The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-27
THE TARIFF BILL IN CAUCUS.
,,vocRtTIO SENATOR'S WILL NOW
yRy no GET TOGETHER ON n.

ga Lumber and =, I.cems Tax
SENATOR. Represeutinr Sugar, Cesi. ana
10, state. Plead for Protection for
Tho.. Iudusuies-A Caucus on Friday.
v,sutyorox. Feb 20.-Ths Wilson Tariff
mi has been taken out OF the hands Of the
rInanoe Committee and placed In charge OF
the caucus OF Democratic Senators. under an
.s,ssment that such changes shall be made
h. ~. hin "a the caucus shall dictate The
Iii ,rill then be q party measure. for which all
A.. Dsmooratic Senators can vote This II the
.nb.,ance OF the agreement reached BIZ the
caucus TO-DAY.
7, accordance with this caucus agreement
,ha cali for a meeting Of the Finance Commit
,.s Tomorrow to consider the bill has been re-
.otsd. Notwithstanding all reports to the
contrary, the bill in its present shape goes
svsn further in the war Of free raw materials
and fire.. m manufactured articles than whom IL
passed the House.
Tbe subcommittee, composed OF Senators
Milla Vest and Jones OF Arkansas. completed
their work on the bill more than week ago.
and since then have made no change. As It
reads to-day. the bill provides for an income
tar. free wool. free coal free iron. free sugar.
and no increase In the whisKsy or beer tax.
What it will provide for whom IL comes out Of
FREQ trade Senators. representing their own
views and those Of the Administration. de-
clare that they will not yield an inch. but 1t 10
probable that they are only talking now for
effect. Indeed. Mr.. Voorhees,. the Chairman
OF the Finance Committee. and still tho
spokesman and servant OF the Administration.
AZ he was in the Silver Repeal bill light, has
already yielded half the battle.
Last week. when the Democratic Senators
who do not like the Wilson bill announced that
caucus would be held at 10 o'clock this
morning for the purpose Of " getting tog ether."
II possible. Mr.. Voorhees, played bold bluf By
calling meeting OF the Finance Com mittse
for the same day and hour, and accom-
panied his call By tho public statement
that caucus or no caucus. the report Of the
subcommittee on the Tariff bill would be re-
celvsd and acted upon By the full committee.
Privately the statement was made that the
contents OF the bill would be made public at
tho meeting. and that possibly tho revised
measure would be reported to the Senate at
once. As usual. Mr.. Voorhees, was en-
tirely wrong. lie did not even have
committee meeting. and no bill was
reported. Instead he and his committee col
leagues were led humbly into the caucus.
where they spent the entire day listening to
the complaints and threats Of those Demo-
cratic Senators who feel only contempt for the
Wilson bill. unless it shall be SO amended as to
more nearly m Get tn cir views OF what Demo-
cratic tariff bill should be. There are at least IL
OF these dissatisfied Dem ocratio Senators. not
seven. as tho friends Of the Wilson bill would
like to have the Senate and the public believe
They include the ablest and shrewdest men on
the Democratic side Of the chamber. such men
as German. White OF Louisiana twho was In
L. L. -
that he has been confirmed as .
Butler. Hill. Smith. Daniel. and Murphy.
These men know what they and their constitu-
ents want. and they mean to get 1t II possible.
when the caucus met in the marble room.
In the rear OF the Senate chamb Der. there was
q large attendance OF Democratic Senators
The most conspicuous absentee was Senator
Mills OF Texas. who Is at homo sick. Senator
Voorhees, opened tho proceedings latter Sem
ator German. As Chairman OF the caucus. had
explained the object OF the CALL by
explaining the provisions Of the Tariff
bill as prepared by tho sub-commit-
tee. There was Q strong opposition to
adopting the bill In this shape. and
Senator Butler introduced q resolution pro-
viding that the subcommittee shall not make
its report to the majority Of the full commit
By the caucuA This resolution was agreed to
by unanimous consent When the hour for
the regular session OF the Senate arrived.
the caucus had made but little progress. SO
II was determined to take recess for an hour.
In order that the Senate might meet for the
transaction OF routine morning business and
then adjourn. That programme was carried
out and the caucus resumed Its sessions at about
Upon rssssembling the general question of
the tarin was discussed. and the debate took o
by Senators Voorhees,. Villas. Gray. Bate. and
others. argued In favor OF sustaining tho bill
that had been prepared By the commit;
hat the msa.srs should 5. frans Sii In stfist
cago platform. He made ; strong appeal for .
sEnt dTfy on S9st In the interest ola revenue
SisS.%s Senators sstsS iCs : S saa ' on
support Of these VARIOUS ds%.Dd. Il %ss urged
that II the bill was adopted as reported by the
as II a teysnas tsrifi WAS plaesd on the srt,siss
named the result would give the Secretary OF
inc me treasury ample means to meet all q the
Income tax IL insisted upon there would be a
comfortable surplus
associates against taking a course thai might
10 too radical and at the same time reminded
men that the country expected the Demo-
cratic party now Ia power in all OF the
branches OF the Government to frame and
pass Dill that would reduce taxation. but at
tue same time furnish sufficient revenue to
meet the requirements OF the Government
some OF the, Administration Senators took
sAeepuon 10 the demands made By the SenA-
tots iAVorinR duty on coal. sugar. and other
tIueles and declared that IL would be I'M
usmoeIatle to frame bill based on the theory
" protection. They also said that 1t would
hoHst 20 lor the Democratic party TO enact
II" mat would create a surplus. which would
70 tue result II duty Is imposed upon coal
aug sugar together with a tax on incomes.
a senator mn was an interested listener to the
SNSeusslon 50 Was his colleague. Senator
M9IphY; out neither Of the New York Senators
snteIed into the debate. Ii was nearly g o clock
nheh Inc caucus adjourned for dinner, with
ttho Understanding that the consideration OF
,ne Dlll van be resumed In caucus tomorrow
morning at 10 O'clock and continued until
some conclusion 10 reached.
ne discussion to-day was devoted almost
Sihtjiley 10 the coal. sugar, and Iron ore pro-
tpl9hs. SO that the other schedules were
hHdy touched upon, The income tax MAS not
te.girod 10. except Indirectly. but IL Is gen
h4ly supposed that IL will be retained in the
~, ~ N spite OF am other manifestations that
nay 10 made ~ the caucus There will be =
suqnS opposition. but some OF the Southern
: ~ " estern senators will only consent TO a
= ~ on coal and sugsr. with the dlstinet un-
hat ina - b,lI 4.