San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-03-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 10, 1894.

ty of the ultimate success of the
Democrats in passing some sort of
tariff bill now consider that they
have at least an even change to de-
feat the bill. Although the COM
mittee has decided that the bill
shall be reported to the Senate this
week and taken up for considera-
ton April 2, by the way that date
represents substantial victory
for the Republicans of the commit
mittee, it is not known that not
single one of ten Democratic Sem
ators who style themselves "con-
servatives." and are styled "kick-
ers" by the other Democrats, has
promised to support the bill,
Notwithstanding the numerous
concessions made to them by the
Democrats Of the committee, and
some Of them will, it is believed,
vote against the entire bill, unless
they can get it amended to suit
their demands. Instead of the
changes made in the bill by the
Democrats Of the Senate commit
tee-most of them against their
will--lessening the Democratic OPP
position to the bill they have
largely increased it. The free
traders have been offended and not
a single "kicker" has been propiti-
ated.
Many shrewd observers believe
that upon the disposition which
Mr.. Cleveland makes Of the Bland
bill for the coinage of the seignior-
age depends the very exist
ence of the Democratic party as at
present constituted. At least three
members OF the cabinet-Gresham,
Smith and Herbert-are so certain
that the veto of the bill would be
followed by an open split of the
Democratic party that they are do
ing their best to persuade Mr..
Cleveland to sign the bill, as a
peace offering to the silver Demo-
Gratis in the south and west who a, e
disgruntle because of the numerous
snubs they have received at the
hands of the admi nistration.
Representative Strauss, Of New
York. a personal friend Of Mr..
Cleveland, is also working on the
same line, although himself OPP
posed to the bill. Mr.. Cleveland
has given no sign of what his in
tentions regarding the measure
are. A delegation Of New York
bankers are here to prevent Mr..
Cleveland yielding to the party
pressure that is being brought to
bear upon him to allow the bill to
become law. These New Workers
have demanded of Mr.. Cleve-
land that he veto the bill, in &C
cordance with the pledges made
by Secretary Carlisle when he
asked them to save the admins
tration bond issue from the fiat
failure which it would have been
had the bankers not subscribed to
them. On the other hand, more
than two-thirds of the Democrats
in Congress voted for this bill and
they are demanding that the bill
be signed, or at least allowed to be-
come law without the Presidents
signature, and threatening to pub
licly repudiate the administration
should the bill be vetoed.
In addition to being vicious the
Democratic tariff bill is very clum-
silly drawn. Since it's revision by
the Democrats of the Senate FL
nance committee the Republicans
of that committee, and the public,
have had an opportunity to study
the bill. A Republican Senator
pointed out a paragraph which
would, had it been allowed TO re-
main in the bill and the bi ! ev r
have become a law, resulted in
tangling up the internal revenue
system to an extent that would
have cost the government very
many millions of dollars. 1t
would, in short, have prevented
the collection of a dollar of inter
nal revenue, except upon such ar
ticles as are specifically mentioned
in the present bill. This error was,
of course, corrected.
No man serving his first term in
Congress was ever before given the
honor of being put at the head OF
the Republican Congressional cam
paign committee, but it was just
done for Representative Babcock,
of Wis, who has been selected to
be acting chairman Of the commit
tee, while Judge Caulwell is max
ing his canvas for the mayoralty
of Cincinnati, and as Judge Caul-
well is likely to be elected Mr..
Babcock is almost certain to be-
como permanent chairman of the
nnnn nnittnn This SELECTION WAS not