the con-
cessions and pass the bill. The con-
cessions thus agreed upon were incor-
porated into the bill, aud In that form
il passed the Senate.
udu NWO WEN 49, d ASS
ident since these concessions were
agreed to, and before the passage OF the
oil, and one interview after the bill
had passed and had gone TO Conference
Com mittes of both houses and my most
distinct understanding was that while
the President regretted, even as | re-
gret the necessity for making such con-
cessions, ne thought it wise 70 pass the
bill, and so advised, inasmuch as it ma
terially reduced the rates OF tariff taxa
tion imposed by the existing law"
Referring to Gallery and Blanchard,
who are demanding further copcessions
and threatening to defeat the bill. If
they are not granted, Senator Harris
said emphstically:
They have secured their utmost limit.
II they persist in the: demands they
will be the sufferers. While they might
delay the final passage OF the bill there
By, they cannot defeat 1t; for as certain
as thew pursue this course, that certain
will they lose their differential sugar
bounty altogether. The Finance Com
mIttes will now fight il OUT 90 this line
IL the present session is prolonged in
definitely"