The Portland daily press., 1894-08-06


To Be Considered-Nothing of Stirring
Interest on the Calendar.
Washington, August 4.-The present
week will probably seal the fate of the
tariff bill, The Democratic members of
the conference committee met in an in
formal way today and again went over
the bill, agreeing here and there to tenta-
tive changes, in hope they could hasten
the conclusion. The Senatorial contin-
gent of the conference is unable to assure
their colleagues of the House that the
new sugar schedule would be acceptable
to the Senate and secure the 43 votes
necessary. Discussion in conference to-
day indicated to all parties the necessity
of making an early report of some kind.
The Senate conferees decline to indicate
what the nature of the report will be.
One stated positively a conclusion would
be reached not later than Wednesday,
possibly by Monday. He said there
could be no compromise on coal and iron.
If the House conferees insisted upon the
House bill as regards these items there
would soon be disagreeing report. The
House men still demand some concessions
on these items.
The parliamentary status of the bill is
giving it's managers some uneasiness.
The bill now is in the possession of the
Senate. The House can take no action
on the measure until after the Senate has
acted. The possible result in the Senate
may override their conferees and hasten
the end of the struggle. Whatever may
be the conclusion reached by the con-
ferees, the report must go first to the
Senate. How long it will take the bill
and conference papers to get back to the
House after the matter is again opened
in the Senate, no political augur can fore
tell. Disagreeing or agreeing, the report
is bound to renew the whole field of de-
bate. The wool, metal and cotton sched-
ules are said to be as difficult of solution
as the other three schedules around
which SO much political Importance
clings.
Senators Smith and Murphy have re-
sisted from the first any serious eucroach-
menu upon wooden and cotton schedules
and it is said the retention of the iron
and metal schedul Q intact is the price of
silence of certain Republicans who,
should these be ordered reduced, will at
once resume dilatory tactics and insist
upon talking the conference report to
death. The situation in the committee
conference may be briefly summed up.
The House insists upon some material
concession on coal and iron and iron ore.
the Senate refuses absolutely to give
more than reciprocity on coal. Mr.. Cor
man will not listen to any proposition
looking to a graduated duty on those
raw materials or that duty be left as it
is with the provision it shall expire in
three years and iron ore and coal be then
transferred to the free list. The House
conferees will agree to the sugar schedule
recently made public on the fifth basis,
accepted it. The Louisiana senators and
Senators .Allen and Kyle will not sup
port. These four votes with those Of
Mr.. Hill, probably, Mr.. Irby, would
defeat the bill. With the sugar schedule
as it now stands, the Senate was able to
pass the bill only by very narrow
margina The bounty having been re
fused it is problematieal if the Demo-
Gratis could get the bill through again
If the items were changed. The
managers on the part of the Senate
recognize the dilemma in which they
find themselves, and naturally dread a
contest that must come. In addition to
this it is understood yesterday at least
Is Republicans bound themselves by tacit
agreement that when the conference
report again came into the Senate they
would use every means In their power
| to p revent the bill ever getting off the
Vice Presidents table. This means more
| filibustering.