Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-08-11
THE TARIFF MEASURE.


The Present Week Expected TO Seal Ita
Fats.t Very Slight Chance OF Agreeing,
with Possibility of the Whole Question
Being Again Opened to Intcrminable Do
bate and to Fillbustcrlng Danger of De-
feat.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6.-The present
week will probably seal the fate of the
tariff bill. The democratic members
of the conference committee met in an
informal way yesterday, and again
went over the bill, agreeing here and
there to tentative changes, in the hope
that they could hasten conclusion.
The senatorial contingent of the con-
ference were unable to assure their col
leagues of the house that the new
sugar schedule would be acceptable to
the senate, and, secure the forty
three votes necessary. The dis
cussion in conference, however.
indicated that all parties recog.
nized the necessity Of making an early
report of some kind. The senate con.
ferees decline to indi cate what the ma.
turc Of the tip will be, but one OF them
stated positively that there would be a
conclusion reached not later than
Wednesday and possibly by to-day.
He made the positive statement that
there could be no compromise on coal
and iron, and if the house conferecs in
sisted upon the house bill on these
items there would soon be disagree
ing report. The house men still de.
mand some concession on these items.
The parliamentary status Of the bill
is giving its managers some uneasi-
ness. The bill is now in possession Of
the senate. The house can take no ac.
tion on the measure until the senate
has acted, and it is the probable result
in the senate that causes the uneasi.
ness that has been manifested.
Some conservative democrats in the
house, who have heretofore upheld the
house bill, are now condemning the
deadlock, Could these men get a
chance to vote on the bill. it is be.
lieved they would override their con.
ferces and hasten the end of the strug.
gle.
Whatever may be the conclusion
reached by the confcrees, the report
must first go to the senate, and the bill
cannot be acted upon in the house UNI
til that body has before it the original
bill and the conference papers. How
long it will take these documents ia
get back to the house after the matter
is again opened in the senate, no po
litical augur can forctcll. A disagree
ing or an agreeing report is bound tc
renew the whole field of debate.
The woolen, metal and cotton sched
: ules are said to be as difficult of solu.
tionas the other three schedules around
which so much political Importance
! clings Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Murphy
have resisted from the first any serious
encroachment upon the wooden and
cotton schedu es, while, it is said, the
retention of I'll e iron and metal sched
ule intact, is the preference of certain
republicans who, should these be re-
duced, will at once resume dilatory
tactics and insi. upon talking the con
ference report tn death. ~
The situation in the committee 0.
conference may he briefly summed up
The house insists upon material con
cessions in coal and iron ore: the sen
ate refuses absolutely to give more
than reciprocity on coal. Mr.. Gorma1
| will not listen to any proposition look
ing to graduated duty on these raw
materials or the counter proposition
that the duty be left as it is with tn,
proviso that it shall expire in tire,
years and iron ore and coal be thel
transferred to the free list. The hous,
conferees will agree to the sccdule re
Gently made public, OIL the one-fiftl
basis, and the sugar senators, so-called
have accepted it. The Louisiana sen
ators and Messrs. Allen and Kyle will
not support it, and these four votes to
gether with those of Mr.. Hill, ant
probably that of Mr.. Irby, would de
feat the bill.
| With the sugar schedule as it is nov
the senate was able to pass the bill
only by very narrow margin, ant
that, too, as is now claimed, in the be
lief on the part of the Louisiana sena
tors that the bounty was to be give1
them in conference. This bounty hav
ing been refused, it is problcmatical i
the democrats could get the bill
through again if no item be changed
The managers on the part of the sen
ate recognize the dilemma in whicl
they find themselves and NATURAL,
dread the contest that must come.
In addition to this, it was understood
yesterday that at least fifteen repub
licans had bound themselves by taci
agreement that when the conference
report again game into the senate they
would use every means in their powel
to prevent the bill from ever gettin,
off the vice-president's table. Thi
| course means more fllihusterinp.