The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-04-18
FOrty-Three Votes Necessary
to Kill the Measure,
And at Present They Are Not
Forth coming.
The Bill VIII No Doubt he Passed or
Fail by July 1.-The Meeting of the
Senate and House-AdiOurnmen
Out of Respect to the Memory of
senator Vance-Other News.
BUREAU OF THE SENTINEL.


By an agreement entered into be-
tween the democratic and republican
leaders of the senate this week
will close up general debate on
the tariff bill. But the strug-
gle will only begin April % The bin
will be taken up and read by paragraphs.
Each paragraph will be subject to
amendment and discussion. There are
500 paragraphs of tariff schedules and
102 sections relating to the administra-
tive internal revenue, including the in
come tax.
Under the rules. or rather absence of
rules of the senate, the republicans have
the power to keep the bill in committee
of the whole all summer. There is no
limit to the number of amendments that
an be offered to a single paragraph. BY
consent of action the republicans could
consume a whole days session in one
paragraph. Every senator could speak
on every amendment offered.
If this course was undertaken the
democrats could force the republicans TO
keep on talking from noon till late at
night. The young men on the republic
an side are, with two exceptions, from
the INNING states. L ueSG SILVER SEIdlDIS
are not worrying about the tariff bill
and with the exception Of Mitchell of
Oregon and Carey of Wyoming they could
not be prevailed by their eastern
brethren to talk against time TO delay
final action on the tariff bill. Mitchell
can make long speeches, but Carey can
not speak five consecutive minutes on
any subject. a few night sessions would
soon subdue Sherman. Hoar, Morrill,
and the other protectionist leaders. Quay
and Higgins could stand the strain, but
they can't speak. Unless Hill joins the
republicans the Wilson bill will be passed
or killed by the senate before the 1st
of June.
The bill is in no danger Of defeat. Hill
cannot defeat it. It Will take forty
three votes to kill it. The republicans
have thirty-seven, the populists four.
ThA populists are now on record. Allen
and Kyle will vote for the bill provided
the income tax is retained and no more
protection is injected. PETER would
vote for the Wilson bill. but win not
vote for it as amended by the finance
committee. So he can be counted
against the bill. Stewart is counted
against the bill also. This gives the re-
pubHcans thirty-nine votes. Counting
Hill. Murphy and Smith of New Jersey
against the bill the opposition would
have forty-two votes or one short of the
fatal number Mcpherson has repeated
ly stated he would vote for the bill after
doing his best to amend it. Brice in
interviews also declared his intention TO
vote for the bill, although he did not
like it, German got his coal concession,
but even without it he would not dare
10 vote against the bill 1t would be
the end of German in Maryland.
The Louisiana senator's are placated
with the sugar tax. The democrats can
spare Hill. Murphy. Smith OF New
York and even Brice, and yet pass the
bill with the vote of the vice-president
Every good democrat hopes that Hill.
Murphy, Smith and Brice will vote
against the bill because the finance COM
mittee made certain concessions to them
which would be taken back in confer
ence between the two houses. For eX-
ample the finance committee raised the
tax on collars and cuffs to 80 per cent
and shirts to SO per cent. TO placate
Murphy, who has some investments in
Troy collar and cuff industries. This
tariff is practically prohibitive, which
gives Troy manufacturers a fine oppor-
tunity to form d collar and cuff trust.
House Will Not Concur.
But the passage of the bill by the SEN
ate will not end the tarin contest. The
house will refuse to concur in the senate
amendments The bill will be referred
to a conference committee composed Of
seven members of the ways and means
committee and seven members of the
senate finance committee-fOur dmOcrats
and three republicans from each COM
mittee. Even when the conferences
from the two houses agree their report
is not always approved by their respec-
tive houses.
The house will no doubt instruct
its committee to reject the senate
amendments on the coal, iron.
sugar schedule and the extension of the
whisky bonded period. The house might
accept a tax on raw sugar. but it win
never accept the tax on refined sugars
which is the life of the sugar trust. The
eight years whisky bonded period will
never go through the house. on these
two items there may be deadlock be-
tween the senate and house for weeks.
Murphy's collar and cuff tax will hardly
go through. but it is not supposed that
there will be a contest on this paragraph.
But before July 4 the tariff bill will be
out of congress.