Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-02
PROBABLE PROGRAM IN TIE SENATE
Senator Quay Offers a Radical
Amendment.
THE SITUATION OUTLINED

which the committee started out to send
to manufacturers and business men through
out the country asking certain questions
concerning the revision of the tariff will
probably never amount to anything, since
the undertaking Is such a tremendous one
that 1t would take fifty clerks to compile
and arrange the answers, and it would be
at least six months before the material
thus secured would be available.
A tremendous fight will be made before
the committee by democrats in the Senate
to make radical changes in the bill The
contest between democrats in the House
will be repeated on the Senate side but the
expectation is that the differences will be
settled in the committee before the bill is
reported to the Senate. The fight against
the income tax will run through the whole
business, directly and indirectly affecting
every other question of the bill. The pre-
diction is made that the bill will not he
recognizable when 1t comes hack from the
Senate but there are many things not
taken into consideration by those who make
this prediction.
The most probable thing appears to be
that whatever changes the finance commit
tee may make i'm the measure and however
hard the fight by democratic Senators may
be. the character of the bill will not be
changed.
No Change Predicted.
bill when 1t passes the Senate. and on finally
going through conference will be as long a
step toward free trade as is the present
bill In a general way the republican, SEN
ators expect to follow the policy similar to
that followed by the republicans in the
House. The result of this will probably be
about as it was in the House, that those
democrats who seek to improve the bin
from their point Of view by increasing the
duties on particular items will be disap-
pointed in their hope of aid from republi-
cans and will fail of their efforts. The iron
and coal men and those who want to take
wool and lumber from the free list will prob
ably fail Of any assistance from republicans
and have their efforts for their pains.
The sugar schedule will be pitted against
the income tax, but II is estimated that the
income tax proposition is probably stronger
in the Senate than Is the customs bill, and
II duty is added to sugar ~ the Senats
n willShe only by an agreement on the part
Of the sugar n1sn not 10 let thar mtsrrard
with the income tax. but to make some
other reductions In the bill. 1t appears that
the decree has gone forth that this bill shall
be passed and all opposition Is to be ridden
down. The timidity of the opposition
among democrats displayed In the House
will be repeated In the Senate, In all proba-
bility. A number Of conferences between
democratic leaders Of the Senate and men,
bers of the ways and means committee
have been held. the result Of which Is that
the advocates of the income tax declare
that that proposition will have four more
votes in the Senate than any other propo-
sition raising revenue.
Senator Quay's Move.
Evidence Of a hot fight, which is to be
precipitated In the Senate on the appear
ance Of the tariff bill, was given today
when Senator Quay introduced an amend
ment which he proposes to offer to
the bill at the proper time. providing for
the free coinage of silver and the issue Of
treasury notes. This amendment insures a
reopening Of the silver fight, and compli-
Gates the situation very much. 1t is barely
possible that such an amendment might
come near passage. for 1t is undeniable that
sentiment in the Senate has been somewhat
changed on the silver question since the
repeal of the Sherman law last autumn.
The Introduction OF the amendment at
this time. even before the bill has been
sent from the House to the Senate, shows,
1t Is thought, that the republicans are not
going to neglect any possibility for debate
will, of course, be referred at once to the
committee on finance when 1t is received
from the House. and there II will be SUBJ
jected to an overhauling process by the
subcommittee of three, composed of Sena-
tors Jones of Arkansas, Vest and McPher-
son. 1t is expected that this subcommittee
will report to the full committee number
Of amendments, but the full committee will
be left to decide the broad questions in
volving the duty on COAL iron and sugar,
and the income tax, which, it is gener-
ally expected, will be most likely to be
cha nged in the upper house.
Two Weeks I'm Committee.
Few look for the return Of the bill from
the committee to the Senate for fortnight
at the earliest, while many predict that it
will be held by the committee for a month
At all events the debate in the Senate after
the bill has been reported cannot now be
estimated. 1t Is not likely that the bill
will suffer the same fate as far as speeches
go at the hands of the democrats as has
the elections bill, the affirmative merits Of
which have really been unpreSented by its
friends. great deal Of tariff oratory and
argument may be expected from both
sides. and some Of the republican Senators
are said to be preparing for long speeches
livery.
The Quay Amendment.
The amendment to the tariff bill offered
by Mr.. Quay provides for the free coinage
of silver, for the repeal of the tax on state
banks, for the purchase of only the Ameri-
can product of gold and for the repeal of
the law authorizing the issue Of bonds.
The amendment provides that the owner
of silver bullion may deposit the same at
any mint of the United States to be coined
for his benefit, and II is made the duty
VI tuc proper OuiCcTS, upoH tuc teTE,S ana
conditions which are provided by law for
the deposit and coinage of gold, to coin
such silver bullion into the standard dollars
authorized by the act of February 2S 1873.
These coins are to be legal tender for
all debts and dues. public and private. The
Secretary of the Treasury is also directed
to proceed to have coined all the silver bull
lion in the treasury purchased with silver
or coin certificates.
The law Imposing a tax of 10 per cent
upon the amount of notes of any person or
of any state balk or state banking asso-
ciation used for circulation and paid out by
them is repealed 50 far as the same applies
to banks which shall secure their circula-
tion by a deposit of state or national bonds.
approved by the proper authority of the
state In which the banks may be located.
Issue of Gold Notes.
The next section directs the Secretary of
the Treasury to purchase, from time to
time gold bullion to the amount of ,125
ounces of fine gold in each month, at the
market price. and to issue in payment of
such purchase of gold bullion treasury
notes of the United States in such forms
and of such denominations not less than
ten dollars or more than one thousand dol
lars, as the Secretary of the Treasury may
prescribe.
The treasury notes issued in accordance