The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-11

| Washington, Aug. 10.-A crisis in the
tariff affairs was reached today, both
! in the open Senate and in the secret
councils of the Democratic tariff con-
ferees.
When the conference closed tonight,
it was the understanding that the meet
Iings would be suspended for the pres
emit No time was set for reassembling
the conference tomorrow or thereafter,
and it was also said further sessions
might be necessary in case the Senate
acted favorably tomorrow on Senator
Hills resolution directing the Senate
iconferees to report the situation of af-
fairs.
| What was of more Importance was
the feeling expressed by the House con-
lferees at the close of the conference
| that in case the Hill resolution passed
and they believed it would-the confer
lence would practically be relieved Of its
work, and it would remain only fer the
House to accept the Senate bill as a
lesser evil, as they believe, than the
Mckinley law. These conclusions were
reached after a day of intense excite
ment among the tariff leaders. The day
opened with the Senate proposition for
free sugar still pending before The con-
ference.
Not in Good Faith.
Chairman Wilson and his House as
sociates were satisfied that the tender
of free sugar was not made in good
faith and they had, therefore, requested
the Senate conferees to furnish a poll Of
the Senate, showing that if the prep
ositien were accepted, it would be
adopted by the Senate and the bill
passed. The poll was considered as
lsoon as the conferees convened. 1t dis
closed that in the event of the accept
Iance of the free sugar amendment the
bill as a whole would De voted against
by thirty-eight Republicans and by Sen
ators Kyle, Allen and PETER, loopulists,
land CafferY and Blanchard, Demo-
Gratis, a total Of forty-three votes, or
sufficient to defeat the bill. This poll
was made on the best judgment of the
Senate conferees. The House accepted
it, as showing conclusively that the
tender of the free sugar amendment,
while made in good faith by the Senate
conferees, was a means adopted Ivy the
conservatives as "a means of defeating
tariff legislation, and leaving the Nc
kinley law in force. The discussion
brought out for the first time the state
ment that the defensive alliance be-
tween certain senators had proceeded
further than mutual cooperation, and
was now reduced to a signed agree
ment While members Of the confer
ence did not claim to have seen the
agreement, they stated as a fact that
Senators Kyle, Allen, PETER, Blanch-
ard and Caffery had reduced their I'M
Outstanding to black and white. and
had signed it to the effect that they
4 r-aTN tod
not contain bounty clause for sugar.
AS free sugar would eliminate the boun-
ty provision, the signed agreement was
regarded as showing that the five SEN
ators. combined with, the Republicans.
would defeat the bill. 1t was while ami
mated comments were being made on
the foregoing conditions that word
reached the conference of Senator IfilPs
coup d'etat in the Senate. The confer
ence' hastily adjourned, the senators 60
ing on the floor to take part in the de-
bate.
Believes 1t VIII BE Strengthened Out
Mr. Wilson was not disposed to at
tach must weight to Senator Hills
move at the start, and said that it
would be futile, as the Senate could
not act while the bill was in confer
ence. This feeling was shared to a
large extent early in the day by
I1OuSe ISdOeTS, VINO characterized 1t
as one of the bluffs" which had been
made of late
Later in the day, however, this feel
ing gave way to one of profound con-
Germ over the situation and the future
of the bill
At O'Clock the conference, or
remnant of it, again assembled, with
the Hill resolution and the exciting
debate thereon as the main topic
among them. Little or no attempt was
made to take up items or schedules,
the talk being on the sensational gen.
eral phases developed, and no progress
was made up to 5 o'clock, when the
conferees separated without fixing
time for reassembling.
Senator Brice, speaking of the sit
uation tonight, said that for the first
time he had to admit that the chances
for the bill are not good, but he be-
lieved that the parliamentary tangle
would be Strengthened so that the
Senate bill could be passed.
Brushing aside all parliamentary
cobwebs, he said. "and using com
mon sense, there is no reason why the
House cannot at any time concur in
the Senate amendments and pass the
bill. If the Senate should now take
some further action looking to indeff-
mite postponement, it might compli-
cate affairs