The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-11
THE REAL CRISIS REACHED.
Looks Like the House Must Accept
the Senate Bill.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10.-A crisis in tar
iff affairs was reached to-day, both in the
open Senate and in the secret council of
the Democratic tariff conferees 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 tomorrow
or thereafter, and it was felt that no fur
ther sessions might be necessary in case
the Senate acted favorably tomorrow on
Senator Hilrs resolution directing the SEN
ate conferees to report the situation of af-
fairs. What was of more importance was
the feeling expressed by the House
fereeS at the close of the conference, that
in case the Hill resolution passed-and they
believed it would-the conference would
practically be relieved of its work, and it
would remain only for the House to
cept the Senate bill as a lesser evil, as they
believe, than the Mckinley law.
These conclusions were reached after a
day of intense excitement among the tariff
leaders The day opened with the Senate
proposition for free sugar still pending be-
fore the conference. Chairman 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 Senat. cJnferees 10 furnish L ;oll 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 confecees con-
vened. 1t disclosed that in The event of the
acceptance OF the free sugar amendment
the bill, as a whole, would be voted against
by thirty-eight Republicans, and by Sena-
tors Kyle, Allen and PETER, Populsts, and
Caffery and Blanchard, Democrats a 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 conclusvely
that the tender of the free sugar amend
ment, while made in good faith by the Sen
ate conferees, was a means adopted by the
conservative Senators for the purpose of
defeating tariff legislation and leaving the
Mckinley law in force.
A SIGNED AGREEMENT.
The discussion brought out for the first
time the statement that the defensive alli-
ance between certain Senators had pro-
ceeded further than mutual cooperation,
and was now reduced to a signed agree
ment While members of the conference
did not claim to have seen the agreement,
they stated as a fact that Senators Kyle,
II
reduced their understanding to black and
white and had signed it, TO the effect that
they would vote against any bill watch did
not contain a bounty clause for sugar As
free sugar would eliminate the bounty pro-
vision, the signed agreement regarded
as showing that the five Senators, com
bined with the Republicans, would defeat
the BILL
1t was while animated comments were
being made on the foregoing conditions that
word reached the conference of Senator
conference hastily adjourned, the Senator'S
going on the floor TO take part in the de-
bate. Mr. Wilson was not disposed at
tach much weight to Senator HilPs move
at the outset, and said that il would be
futile, as the Senate could not act while
the bill was in conference. This feeling
shared to large extent early in the day
by House leaders, who characterized it as
one of the bluffs which had been made of
late to demoralize the House conferees and
force them TO yield. Later in the day, how
ever, this feeling gave way to one OF, pro
found concern over the situation and the
future of the bill.
At 2 O'Clock the conference. or a rem
Tssnpo Gi IT. aggaf tbe %afn Tn The teraan @
as the main topic among them. All of
the House men were present, but Senator
attendance for any length of time, and il
was said Senator Vest felt indisposed to
or no attempt was made TO take up items
OF schedules, the talk being on the sensa-
tional general phases just developed, and
when the conferees separated without fix
ing a time for reassembling The House
conferees no longer disguised the deep con-
cern they felt over the future OF the bill
They had made rough estimate of the
vote on the Hill resolution and they felt
it would pass tomorrow. Under these
circums tances, they said, nothing could be
done until the resolution was disposed of.
IL through some hopeful turn IL was de-
feated, they said, 1T would leave the con-
ference 10 proceed, and the contest would
be carried on for the Wilson bill. If, how
ever. IL was passed Ii would practically
discontinue the conference. In that event,
the House men stated, with satisfaction,
they would still be able TO avert the com,
plete failure of all tariff legislation by hav-
ing the House agree to the Senate bill. The
Senate conferees also regard the situation
as very serious, and they separated from
their House colleagues in no amiable frame
OF mind. II would appear that Senator
ence during the afternoon by the House
members. and that the conferees on the
part Of the Senate accepted this act on