Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-08-24

by the Former atiOns-
The Contest Was Simply the Sem
ate Bill or the Mckinley Lava
"Back Number, Cuitivating n
Presidential Boom.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Aug. II, 1894.
President Cleveland does not like
the Senate tariff bill any better than he
did when he wrote that letter to Chair.
man Wilson-few good Democrats
debut, like the sensible man that he
is, he prefers it to the Mckinley law,
and has, according to the best Obtaina-
BILE information, made up his mind
that it shall become law, but has not
yet fully decided whether he will sign
it or allow it to become law without
his signature; nor whether he will
send another special message 10 Con-
gress ON the subject, urging the pas
sage at this session of the separate
House bills providing for free coal,
iron ore and barbed wire. So far as
the action Of the Senate is concerned,
it makes little difference what the
President may do, as enough Republic
can Senators have gone away from
Washington to break a quorum and
they left for that very purpose, 80 as
to make cure that the Senate could
not pass any other tariff bills.
Secretary Carlisle has written let
ter to Senator Harris, showing that
the revenue to be derived from the
tariff on sugar is absolutely necessary
to avoid q deficit in the Treasury for
this fiscal year, and stating that if the
bill for free sugar, which passed the
House with only IL opposing votes, is
passed by the Senate, some other bill
to raise the $43,OO0,OOO which it is es-
timated will be collected on foreign
sugar must also be passed. That let
ter has made the passing of the free
sugar bill out of the question, even il
the Senate we're in a position to do it,
Notwithstanding the fact that q ma
iority of the Senate favors free sugar.
Secretary Carlisle's letter contained
the latest revised estimates of the rev.
enues of the government under the
Senate tariff bill. The total estimated
receipts are $378. OOO, 600. and the ex-
penditures, $363. 100000. An esti-
mated surplus of ST., 0OO. 900 is entirely
too small to stand any further reduc-
ton.
The wisdom of the House in accept
| ing the Senate amendments to the
tariff bill, although it involved a
seeming surrender on the part of the
House. is becoming more apparent
every day. 1t is now clear as day that
there was q plot to prevent any tariff
legislation ut all and that only the
prompt action of the House Demo-
cratic caucus prevented its being car
ried out. Had Senator Hills resolu.
ton directing the Senate conferees to
report . disagreement to the Senate
been adopted before the House acted,
it would have been followed by q mo-
ton to postpone the whole matter
until next December, and the motion
would have been carried. Senator
Vest, in q speech defending the Senate
from the numerous charges made
against it in connection with tariff
legislation, said: Men said the ques-
ton was between the Wilson bill and
the Senate bill. That statement was
as false as the assertion that this was
. Democratic Senate. On the ques-
ton of tariff reform it never was and
never can be Democratic Senate as
ut present constituted. The question
was between the Senate bill and the
Mckinley law. There the choice was
to be made, and every one conversant
with the situation knew it," That is
rs plain as it could be made.
Senator Walsh is a good Democrat
and q good editor. Hence his advice
is good. He says: "The Democratic
press should use its influence to create
. just public opinion as to the real
merits of the Senate bill. When prop
erly presented as the best measure OF
tariff reform attainable, conservative
sentiment of the country will settle
down 10 the conviction that very sub
stantisl progress has been made in the
direction of real tariff reform and freer
trade among nations. That is the
proper way to look at it. The Senate
bill is a great improvement on the
Mckinley law.
Representative Breckenridge, OF Ar
kansas, resigned his seat in the House
this week and qualified as Minister to
Russia, to which position he was NOM
mated and confirmed some weeks ago.
Minister Breckinridge expects to start
for Europe in Q few days, but he will
travel leisurely, stopping at number
of places. and does not expect to reach
st. Petersburg until about October Is.
Managers Of the Presidential boom
of Senator Cameron are hard at work
trying to get their grip upon the
American Bimetallic League, which is
this week holding q conference here,
but they haven't met with much sue
cess. Even the Republican members
OF the League are not solidly for Came
ron, and he has . few supporters
among the Populist members and
none among the Democrats. There is
no longer the slightest doubt of Cam.
eron being in the field for the Republi-
can nomination, his claim being based
solely apon his friendship for silver
and his willingness to pay for support.
Dem.