The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-08-15

WASHINGTON, Aug. s.-Fifteen min
utes after the house adjourned Tues
day afternoon the democratic members
began, behind closed doors, the consid-
Grafton of the present critical state of
the tariff bill. The galleries and floors
had been cleared of outsiders and all
the entrances were guarded Promptly
at 8 o'clock Mr.. Holman, of Indiana,
the chairman of the caucus, called it to
order. One hundred and sixty-eight
members were present. Messrs. Wilson
and McMillin, two of the house con-
ferees, as well as Speaker Crisp, were
present. Mr. Bynum offered his reso-
luton calling upon the senate conferees
to meet with subsequent caucus OF
house democrats and spoke upon it.
Mr.. Bynum approached the subject,
he said, in no spirit of partianship or
unfriendliness to the conferees. The
country demanded speedy settlement
of the tariff question, and he spoke for
the people of the west and northwest.
He said he would vote for any bill that
might be reported and thought the sem
ate bill much better than no bill. He
was followed by Mr.. Wilson, chairman
of the ways and means committee.
Mr.. Wilson's remarks were OF the
most general character. He spoke of
the embarrassments under which the
conferees had labored. He said the
house members recognized the position
of the senatorial representatives, and
that both sides were meeting in spirit
of harmony.
Mr.. Livingston, of Georgia, then Of
fered a substitute for the Bynum reso-
luton expressing confidence in the
wisdom and patriotism of the conferees
and relegating the whole subject to
them. Mr. Bynum made point of or
der against the substitute.
Mr.. Bynum insisted that he also had
the fullest confidence in the conferees.
But he had talked with senators, with
in the last twenty-four hours, who had
assured him that no bill could pass
that body but the senate bill. What
he wanted was action of some sort.
Mr.. Boatner, of Louisiana, spoke in a
similar strain. He stated that his au-
thority for the statement that the SEN
ate would not recede from its amend
ments was Mr.. Mills, of Texas. Mr..
Boatner warmly supported the Bynum
resolution, and in closing advocated an
agreement to the senate amendments
This started storm of protests from
every part of the chamber. During the
excitement Mr.. Cooper, of Indiana, OBJ
tanned the floor and characterized SEN
ator Mills statement as bluff. He con-
tinued in an excited manner to say
that the senatorial body was playing a
game of bluff; that the people were be-
hind the Wilson bill, and that the SEN
ate was now in the pillory of public
opinion.
The chair decided against the point
of order made by Mr.. Bynum against
the Livingston substitute, and Mr.. Liv-
ingston then took the floor. Finally
all resolutions were withdrawn, the
matter left to the conferees, and the
, caucus ADJOURNED.
Senator German is quoted in an inter
view as expressing himself very en-
phatically on the situation as follows:
"The house conferees refuse to do any
thing. They will not agree, nor will
they consent to report disagreement.
They will have just forty-eight hours
longer in which to make up their minds
to something. If at the end of that
time they have not consented to an
agreement, the senate will cut the Cor
dian knot. We will strike the sugar
schedule out of the bill and substitute
| free supar."