Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-08-13
FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence OF the Alexandria Gazette
WASHINGTON, Aug. Is, 1894.

1913 members were presently was com
pleted, hush of expectancy fell upon
the caucus. Mr.. Wilson Chairman OF
the ways and means committee) TOOK
the floor. He said the representatives
OF the House had gone into the confer
ence with desire OF faithfully repre-
senting the wishes of their colleagues.
That they had failed to reach satis-
factory conclusion-a conclusion hon
orable. alike to the House and to the
democratic party-was not their 1ault.
He stated the different propositions re-
lating to sugar which had been ad-
ynnced in the conference and proceed
ed to show the profits which would ac-
crue to the trust from the acceptance OF
these various propositions. Contrary
to expectation, he made no reference,
except incidentally, to the Senate CON
ferrees, or did he in any way critlclse
the position taken by them regarding
this and the other items in dispute.
Mr.. Wilson went on to show that the
House people had contended staatiy Tor
specific rather than an ad valorem
duty on sugar. A specific duty would
show precisely what benefit the trust
would get, while it would be impossible
to determine this accurately under the
ad yalorem system. He said that the
sugar trust becoming convinced that
the schedule would be adopted had
made heavy purchases of foreign raw
sugar. He then made the startling
statement on the authority of leading
democratic Senator that the trust had
bought sugar TO the amount OF Sil2,-
O0O, 900 in the foreign market in anticl-
patton of the Senate sugar schedule re-
ceiving the approval of the President.
Under the Senate schedule the trust
would reap a profit of $40, 100000. The
declaration made by Mr.. Wilson that
"the sugar trust had the people by the
throat" and that it was now a battle
between the people and this great mo-
nopoly, was greeted with a hearty
round of applause. Mr.. Wilson re-
ferred to the proposition made TO the
House conferrees by their Senatorial as
sociates to accept free sugar. This
proposition was rejected, inasmuch as
the representatives of the House had
ascertained that compact existed IN
the Senate to defeat tariff legislation or
postpone its consideration until next
December if free sugar were made Il
part of the conference report. He turn
ed at this point and called upon his as
sociates, Messrs. Montgomery, Breckin-
ridge, McMilliu and Turner TO substan-
tate this statement. Mr.. McMilliu
said that from the beginning OF the con-
ference they had been given to under
stand from day to day that any dis
placement Of the Senate votes on sugar.
coal and iron ore would lead to
absolute defeat, or at least the post
ponement of the bill. Mr.. Will
son stated substantially that there
was no prospect for tariff leSlsla-
ton unless the Senate bill was adopted.
When Mr.. Wilson had finished, Speak
err Crisp arose and was greeted wltha
plause. He began by saying that the
House must take the Senate bill. While
the Senate bill must be adopted, the
House would make determined effort
for free sugar. He elaborated his state
ment that the Senate bill must be ac-
cepted or there would be no tariff legis-
lation at this session; and his declara-
ton that the House of Representatives
had used every honorable and fair
means to secure the passage of their
bill without avail, was vigorously APP
plauded. Speaker Crisp closed his
brief speech by offering q resolution
that the House recede from its position
and accept the Senate bill. The reso-
luton also includes provision placing
barbed wire, sugar, coal and
iron ore on the free list by a
series of separate bills. Bourke
Cochran, of New York, then took
the floor in opposition TO the resolution.
MIR. Cochran contended that he, as yet,
had DO information which would leave
him to believe that the House bill
could not be adopted. Turning toward
Mr.. Wilson, he challenged that gentle
man to give the names of the four Sen
ators who stood in the way of an agree
ment. lie did this twice, but MIR. Will
son remained silent. He was proceed
ing with his argument against the reso-
luton when his utterances were drown
cd by a series of derisive yells, mingled
with the words "vote vote ~ and
''you have been here long enough TO
understand the situation" The vote
was then taken and the resolution Of
fered by Mr.. Crisp were adopted by q
vote of $50 to 81 Among those who
voted in opposition to the resolution
were the four Louisiana members. Mr..
Wells (Wis) and Mr.. Snodgrass (Tenn.)
Mr.. Robertson, speaking for the Louisi-
ana delegation said that the sugar
growers had made their contract for the
current fiscal year, and that any action
bv Congress abolishing the bounty for
the next y months would work q
severe injury to their interests. The
Crisp resolution was divided into two
questions. On the motion TO accept
the Senate bill the vote resulted-ayes
100, nays u. Among those voting in
the negative were Messrs. Robertson,
Davey, Meyer and Price, Of Louisiana
Tarsney, of Missouri; Warner, Stratus,
Tracey, Cochran, Covert, and Dunphy,
of New York; Kilgore, of Texas ;
Dockery, of Missouri; Cooper, OF In.
diana McKaig, Rayner, Rusk, and
Talbot, of Maryland. On the motion
to pass separate bills placing sugar,
coal, iron ore and barbed wire on the
free list there was no division. This
having completed the work of the eau
Gus, the meeting adjourned sine die.
Just before the caucus adjourned res
olution offered by Mr.. Tucker of Nir-
ginia, was adopted, thanking the House
conferrees for their fight for the House
bill. The democratic members of the
committee on rules called in Messrs
Poad ond burrows the ranllhlican