Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-07-19
IS The BILL DOOMED 4?
Tariff Conference Commit
tee Can't Get Together.

WASHINGTON, July 1s.-The session yes
terday afternoon of the full conference
committee on the tariff bill was the first
held since the conferees were appointed,
and lasted just one hour and fifteen min
utes and adjournment was taken until this
afternoon.
The entire time was spent in general
discussion with no specific conclusion
When the republicans left the room they
were as much in the dark as when they
entered as to what their democratic col.
leagues had been doing all the time they
have had the bill in secret session.
Immediately upon entering the room
there was some good-natured chatting be-
tween the democrats and republicans and
during the discussion IA prod was occa-
sionally showed into the democratic side
by the republicans, who were 10th to pass
the opportunity to have some fun over the
dilemma in which the democrats found
themselves
When the republicans inquired as to the
condition of the bill they were told that
there existed wide difference of opinion
on the sugar, metal, iron ore, coal wool
ana cotton schedules and the lead ore
item; and the frank admission was made
that 1t seemed to be impossible for the op-
posing conferees to get together on any OF
these matters. The house couferees, they
were told, held out for the house bill, while
the senate conferees were as insistent on
the senate bill
AS senator Jones expressed, there was
high wall between them and they had not
been able at any time either to tear it
down or scale its heights.
The democrats of the house wanted to
find out what the republicans thou 1ht of
the situation, and what their democratic
colleagues were willing to do, and the re-
publicans endavored to draw out what
had been done in secret session. In
neither case was their any apparent sue
cess. The republicans contented them
selves with the simple announcement that
they We're for the senate bill.
Sugar was mentioned and Mr.. Allison
was asked what he thought was the best
thing to do.
Il am for the senate bill, for believe
that to be the better bill of the two"
And, am for the house bill, for think
that is the very best measure that has
been proposed, replied Mr. Wilson.
The meeting of the full conference yes
terday is looked upon as but the prelimn-
ary step to the report of a general disagree
ment which will soon be made to the
house. As the meeting to-day will not
convene until o'clock it is hardly prob
able that the report will be made to-day.
1t is known that upon a great many of
the items perfect agreement has been
fixed upon for action when the time comes
to take the vote.
Many of the leading tariff reformers of
the house raised the question whether it
would not be better to have no tariff legis-
lation at this session than to adopt the
senate bill, which is utterly repugnant to
their idea of tariff reform. Some of these
gentlemen went so far as to say that 1t
would be better to kill the bill Mt once,
20 before the country in the coming cam
paign and show that the democratic hou SO,
which correctly reflected the sentiment of
the people, had passed a satisfactory tariff
bill, and that this had been emasculatei
and thorougly changed both in spirit and
principle by a few members of the sena-
torial body.