Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-08-01
SOMEWHAT MIXED.
The Situation as Described of
the Tariff Contest.
tEAREsANGU1NEor AGREEMENT

While Others Do Not Take So Hopeful .
View-Consensus of Opinion, However,
Inclined to the Belief That q COmpro-
mise Will De EHected-Senators Re-
ported Showing Disposition to Meet
the House Half Way or Thereabouts.
WASHINGTON. Aug. 1.-The prospects Of
an agreement ON the tariff are much i'm
proved. For the first time in many days
the house Democratic conferrees came
from the meeting with the statement that
previous irreconcilable differences were in
process of amicable adjustment. With
much satisfaction the house members
stated to their associates that the senators
had shown disposition for the first time
to meet the house half way. As to when
full agreement would be perfected there
were some differences of opinion. One
house conferiee said it would probably be
this week. Another thought it would be
soon" Chairman Wilson would not
even admit that the understanding had
gone far enough to warrant the pretiic-
aiction of u speedy report. He said, how
ever, that the conferrees had at least
done business and made progress at yes
terday's meeting, which was more than
could have been said of other meetings.
Senate COnferrees Not So Hopeful.
The senate conferrees came from the
meeting without showing the hopefulness
OF the house members. They said the
conference was as far from an agreement
as it had been. While there was this con-
flct among those thoroughly informed of
the inside workings of the conference the
general belief prevailed that the hopeful
ness of the house conferrees had some
substantial foundation. One of the con-
ferrees said that while no final agreement
had been made on iron. coal and sugar.
yet sufficient had been developed in con.
ference to show that an agreement could
be reached on these three most important
item which would be acceptable to the
senate and house conferreeS and the
house of representatives. Whether it
would he acceptable TO the full senate
this conf-rree expressed some doubt
Gallery, Wilson and Crisp In Conference.
In this connection it developed that CAT
fiery of Louisiana, who has been most
active on the sugar question, had long
and it is said satisfactory conference with
Speaker Crisp and Chairman Wilson.
While the house conferrees were so pleased
mt the bright outlook their senatorial col
leagues cOntented themselves with saying
that while they were hopeful of reaching
an understanding nothing had transpired
in conference to base this hope upon. They
declare that on the essential items of disa.
greement the conferrees are as far apart as
they ever We're. An increased hopefulness
that the bill will be agreed upon is no.
ticeable, however, upon the part of Demo-
cratic senators who are not members of
the conference
A Senator Who Isn't Weakening.
One of the leading conservative senators
said as he was leaving the senate chamber
that the tariff bill would be finally agreed
upon by next Monday, and he added that
the bill would he virtually the senate bill.
The day developed the possibility of a re-
port of partial agreement, and while this
report ut first appeared as vague rumor
its possibility was afterwards confirmed
by senators not members of the confer
ence committee The fact that the con-
ferrees had the schedules other than those
relating to sugar, coal and iron ore under
consideration is one fact in confirmation
of the report.