St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-11
SERIOUS FOR TARIFF.
Hills Move in the Senate Con-
sidered an End to Work
Of Conferees.
THEY ADJOURN SINE DIE.
With the Expectation That
the Bill Will Be Re-
called Today.
THE HOUSE MUST GIVE IN.
Apparently 1t Is to Be the
Senate Bill or
No Bill.
fIE HOUSE MUST GIVE IN.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10.-A crisis in
the tariff affairs was reached today, both
in the open senate and in the secret
councils of the Democratic tariff con-
fereeS. When the conference closed
tonight it was with the understanding
that the meetings would be suspended
for the present. No time was set for
reaSsembling the conferees tomorror or
thereafter, and it was felt that no
further sessions might be necessary in
case the senate acted favorably tomor-
row on Senator Hills resolution direct
ing the senate conferees to report the
situation of affairs. What was of more
Importance was the feeling expressed
by the house conferees at the close of
the conference that in case the Hill res
olution passed-and they believed it
would-the conference would practi-
cally be
Relieved of Its Work
and it would remain only for the house
TO accept the senate bill as the lesser
evil, as they believe. than the Mckinley
law.
These conclusions were reached after
day or intense excitement among the
tariff leaders. The day opened with the
senate proposition for free sugar still
pending before the conference. Chair
man Wilson and his house associates
were satisfied that the tender of free
sugar was not made in good faith, and
they had therefore requested the senate
conferees to furnish poll of the senate
showing that, If the proposition were
accepted, it would be adopted by the
senate and the bill passed. The poll was
considered as soon as the conferees
convened. 1t disclosed that in the
event of the acceptance of the
Free Sugar Amendment
the bill as whole would be
voted against by thIrty-eight Repub-
licans and by Senators Kyle, Allen and
PETER (Populists). and Caffery and
Blanchard Democrats, total of forty
three votes. or sufficient to defeat the
bill. This poll was made on the best
judgment of the senate conferees. The
house accepted it as showing conclu-
sively that the tender of the free sugar
amendment. while made in good faith
by the senate conferees, was a means
adopted by the conservatives for the
purpose of defeating tariff legislation
and leaving the Mckinley law in force.
The discussion brought out for the first
time the statement that the defensive
alliance between certain senators had
proceeded further than mutual CO.
operation and was now reduced to
A Signed Agreement.
While members of the conference did
hot claim to have seen the agreement,
they stated as fact that Senators KYLE.
Allen, PETER, Blanchard and Caffery
had reduced their understanding to
black and white and had signed it. 10
the effect that they would vote against
any bill which did not contain a bounty
clause for sugar. AS free sugar would
lie
signed agreement was regarded as
showing that the five senators combined
with the Republicans would defeat the
bill. 1t was while animated comments
were being made on the foregoing con
ditions that word reached the confer =
ence OF Senator HIPS coup d'etat in the
open senate. The conference
Hastily Adjourned,
the senators going on the floor to take
part IN the debate. Mr.. Wilson was not
disposed to attach much weight to Sena-
tor HllPs movement, and said that II
would be futile. as the senate could not
act while the bill was in conference.
This feeling was shared to great ex-
tent during the day by the house lead
ers, who characterized it as being one of
"the bluffs" which had been made of
late to demora lize the house conferees
and force them to yield.
Later in the day, however, this feel
Ing gave way TO one of profound con-
Germ over the situation and the future
OF the bill.
At t2O'clock the conference, or a rem.
nant OF it, again assembled, with the
Hill resolution and the exciting debate
thereon as the main topic among them
AL of the house men were present, but
Senator Jones was the only senate con-
feree in attendance for any length ot
time, and it was said Senator Vest fell
indisposed to confer pending the Hill
resolution. Little or no attempt wa!
made to take up items or schedules, thu
talk being on the senatorial genera
phases just developed, and no progres.
was made up to o'clock, when thu
conference separated without fixing
time for reassembling. The house con
ferees no longer disguised the
Deep Concern
they felt over the future of the bill
They had made a rough estimate of tn,
vote on the Hill resolution and felt /
would pass tomorrow. Under thes,
circumstances they said nothing coulo
be done until the resolution was dis
posed of. If through some hopeful turl
1t was defeated, they said, it woult
leave the conference to proceed and tn,
contest would be carried on for tn
Wilson bill. If. however. 1t was passed
IL would practically discontinue tn