St. Paul daily globe., 1894-07-18
WILL Be A DISAGREEMENT
SENATE AND HOUSE cJNFEREES d.
VIDED ON THE IA RIFF.
DEMOCRATS ARE BADLY SPLIT

Ex-Czar Reeds Sarcastic Refer
ences to Wilson's Suggestions
Sugar, Iron Ore, Coal, WOOL
en- and Cotton Schedules, and
Silver-Lead.B Bearing Ores the
Questions of Disagreement.
WASHINGTON, July 1.-THE first for
NAL conference on the tariff bill with all
the senate and house me mbers. both
Democrats and Republicans. present,
was held today and contln ued only
about an hour. An adjournment was
then taken until O'clock tomorrow.
The proceedings of the full confer.
ence consisted in an effort OH the part
of the Democratic members to enlighten
their Republican colleagues upon the
elements of disagreem eut between the
Democratic members of the two houses,
without revealing the methods by which
they have sought to get together or the
details of the proceedings of the Demo-
cratic conferences.
1t had been expected that the Repub-
lican conferees would at the outset in
dulge In some criticism on having been
kept out of the conference during its
initial stages, but the Republicans had
little to say beyond formal greetings,
and waited until Senator Voorhees,. as
head OF the Democratic confereeS, made
a somewhat formal aud full statement
OF the situation. He said that no dis
courtesy to the Republicans had bee n
intended. The meetings had not been
| conference meetings, but had been con-
fined to an effort to bring about some
settled policy among the Democratic
conferees. Senator Voorhees, added
that he was frank to confess that tine
efforts toward an agreement had not
proved successful. The features of dis
agreement were then gone into at con-
siderable length by Mr.. voorhees, and
his associates. They stated that the
sugar, coal, metal. woolen and cotton
schedules had been the chief
BONES OF CONTENTION.
but did not give particulars in any case
except that sugar. in reference to which
| they stated that the house members had
| indicated willingness to grant some
| duty on that article, but had objected
| to the differential duty on refined sugar.
On the other articles which had been
the basis of disagreement Senator
| Voorhees, and other Democratic mem-
bers of the conference cOntented them
selves with saying that the Democratic
| conferees of the two houses had
contended, each side for its own bill.
but this had been specially true on the
metal and woolen schedules, the senate
| amendments to which had been strongly
objected to by the Democratic house
couferees. They said that. among other
special articles i'm the metal schedule,
house members had held out for free
| iron ore and for the house rates on lead
ore containing silver, cutlery and steel
rails. They had also demanded-so it
was reported to the full conference
| free coal. In the general discussion the
| Republican cOnferees gathered that
sugar, iron ore. coal, the woolen sched-
ule, cotton schedule and silver-lead-
bearing ores were the ckief questions Of
disagreement.
The question finally arose as to what
would be done now that the full con-
ference had been assembled. 1t was
suggested by
SENATOR ALDRICH
that the bill should be taken up item by
item. and be considered by Republicans
and Democrats. but the point was raised
that this appeared to be hardly worth
while, in view of what the Democrats
had just disclosed, that there was no
| prospect of agreement on the main
question.
There was no further proposition SUBJ
mltted and 10 programme outlined, and
the conference adjourned until o'clock
tomorrow. the Democratic confereeS
agreeing to meet prior to that hour to
further consider the course to he pur-
| sued.
The meeting today was not marked
by any sharp controversy or criticism,
and only once did the sarcasm of Mr..
Reed find utterance. 1t was when
Chairman Wilson, speaking rather per-
sonally of the amendments urged by
certain Democratic senators, said that
it might be we'll to inform the public of
the situation by printing in the tariff
bill the names OF the senators alongside
their respective amendments. To this
Mr.. Reed responded that the public
would probably mistake the tariff bill
for a biographical dictionary.
AS result of the days meeting the
Republican conferees concluded that a
general disagreement would be report
Ell TO both houses in few days. There
were no distinct statements or PROPOSE
tions to this effect, but it appeared to be
the only conclusion to be drawn from
what had occurred. Senator Aldrich
and Mr.. Reed said there would be nc
disposition on the part of the Repub-
licans to delay report of disagreement
At the close of today's meeting Chair.
man Wilson stated that 10 exact plan
was in view of reporting back to CON
gress. 1t is believed. however. that a
plan will be developed tomorrow, and
that the report of disagreement will ',e
made to the senate and house within the
next two days.