The record-union., 1894-05-04
Special to the REcoaD-UNrox.


mony.
Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.
WASHINGTON, May By vote of 81
to l, six of the forty-four Democrats be-
ing absent, the Democratic Senators IL
caucus to-day adopted resolution to
support the tariff DILL of the Finance
Committee, including the compromise
amendments that have been agreed upon
by the many conferences of the Demo
cratic Senators during the past two
weeks. The resolution was presented by
Senator German of Maryland, the Chair
man of the caucus, and was discussed al
some length, as the session lasted from
few minutes after o'clock until nearly
o'clock. The absentees were Messrs.
Mills, Murphy, Irby, Butler, Gibson and
Lindsay. It was claimed they were all
accounted for, and assurances were given
that they would support the tariff bill.
The only persons in whose absence there
might be any significance are Senators
Murphy and Mills, the understanding
being that all the others were In accord
with any bill supported by majority OF
the Democratic Senators.
Senator Mills was not at the Senate
during the day and the call for the caucus
was sent to his house. Il is believed he
has some objections to the concessions
that have been made, but he had pre-
yiously announced that he would support
any bill that provided for reductions in
the present law.
Senator Murphy's caucus notice was
also sent to his residence, as he was alb
sent from the Capitol. His position has
all along been one of doubt. but several
Democratic Senators assert that he will
support the bill, and he is counted in the
1Orty-three which are claimed as certain
TO vote in favor of it.
The other absentees are either out OF
the city or failed to secure notices in time.
None of them have been counted as
against the bill and it was said they
would indorse the action of the caucus.
In presenting the resolution and stat
ing the object of the caucus, Senator Cor
man made cOnciliatory speech. He
said it was necessary to make concessions
in order to secure the united support OF
the party, and he further asserted that it
would need a Democratic majority to
pass the bill. He stated that PROPOSE
tions had been made on all sides. and 1t
was believed the measure. with the pro-
posed amendments, would now meet the
support which was absolutely necessary
to pass Democratic tariff bill.
Senator Jones of Arkansas, the MEM
ber of the Finance Committee who has
taken the most active part in the prepara-
lion of the amendments known as the
compromise bill, made a speech in which
he explained at length the proposed
amendments, and told why they were
necessary. He did not discuss or read all
of them, but selected the most important
and those affecting the greatest interests.
Senator Jones said that the sugar sched-
ale had been changed so as to provide
for an ad valorem duty of 40 per
cent. and an additional duty of one
eighth OF a cent on refined sugar, with
penalty OF one-tenth of a cent on sugar
imported from countries paying bounty
on sugar, under the present law, with the
bounty to stand until the 1st of January
next. He said that the ad valorem tax
was not materially different from the
sugar provision IN the pending bill. He
also stated large number of other
amendments had been made, but did not
mention them in detail, except to say in
no case had duties been hXed as high as
IN the Mckinley law. He said that many
concessions had been made 20 the East
ern and Northern Democrats by changes
from adj valorem to specific duties, and
that it was hoped that when the new bill
should be presented it should command
the solid Democratic vote in the Senate.
Senator Mcpherson spoke in support
of the resolution, and dwelt at some
length on the concessions which North
ern and Eastern Democrats had been
obliged to make, and what they had to
give up, in order to meet the Democrats
OF the South and West. He claimed that
the concessions that were talked of by
the other Senators were not wholly on
one side.
Senators Palmer and Villas made long
and vigorous speeches. urging party har-
mony and the necessity OF early action.
Great interest centered in the speech OF
Senator Smith of New Jersey, and his
remarks were received with great deal
OF satisfaction, for while he said that he
was not satisfied with the bill, and was
unalterably opposed to the income tax,
he was ready to support the measure with
the amendments which had been agreed
upon, though he claimed that what were
called concessions by the Southern and
Western men were but small compared
with the concessions which the Eastern
Senators made in supporting the bill with
the income tax provision.
Senator Hill was not placated. He
spoke only a short time, but 1t was long
enough for him to convince the caucus
that his vote would not be for the bill If
the income tax remained in it. He said
his position was well known; he had
mace his statement before the country,
and there was nothing TO aQQ 10 WDat he
had said. Whatever the so-called con-
cessions might be. they could not COM
pensate for a rider in the bill which
neither the needs of the country nor the
party demanded. Without saying so in
direct terms there were none who list
ened TO him who believed he would sup
port the bill.
The vote showed what those who had
called the caucus expected. The confer
ences that have been going on among
the Democratic Senators for two weeks
have given the leaders the information as
to how the different Senators stood, but
they wanted an official caucus action
upon what had been agreed upon in the
conference-r The roll was called,
in order to place all on record, and thirty
seven Senators voted in favor of the
resolution and one Senator {Hill) against
it. The vote was received with genuine
qualification, as many of the Senators be-
lieved it signified that the tariff bill would
pass.
The Senators present were: Bate,
Berry, blackburn, Bankhead. Brice,
Gallery, Call, Camden, Cockrell, Coke,
Daniel, Faulkner, George, Gordon, Cor
man. Gray, Harris, Hill, Hunton, Jar
Wis. Jones, McLaurin, Mcpherson. Mar
tin, Mitchell (Wisconsin), Morgan.
Palmer, Pascoe, Pugh, Ransom, Roach,
Smith, Turpie. Vest, Villas, Voorhees,.
Walsh, White California;.
PROCEEDINGS IN CONGRESS.
The Tariff Discussed In the Senate
Doings in the House.