The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-05
POPCUN TARIFF BILLS DEAD.
The Senate Finance Committee Seals
Their Fate.

Their Fate.
The Republicans Threaten to Reopen
the Whole Tariff Fight IL the Demo-
Gratis Attempt to Enact Any Supple
mental Legislation - The Govern
ment's Need for All the Revenue OBJ
tainable Will Probably Deter the
Democrats From Attempting to
Change the Sugar Schedules.
Washington. Dec. 4-The fate OF all tar
in legislation. and especially that con-
I templated in the four so-called "pop-gun"
/ tariff bills, and the measure intended to
remedy the error in the alchohol clause of
the bill. was practically sealed by dis
cussion had by the Senate finance COM
mittee this morning. The discussion was
/ confined almost exclusively 20 the tariff,
/ the currency scheme Of the President re-
/ ceiving only casual reference. Senator
Harris said he would like TO see the su-
/ gar schedule modified, but in view of the
/ statement made to congress by Secretary
/ Carlisle, he could not advocate any step
that would reduce the revenues of the
/ government
the differential sugar duty expunged but
admitted his inability to carry out that
| point.
Senator Voorhees,, the chairman Of the
! committee, is understood to have taken
/ strong ground against any more tariff leg
islation this session. He declared himself
/ opposed to any tampering with the pres
ent tariff law as It passed the Senate.
/ lie wanted 1t TO stand and let the people
have chance of testing IL.
The republicans were of the same opin-
ion, and said as the democrats had passed
| 1t, but against their protest. the party
must stand or fall by the legislation, how
ever pernicious it proved to be.
1t was apparent that any effort to take
| up the supplemental bills would be the
| signal for the opening of the whole tariff
/ question, and the democratic members
OF the committee admitted, Il is said, that
| they were powerless TO do anything. The
attitude of the republicans is indicated by
the amendments that We're offered at the
| close of the last session TO the remedial
measures, one OF which re-enacts the Nc
/ kinley sugar schedule as an amendment
to the bill which proposes TO correct an
1 error found in the alcohol clause of the
present act. As the republicans in the
Senate have a majority In favor of the
sugar bounty there could be but one re-
| suit in calling up this bill for action
The republicans contend that II Is better
/ to raise the revenues for the administra-
/ ton OF the government from taxation
/ than TO continue to issue bonds They de-
clared that restoration OF the duty on
wool and a re-adjustment OF many Of the
/ schedules in the present law would be in
sisted on If the question of the tariff Is
/ re-opened.
Senator Voorhees, explained the situ-
/ alton TO his democratic colleagues and in
/ doing so arraigned the financial policy OF
the administration for issuing bonds He
| went on to say that he woucSSoe in favor
! of striking out the one-eighth differential
/ duty on sugar were IL not for the fact
/ that when you once take up the sugar
/ question there is no way Of stopping the
/ repeal of the entire duty on sugar. In
view Of the present condition Of the tre-s-
/ ury, the government cannot get along
/ without the sugar duty and therefore Il
/ is idle to think about following out the
recommendations of the President relative
to sugar. AS for coal and iron. Senator
! Voorhees, says they are too insignificant
| for consideration at this time
/ When the caucus assembled there may
/ have been several senators present who
/ had certain ideas they wished to carry out
| but after the discussion had run on in a
/ rambling style for nearly three hours, II
/ finally dawned upon the promoters of the
meeting that nothing definite could be
accomplished, so recess until Thursday
4 was taken. 1t was said that certain sen
| ators were full of Indignation and ami
/ omsity against the leaders of the party
! and they were anxious for an opportunity
to relieve themselves. Under the circum-
stances 1t was deemed advisable by the
| cool-headed men of the party to accom-
| pany the hot-headed brethren into back
room on the Senate side and let their
| political wrath boil over behind closed
doors. The scheme worked effectively
| and there was no exciting scenes TO en-
barrass any of the twenty-one senators
| present.
The caucus developed into general
| interchange Of opinion on the order Of
/ business 10 be followed during the present
! session The chairmen Of the various com
/ mittees were allowed to express their
/ views on the business before them, which
demanded prompt action, and II was
soon discovered that every chairman
/ considered the business OF his committee
! of paramount Importance For instance
/ Senator Faulkner was anxious that his
/ new state bills should be given the right
/ of-way Senator George urged the imme-
/ date consideration of the long pending
/ bankruptcy bill. Senator Villas and other
/ administration senators were equally eag-
| er to press the pop-gun bills for prompt
4 action. In the discussion that ensued it
/ was shown that nothing in the way Of
1 tariff or financial legislation could be ac-
! complished, except by changing the rules
! The democrats are about equally divided
on the latter proposition, and the repub-
| leans are said to be solid against it.