The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1894-08-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular Correspondent.l

L IOotuCuU StCNCldIu uVCS NV lin
the Senate tariff bill any better than
he did when he wrote that letter So
Chairman Wilson-few good demo-
Gratis debut, like the sensible man
that he is, he prefers it to the McKln-
ley law, ard has, according to the
best obtainable information, made up
his mind that it shall become a law,
but has not yet fully decided whether
he will sign 1t or ALLOW it to become a
law without his signature nor ~heth
er he will send another special mes
sage to Congress on the subject, nrg-
ing the passage at ii is session of the
separate House bills providing for
free coal, iron ore and barbed wire.
So far as the action of the Senate is
concerned. it makes little difference
what the President may do, as enough
republican Senators have gone away
from Washington to break a quorum
and they left for that very purpose, so
as to make sure that the Senate could
not pass any other tariff bills.
Secretary Carlisle has written a let
ter to Sc lator Harris, showing that
the revenue to be derived from the
tariff on sugar is absolutely neccessa-
ry To avoid a deficit in the Treasury
for this fiscal year, and stating that if
the bill for free sugar, which passed
the House with only IL opposing
~svotes, Is passed by the Senate, some
other bill to raise the $43, 900, 900
which it is estimated Will be collected
on foreign sugar must also be passed.
That letter has made the passing of
the free sugar bill out of the question,
even if the Senate were in a position
to do 1t, Notwithstanding the fact that
a majority Of the Senate favors free
sugar. Secretary Carlisle's letter
contained the latest revised estimates
OF the revenues Of the government
: under the Senate tariff bill. The to-
tai estimated receipts are SS79, 900, 900
and che expenditures, 1858, OOU, 900.
An estimated surplus of SIS, 900, 900 is
entirely too small to stand any further
reduction.
The wisdom of the House in accept
ing the Senate amendments to the tar
if bill, although it involved a seeming
surrender on the part of the House, is
becoming more apparent every day.
1t is now clear as day that there was
a plot to prevent any tariff legislation
at all and that only the prompt &C
ton of the House democratic caucus
prevented its being carried out. Had
Senator Hills resolution directing the
Senate crnferees to report a disagree
ment to the Senate been adopted be-
o the House acted, it would have
been followed by a motion to post
pOne the whole matter until Dec I'm
Der. and the motion would have been
carried. Senator Vest, in a speech
defending the Senate from the numer
GUS charges made against it in onnec
ton with tariff legislation, said ::
"Men said the question was between
the Wilson bill and the Senate bill.
That statement was as false as the as
sertion that this was a democratic
Sonata. On the question of tariff re-
form it never was and never can be a
democratic Senate as at present con-
stituted. The question was between
the Senate bill and the Mckinley
law. There the choice was to be
made, and every one c%onversant with
tilO oINubtiOA ku0W IL. L Hal is AS DIAM
as it could be made.
Senator Walsh is a good democrat
and "a good editor. Hence his advice
is good. He says ''The democratic
pless should use its influence to create
a just public opinion as to the real
merits ofthe Senate bill. When prop
erly presented as the lest measure OF
tariff reform attainable, the conserva-
tive sentiment of the country will set
tie down to the conviction that very
substantial progress has been made
in the direction of real tariff reform
and freer trade among nations.n
That is the proper way to look at it.
The Senate bill is a great improve
ment On the Mckinley law.
Representative Breckenridge, Of Ar
kansas, resigned his seat in the House
this week and qualified as Minister to
Russia, to which position he was NOM
mated and confirmed some weeks ago.
Minister Breckenridge expects to start
tor Europe III a few days. but he will
travel leisurely, stopping at a number
OF places, and does not expect to reach
st. Petersburg until about October Is.
Managers of the Presidential boom
OF Senator Cameron are hard at work |
trying to get their grip upon the
American Bimetallic League, which is
this week holding a conference here,
but they haven't ME with much sue
cess. Even the republican members
OF the League are not solidly for Cam
eroD, and he has few supporters
among the populist members and none
the democrats. There is no
the slightest doubt about Cam
eron being in the field for :heir