The record-union., 1894-08-10
Democratic Conferrep5 Still Worry
ing Over the Tariff Bill.
THE BILL IN AS UNCERTAIN A
STATE AS EVER BEFORE
Feeling Between Friends of the Senate
and House Measures Intensified
Instead of Allayed. With No One
Prepared to Say What the Out
como VIII be or When the End
Will Come.
spectal to the REcoRD-UNroN.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9.-The Democratic
tariff conference had expected to be able
to announce an agreement to-day. In
stead of reaching any definite conclusion,
the day closed with the bli in quite as an
uncertain state as ever before in its his
tory, and with the situation in no wise
approved, and with the feeling between
the friends of the Senate and House bill
intensified instead of allayed, and with
no one prepared to say what the outcome
would be or when the end would be
reached.
1t was apparent at the very beginning
of the conference that those who had con-
cluded at the adjournment of the session
that an agreement would be arrived at
to-day had not taken sufficiently into ac-
count the possibility of misunderstood
ing or change of mind. This discovery
was made when the Senate conferrees
proposed tog go on with the bill upon the
basis of duty of so cents per ton on Goa |
and free iron ore, whereupon the Hous g
conferrees announced their unwilling
ness TO assent TO this arrangement, and
stated that they would insist on re-
versal of these terms, with coal free and
iron ore dutiable, ii either was to be, as
they understood they were to have a
chance between the two.
The avowal of this position produced
great confusion, and led to an exchange
of remarks which were not altogether
polite. The Senate conferrees thereupon
decided to report the state of affairs to
the conservative Senators, and when the
conference adjourned called Senators
German, Allen, Smith and Murphy into
consultation. The whole situation was
outlined to them. They were not only
made acquainted withthe demand of the
House conferrees for free coal, but were
also given to understand other material
concessions would be expected by the
House conferrees along the entire line of
the bill, including woolens. cottons, met
ais, glass and earthenware.
They decided on an emphatic negative
in reply to these propositions, saying if
the body of the bill was not preserved
virtually as it passed the Senate, the re-
port of the conference, when made, would
not be accepted by the Senate. Senator
Brice proposed an innovation in the
shape of a proposition that the House
conferrees be given an opportunity to Sc
cure free sugar. His idea, in detail, was
that the Senate conferrees should volun-
teer to recede entirely from the Senate
sugar schedule.
The question was therefore undisposed
of when the conference adjourned for the
day,
The Republican Senato-s were also in
consultation with the Senatorial tariff
conterrees during the day, and it is un-
derstood have given notice that if there is
material change in the more important
schedules relating to manufactured ar
ticles, they will resist the immediate dis
position of the committees report when
made, and have stated that more tariff
oratory may be expected.
The House conferrees have their side of
the situation to tell. Chairman Wilson
authorizes the statement that at the close
OF the conference to-day the reports cur
rent during the day that President Cleve-
land had interfered with the formal
agreement reached last night were wholly
unfounded and untrue. Mr.. Wilson said
the Chief Executive was very careful of
exerting any influence with the confer
rees, and was leaving the members to
shape their course as they saw fit.
AS to the MISUNDERSTANDING through
out the day, the House men understood
when the conference adjourned last night
that they conceded that either iron ore or
coal was to GO on the free list, the other
remaining on the dutiable list. While
the House men had given no definite an
nouncement of their choice between the
wv " AOOiiio, ~ was SOhOko11y uhdOlSboCu
they would prefer to have iron ore on the
free list. When, therefore, they entered
the conference to-day they had concluded
among themselves that it would be pre-
fera ole to have coal on the free list, leav-
ing iron ore dutiable at 40 cents ton.
This conclusion was definitely announced
to the Senators, but the House members
were surprised to find the willingness to
concede them the choice.
What had caused the change was not
made clear, but in discussing it tonight
the House conferrees said, with no little
feeling, that it was clearly due to the in
luence of those interested in the sugar
schedule. Whether the difficulty would
be solved tomorrow or would be declared
off entirely was not clear to the House
conferrees. In the event of an under
standing on coal and iron tomorrow, the
conferrees expressed the hope that the
Republican conferrees might,be called in
late tomorrow or Saturday, although the
differences developed to-day had made
the chances of full conference less hope
full to-night than they were last night.