The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-10
ALL At SEA ON The TARIFF.
The Prospects for an Agreement Again
Under a Cloud.


vative Senators Announce That
They Will Not Yield to Any Further
Demands From the House-Senator
Brice Comes to the Front With q
Proposition to Put Sugar on the Free
List.
Washington. Aug 9.-The democratic
tariff conference had expected to be able
10 announce an agreement to-day. In
stead of reaching any definite conclusion,
the day closed with the bill in quite as
uncertain state as ever before in its his
tory, with the situation no wise improved
and with the feeling between the friends
of the Senate bill and the House bill
intensified instead of allayed, and with
no one prepared to say what the
outcome will be or when the end would
be reached. 1t was apparent at the very
beginning of the conference that those
who had come to the conclusion at the ad-
ournment of yesterdays session that an
agreement would be arrived at to-day had
not taken sufficiently into account the
possibility of misunderstanding or a
change of mind. This discovery
was made when the Senate conferees
upon the basis of a duty of 40 cents
per ton on coal and free iron ore,
whereupon the House cOnferees an
nOunCed their unwillingness TO accept
this arrangement, and stated that they
would insist upon reversal of these
terms, with coal free and iron ore dutiable,
if either was to be, as they understood
that they were to have choice between
the two The avowal of this position pro-
duced immediate confusion, and led to an
exchange of remarks which were not al
together polite.
AN APPEAL TO CESAR.
The Senate cOnferees thereupon de-
cided to report the state of affairs to the
conservative senators, and when the con-
ferees adjourned called Senators German,
Brice, Smith and Murphy into consUlta-
tion. The whole situation was outlined
to them. They were not only made
acquainted with the demand Of the House
conferees for free coal, but were
also given to understand that
other material concessions would
be expected by the House conferees
along the entire line of the bill, including
woolens, cottOns, metals, glass and earth
enware. They decided upon an emphatic
negative in reply to these propositions,
saying that if the body of the bill was
not preserved virtually as it passed the
Senate, the report of the conference when
made would not be accepted by the Sen
ate
NEW PROPOSITION ON SUGAR.
Senator Brice proposed an innovation
in the shape of proposition that the
House conferees be given an opportunity
to secure free sugar. His idea in detail
was that the Senate conferees should
volunteer to recede entirely from the
Senate sugar schedule, leaving both raw
and refined sugar on the free list, as
provided in the House bill, and
that the Senate bill should
be otherwise accepted virtually in it's
present shape, with both coal and iron on
the dutiable list at the rate of 40 cents
per ton. In urging this upon the con-
ferees, he said II would necessarily pro-
duce one of three results. If it
should be declined by the House con-
ferees it would place the responsibility
for the sugar duty on the House If it
should be accepted the Senate should, on
this account, refuse to adopt the commit
tees report, the House conferees would
still bear the odium for insisting upon
amending the Senate bill. "lf, thirdly, -
he said, "theY should accept, if a report
should be made upon these lines, and if
the report should be accepted by both
houses, and should become a law, we
should all be happy"
THE SUGGESTION ADOPTED.
The conferees adopted the suggestion
ternOon session of the conference between
the members of the two Houses. 1t is un-
derStoOd that the proposition created
some surprise on the part of the House
members, who at first evinCed a disposi-
tion to accept it, but after considerable
discussion of the merits of this feature Of
the proposition and of the other features
involving the acceptance of the other Sen
ate amendments, declined to vouschafe an
answer without further consideration.
The question was, therefore, undispOsed
OF when the conference adjourned for the
day
The republican senators were also in
consultation with the senatorial tariff
conterees during the day, and 1t is under
stood have given notice that if there is
material change in the more important
schedules relating to manufactured ar
ucles, they will resist the immediate
disposition Of the committees's report
when made, and have stated that in that
event tariff oratory may be expected.
FREE SUGAR AND THE INCOME TAX.
A petition was circulated to-day among
the members of the House of Representa-
tyes urging the House tariff Conferees to
stand by free sugar and a permanent in
come tax. Representative Bland started
the petition, and it was numerously
signed. 1t is as follows:
we, the undersigned democratic mem
pcIs Ol Ine House, request our committee
On conference on the tarif bill to insist
On the provisions Of the House bill
relating TO free sugar and a permanent
Income tax, and secure tie best compro-
mise possible on the other schedules of
the bill"
CLEVELAND HASN'T INTERPRETED.
The report" said Mr. Wilson the
chairman OF the House ways and means
committee, to-day, that the President
had smashed the compromise agreed to
Ol the conferees on coal, sugar and iron
ore Yesterday is an absurd invention.
Iuere is not word of truth in IT, and
you may say l said so. The President
mas never interfered with our delibera-
.!ons in the slightest manner He has
treated the matter with great delicacy.'
Have you talked with the President
a' various stages Of the situation"
have seen him occasionally during
'4e past few weeks" =" Mr.. Wilson replied,
1ul he has never manifested the slight
es' inclination 10 instruct the conferees
as TO their duty. AS / say,
He has shown unusual delicacy in
Ha references 10 the matter
~ dispute. | have felt it only proper,
s'lle the President is the head of the
glIN to acquaint him, with what we are