The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-08-13
GIVES Up THE FIGHT.
Chairman Wilson Will Accept The
Senate Bill.
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH A SPECIAL
CORRESPONDENT LAST NIGHT.

He ReauZeS bn0 Oss cSsneSs OF Combating
the Powerful OF position of the Senate
and is Prepared to Accept the Bill As
Passed BY That sody-A Graphic View
of the Situation it Washington.
Especial to the PRESS
Washington, August 12-"If it is the
general opinion of she Democrats of the
| House that they ought to accept the
Senate bill when t'lsy meet in caucus to-
morrow, neither aor any of the confer
ees will interpose any objection.to the
adoption of motiensto that effect"
| In these words Chairman Wilson, of
the House confefees. tonight gave up
| the fight and announced the uselessness
of further attempts on his part to break
| down the solid wall of senatorial opposi-
tion. He has made gallant fight and
| he feels gratified at the unwavering sup
| port which has been given him by the
members of the House, by the Presi-
dent and by the public, but none of
these powe infuencesswere sufficient
to overcome the fact that the Democratic
majority in the Senate was TOO small
| to permit of the passage Of the bill en-
| bodyiDg. "a full MEASURE of tariff reform.
This fact, with the full knowledge that
| it would be difficult, If not impossible
| thing to rally enough votes in the SEN
ate to make any changes even of the
most trivial natuTa In the bill as it
| passed that body, has brought him re-
| luctantly to the conclusion that it is
| time for the House to say whether. there
shall be any tariff bill passed bysthis
| Mn al.
! the day, has been in consultation with
| Speaker Crisp and Representatives.
| Breckenridge OF Arkansas and Strauss
| of New York. The precise nature of
| these conferences cannot be learned, for
the reason that none of those who partic-
| ipated n.them are willing to give infor-
nation. Itsis presumed, however, that
they have been for the purpose of de-
| termining upon. the termssof Mr.. Wilson's
| speech tomorrow, and upon the pro-
| gramme to be adopted, not only in the
| caucus. but in the session of the House
which is to follow.
| Mr.. Wilson'S speech to the caucus will
| be confined to full statementsof what
| has been occurring in the conference
propositions which have been made
from time to time both by the House
managers and by those representing the
| Senate.
He will also show how both by polls
| made by the Senate conferees in good
faith, and by the house of Representa-
| tives, it would have. led to the defeat of
the bill in the Senatesto have accepted
an agreement, including free sugar. He
will not himself recommend the adop-
| tion of the Senate bill. Who Fwill offer
the motion has not been decided.
Mr.. Bynums is understood to have a
resolutionsalready prepared providing
for this action, hut it is expected that
either the Speaker himself, or Mr..
Catchings or Mr.. Cultivate. who, as
mem bers of the committee on rules more
| directly,represent the organization of the
| House, will direct the policy and offer
the motion which will decide the fate
! of the bill.
There does not appear to be any ques-
or of ending the controversy by the
adoption of the Senate bill, although
Messrs.' Tracey. Warner and others main
| tain that they will oppose the proposi-
| tion. They say that the votes of the
memb bers of the House should be cast
without any reference to the effect they
may have upon the Senate, and they
continued that if every Democrat in the
caucus would take this view the House
would eventually win. Itsis not believed
| that there are 20 men in the House who
think as do these gentlemen, and if they
vote against the adoption of the motion
whichsis offered, they will be in hope
less minority.
1t is learned from a source very close
to Secretary Carlisle, who has been in
consultation with House leaders today,
that the motion which will be offered
in the caucus will be in the shape of a
resolution announcing that it is the
sense of the House that the House con-
ferees withdraw from the conference,
l ~. 30 nr,lr &c haa tol
and that the house withdraw from its
disagreement to the same. The form of
the motion was determined upon sbe-
cause of the fact That the conference was
based on the disagreement of the House
to the Senate amendments. This disagree
ment being withdrawn, the difference
naturally comes to an end This form
will also preclude any possibility of
questions being raised in the Senate as
to the jurisdiction of the House over
the bill.
The resolution, after being adopted
in the caucus, will have to be also
passed by the House.
In ORDER that there shall be no delay
there, the committee on rules will bring
in rule liking a time to take vote
upon it. Debate will be limited, and
it is expected that thesresolution will be
passed at about 8 or o'clock. Then
will come the question as to the passage
OF the Dill as amended Dy tne SENATE.
Upon this question there is likely to be
some debate on the Republican side, and
it may be that the actualspassagesof the
bill may,not take place until Tuesday.
That matter has not been settled, how
ever, and it is possible that long ses-
sion will be held so that the whole
question may be disposed of tomorrow.
Beyondathe mere reception of the mes
sage from the House that il has decided
to recede from the disagreement to the
Senate amendments, there will be no
action taken n.the Senate at all unless
some Republican cares to take advantage
of MIR. HilPs pending motion to make
some sarcastic remarks at the expense of
the Democrats. There is considerable
speculation as toSwhat will be the course
of the President upon the bill in the
event that it reaches him. Those who
hava been closest to him throughout
the whole tariff fight profess to know
nothing as to his intentions, nor AS to
whether he will sign the bill or veto it,
those who intimate he may adopt the
latter course are, however, few and far
between. They are extremists, with
whom perhaps the wish is father to the
thoneht. The best judgement is that
the bill once it is passed by both
bonses of Congress, will become law
1 ic + ~ q