Rock Island Argus., 1894-08-10
FAILED TO CONNECT
The Expected Agreement on
the Tariff Bill.
ooNFERREEs H1r AN OBSTRUCTION

Which KNOCKS the Fat Into the Fire and
Leaves the Chssm Stin Unbridged-
Brice Proposes q Scheme That Is .
DOuble-Ender, But the House Men Think
They See the Sugar Still In the GOurd-
Republicans Talk of Starting Up the
Windmill Again.
WASHINGTON. Aug. 10.-The Democratic
tariff conference had expected to be able to
announce an agreement yesterday. Instead
of reaching any definite conclusion, how
ever, the day closed with the bill in quite
rs an uncertain state as ever before in
its history. with the situation in no wise
Improved, with the feeling between the
friends of to senate and house bills in
t .nsified instead Of allayed. and with no
one prepared to say what the outcome
would be or when the end would he reached.
1t was apparent at the very beginning of
the conference that those who had come
to the conclusion at the adjournment of
Wednesdays session that an agreement
would be arrived at yesterday had not
taken sufficiently into account the possi-
bility of misunderstanding or change of
mind.
soon IOUnd Rough Hlace.
This discovery was made when the SEN
ate conferrees prepared to go on with the
bill upon the basis of q duty of 40 cents
| per ton on coal, and tree iron ore, where
| upon the house conferrees announced their
unwillingness TO assent to this arrange
ment and stated that they would insist
upon u reversal of these terms, with coal
free and iron ore datiablc-if either was to
be-as they understood that they were to
| have a choice between the two. The avow-
| al OF this position produced immediate
confusion and led to an exchange of re-
marks which We're not altogether polite.
TIE senate conferrees thereupon decided
| to report the state of affairs TO the con-
| se-vaIiye senators, and when the confer
| rees adjourned called Gorman, Brice,
| Smith and Murphy into consultation.
| Decided Sort of Uitimatum.
| Ike whole situation Was outlined to
them. There were not only made ac-
| Quainted with the demand OF the house
conterrees for free coal, but were also
given TO understand that other material
| concessions would be expected by the
| house conferrees along the entire line Of
the Including woolens, cottoDs,
metals, glass and earthenware. Tney de
cided upon an emphatic negative in reply
to these propositions, saying that if the
body o. the bill was not preserved virtual
| ly as ii passed the senate the report OF the
conference when made would not be ac-
cepted by the senate. Brice proposed an
| innovation III the shaps OF a proposition
that the house conferrees be given an op
portuniry to secure free sugar.
| Catch 'Em Both Comm and Coin.
His idea in detail was that the senate
conferrees should volunteer to recede en-
tirely 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 its present shape
with both coal and iron on the dutiablt
list at the rates fixed. In urging thi:
upon the couferrees ne said it would ne
cessarily produce one of three results. Il
it should be declined by the house con
ferrees it wOuld place the responsibility
Tor the sugar duty upon them. Ii il
should be accepted and the senate should
on this account refuse to adopt the com
mittee's report the house conferree
would still bear the odium for insisting
upon amending the senate bill.
Thirdly" Develops n Grand Finale.
IF, thirdly" he said, they should nc
cept; if Il report should b. upon thes
lines. and if the report should be accepted
by both houses and become a law. w,
should all be happy" The conferree
adopted the suggestion and presented tn,
proposition to the afternoon session of tn,
conierrees. 1t is understood that TIN
proposition created some surprise on th
| pf ha hnr