The Daily Texarkanian., 1894-05-08
CONGRESSIONAL FORECAST.
Prophecies Concerning Proposed Tariff
Amendments to be offered
in the Senate.

From the tenor of yesterdays dis
patches from Washington it would
appear that the present week will
in all probability witness some in
teresting developments in the tariff
discussion. The armistice agreed
to on Friday will end with today if
not continued by agreement, and
the debate, which was interrupted
ON Friday in the midst of one of
Mr. Quay's sentences to allow the
Democrats to arrange their COM
promise, will be resumed if the
compromise shall have proceeded
so far as to admit of the introduc-
ton of the amendments proposed.
If the latest plans do not fail the
amendments will be introduced in
the Senate today. The Senators
who are engaged in formulating
them have been at work upon them
since Saturday. They were also
employed with them good part of
yesterday. They had the assist
ance of several experts.
No definite idea of the amend
ments could be conveyed without
giving all the amendments, and
they will not be given to the press
until presented to the Senate.
There will be few startling changes,
but a great many changes, Indeed
it is known that the amendments
when incorporated in the bill will
show as many if not more altera-
tions than were made in the House
bill by the Senate finance commit
tee. 1t may be said without preju-
dice that the report when made
will fully justify the assertions
made by the Republicans as to their
number on the floor of the Senate.
The amendments will be found most
numerous on the chemical, iron and
steel and sugar schedules, but they
will affect the entire bill, including
woollens, cotton goods materials
and many other articles. In al
most every instance where there
have been changes increases have
been made, and there has been a
general slaughtering of the advalo-
rum for specific duty. The sugar
schedule is totally changed and the
iron manufacturers will show an in
teresting Transformation if reports
be correct. With the amendments
once in the Senate it will be inter
esting to observe the programme of
the Republicans, The Democrats
have believed that if they could Sc
cure a bill which would insure the
support of forty-six Senators the
Republicans would yield, after a
formal and business-hke protest
against the changes, and they have
assured the Republican leaders that
the bill which they hope to present
will have the support Of forty-three
Democratic Senators, to say moth
ing of the assistance they hope to
secure from the Populist Senators.
The week will probably demonstrate
what credence the Republican Sen
ators give to this statement and de-
velop their plans in case it be veri-
fed,
1t is understood that if, when the
compromise bill is once before the
Senate, the Republicans do not
show disposition to discuss it's
merits upon lines laid down by the
Democratic managers they will
make an effort to expedite matters
by lengthening the hours of the
daily sessions and by curtailing the
liberties of debate now enjoyed.
This policy was curtly intimated in
the reply made by Senator Harris
to an inquiry as to whether the
present hours would be observed af-
ter Tuesday
eyes" he replied, until we move
for longer"
The Republicans will resist an eff
fort of this character, and when it
is made some written speeches may
be expected