Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-02-09
The Tariff Bill in the senate.

The Wilson tariff bill was promptly
messaged over to the Senate last Friday
afternoon and was referred to the finance
committee The expectation is that it
will remain in committee at least month,
and while there the Republican members
will have nothing whatever to do with it.
The Democrats propose to take the same
course there that was pursued in the
House, and to bring the bill before the
Senate as perfected by the Democratic
members. That means that the bill when
favorably reported to the Senate will be
substantially the same measure as passed
10y the House. \ growing impression pre-
walls among those who are well informed
on congressional affairs that the Demo
cratic majority will carry the bill through
the Senate without making any important
amendment, the income tax included.
The Louisiana senators will try to have
tax put on sugar, and there will probably
be an effort to restore coal and iron to the
dutiable list, but when the final test comes
they will all respond to the party call and
vote the bill through. The Republican
senators recognize that the Democrats
have got the power in their own hands to
do as they will, and for this reason the
prediction is freely made that they will not
lend themselves to any movement to make
the bill more acceptable to the country
and thus prolong the period of its exist
ence and consequent harm to the people
The Boston transcripts correspondent
quotes Mr.. Voorhees,, chairman of the SEN
ate finance committee, as being confident
/ that the bill will be out of the committee in
/ two weeks, and that the only important
/ change will be to put small duty on sugar,
coal and iron ore, leaving wool out in the
cold. Announcement was made Tuesday
that the committee will give no hearings on
the bill. As soon as the Republican mem
bers of the Senators Morrill,
| sherman, Aldrich and Alison-learned OF
this action they issued a statement decar-
ing their belief that "all parties-farmers
workingmen, merchants, manufacturers
importers and all others-whether for OF
against the bill, interested in the rates fXeC
by the House bill, rates of which they coulC
have had no knowledge before the fna
vote in the House, should be heard upor
matters so vitally affecting their interests,
Mr.. Sherman asked the committee t,
hear representatives of the Eastern Woo
Growers association, in session at the Eb
bitt House They asked to come befor
the committee at any time to suit the con
venience of the committee, but the reques
was denied. At the meeting of the Repub
lican members in Mr.. Sherman room, tn
general subject was discussed, but nothin
could be done. As one member said afte
the conference adiourned "We can d
nothing. We are powerless minority i
the hands of a powerful and determine
majority. Their action today will, how
ever, return to plague them before thi
thing is over
Wednesday afternoon Senators Morril
Sherman, Aldrch and Allison were in col
ference for upward of an hour, dscussin
what should be the policy of the Republ
cans in the tariff fight. Much feeling e!
lists over the action of the Democrat
/ members of the finance committee in +
p fusing to grant hearings, and this sent
t ment is directed with especial emphasis
p Mr.. Voorhees,, chairman of the cOmmitte
p Republican members of the commits
state with positiveness that hearings we