Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-08-17
THE TARIFF.
The German Bill Meant Demo-
cratic Perhdy and Dishonor,

According TO President Cleveland but
II was Passed by the House Monday
and WIu Undoubtedly Become Law
BY vote of 49, to 1O5 the House OF
Representatives adopted the German Brlce
tariff bill on Monday exactly as 1t was
passed by the Senate. This was done in
accordance with a decision reached III
caucus of the Democratic representatives
held in the morning, when Chairman Will
son. Speaker Crisp and other leaders Of the
majority confessed that it was impossible
to win the fight against the handful OF SEN
ators who had refused to accept any reduc-
ton OF the protection afforded to their in
teresls by the Senate bill 1t was, these
leaders said. case of the Senate tariff
measure CT none. Mr. Crisp introduced
the resolution for the acceptance OF the
Senate bill Earnest protests against sur
render were made in the caucus. but the
opposition was in hopeless minority, only
p votes out of 141 being cast against the
surrender
The movement which resulted in this
summary and preciptate action began last
Friday when Mr.. Hill of New ork offered
a resolution in the Senate to request the
conferees to report if there was any hope
of agreement, and if not, what were the
points of disagreement. On Saturday MI
Hill made his action still more pointed by
inserting an additional clause requiring the
bill to be handed to the secretary of the
senate for such action as the Senate might
desire to take upon it. The significance of
this clause was that, if the bill were SO de-
lvered to the Senate the House would be
cut off from any chance of accepting the
Senate bill as a whole and sending it to the
President without further action by the
Senate. There was a parliamentary con
test over the Hill resolution, which resulted
in a tie vote when the yeas and nays were
called. The vice president voted against it
and the adoption of the resolution was de
feated for the time being
The leaders of the House saw in the Hill
resolution and the close vote upon it a
scheme to defeat all tariff legislation at
this session and to throw the responsibility
for the failure on to the House a petition
for a caucus of the House Democrats to be
held Monday morning was huTiedly clrcu-
lated, and the caucus was held with the re-
suit already stated. Chairman Wilson
made the opening speech, abiding with
suppressed emotion to the failure of the
D, fFf rit
dispute which was satisfactory and honor
able, either to the House or to the Demo
cratic party. In speaking of the Senate
sugar schedule Mr. Wilson made the start
ling statement that the trust had bought
sugar to the amount of SIP, 600. 900 in the
foreign markets in anticipation of the
schedule receiving the approval of the Pres
ident The trust would reap profit of
forty million dollars on this importation.
In conclusion Mr.. Wilson declared that
throat and it was now a battle between
the people and the great monopoly. But
he saw no prospect for tariff legislation I'M
less the Senate bill was adopted. This
speech was followed by Speaker Crisp S
motion for the House to recede from its
position and accept the Senate bill. To
the main resolution was appended pro
vision for the passage by the House of bills
placing sugar, coal, iron ore and barbed
wire on the free list.
As soon as the caucus adjourned spec
ial order was hurriedly drawn up by the
committee on rules for the House TO vote
on the Senate amendments after two hours
debate, this to he followed by 30 minutes
discussion OF each of the bills placing sugar,
coal, iron ore and barbed wire on the free
list. This order the House adopted as soon
as the preliminary business of the morning
was out Of the way, and after the prescribed
two hours debate the Democrats swallowed
bravely their medicine. Thirteen Demo
cratic members refused to stultify them.
selves by voting aye. Five of these nay
votes came from New York, Bourke Coch.
rams among them three from Louisiana
and one each from Maryland and Missouri
Dr. Vim. Everett of Massachusetts voted
nay,
The bills to make sugar, coal, iron ore
and barbed wire free were passed by sub
stanitally solid Democratic vote.