The morning call., 1894-05-15
CAN BE BEATEN.
Caucus on the Wilson
Tariff Bill.
REPUBLICANS IN COUNCIL.
Some Division of Opinion on
Minor Points.
REPUBLICANS IN COUNCIL.
FOR THE MAIN PURPOSE.
1t Is Asserted That Seven Democrats
Will Vote Against Changing
the Tariff.

WASHINGTON. May 15.-The Republican
memb bers of the Senate were in caucus 4,
Senator Sherman's house until l 80 o'clock
this morning. The caucus partook more
OF the nature of an informal conference
than a business meeting. aud while it was
called with The purpose of arriving at a
conclusion as to the method to be pursued
BY the Republican party in the Senate it
closed without elicIting anything in the
way Of a party declaration. There was no
vote on any proposition whatever. and the
proceedings consisted Of a large number
of speeches.
There were about twenty-five of the
thrty-seven Republican Senators present
and every one had something to say in the
course of the evening. There was great
divergence in views, and the accounts OF
the meeting agree that while there were
probably twenty speeches. most of them
of course brief, no two of them were on
the same lines or advised the same manner
of proceeding. There was no agreement
except upon the one point that the bill
should be beaten if possible.
On general lines the greatest divergence
OF opinion was on the ability of the Re-
publicans to beat the bill at all. and while
there was no formal division the caucus
appeared 10 be about evenly divided in
the sentiment on this question.
A statement that Eastern Senators were
favorable TO a continuation OF the opposi-
ton on the lines which are now being OBJ
served, and that Western Senators were
opposed to any effort to secure delay.
would be in a general way correct, but
~
Senators Aldrich, Chandler, Frye and
others contended that the bill could be de-
feated, and said all that was necessary TO
demonstrate the correctness of this asser-
ton was to give the Democrats time to
widen the breach which they asserted now
exists.
Some of them declared that four or five
Democratic votes could be counted on as
opposed to the bill, while one OF those
present went so far as 10 say he was as
rured Of the opposition of at least seven
Democrats. No names of Democratic Sem
aters were given. however.
The opposition element contended that
there was no positive assurance of any
Democratic support in opposition to the
bill, and that the only means of testing the
truth of the rumors of Democratic dissatis-
faction was 10 let the voting 60 on.
There was much talk as to the general
demerits and Inconsistencies Of the bill.
and some of the silver Senators did not
fail to call attention to the lack of sympa-
tiny which had been displayed by the Re-
publican Senators when the silver repeal
bill was before the Senate last fall, and to
intimate that they had no desire at this
time to heap Goals of fire on the heads OF
that element by doing kindness in return
for what they termed reconsideration.
There was also an exchange of views on
the policy of the Republicans voting for
the Democrats amendments to the bill
but the only agreement reached upon this
point was to allow for the present in
dividual Republican Senators to act in
accordance with their own inclination.