St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-15
REPUBLICAN CONSPIRACY.
csUcUS HELD At SENATOR SHER-
MiN'S HOUSE.
TRYING TO KILL THE TARIFF.

Twenty-Five Senators Attended
Divided on Methods, Agreed
on the End-NO Votes, But
Lots OF Talk-Conservativ
Say the Rill Cannot Be Beaten
-Filibusters Think Different.
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE Repub-
llcan members of the senate were i'll
caucus at Senator Sherman's house to-
night from o'clock until ten minutes
to II. The caucus partook more of the
nature Of an informal conference than
business meeting. and while 1t was
called With the purpose Of arriving at
a conclusion as TO the method to
be pursued by the Republican party in
the senate, it closed without eliciting
anything in the way of party deelara-
ton. There was no vote ON any prOpo-
sition whatever, and the proceedings
consisted OF large number Of speeches.
There were about, twenty-five of the
thirty-seven Republican senators pres
ent. and every one there had something
to say In the course of the evening.
There was great divergence in views.
VI course the accounts of the evening
agree that while there were probably
twenty-five speeches, all brief, no two
OF them were on the same lines, or ad
yised the same manner Of proceeding.
There was lao agreement except upon
the one point that the bill Should be
beaten if possible.
On general lines the greatest diver
gence of opinion was on the ability OF
the Republicans to beat the bill at all.
and while there was no formal division
which would permit of accounting, the
caucus appeared to be about evenly dl-
vided in the sentiment on the question.
A statement that Eastern senators
were favorable to continuation
of the opposition on the lines
which are now being observed aud
that Western senators were opposed to
any effort to secure delay for delays
sake, would he in a general way correct,
but there were exceptions on both
sides. Senators Aldrich. Chandler,
Frye and others commended that the bill
could be defeated. and said that all that
was necessary to demonstrate the cor
RICHNESS OF this assertion was to give
the Democrats time to widen the breach
which they asserted now exists.
The opposition element commended
that there was no possible assurance of
any Democratic support in opposition
to the bill, and that the only means of
testing the truth of the rumors of Dem
ocratie dissatisfaction was to let the
voting go on. There was much talk as
TO the general dement's and
Inconsistencies of the bill and
some of the silver senators did not fail
to call attention to the lack OF sympathy
which had been displayed by the Re-
publican senators when the silver re-
peal bill was before the senate last fall,
and To intimate that they had no desire
at this time to heap Goals Of
fire OH the heads of that ele-
ment in the party at this
time by doing kindness in return for
what they termed Reconsideration. They
agreed in the main with their Repub.
llcan colleagues as TO the undesirable ty
of passing the bill, but declared they
would not filibuster, especially in view
of the strong probability Of the passage
of the bill despite any opposition that
might be made to it.
The more radical opponents of the
bill replied that they had no desire to
or intention to tilibuster. but asserted
that the bill was one which could be
opposed by legitimate methods for
long time.
Some OF the senators expressed the
opinion at the close of the conference
that another meeting of the party in
the senate will be held at an early day.