The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-08-24
From our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, Aug. II

lCoiuCut SiCNCldTU uOeS not ike
the Senate tariff bill any better than
he did when he wrote that letter to
Chairman Wilson-few good Demo-
Gratis debut like the sensible man
that he is, he prefers it to the McKin-
ley law, and has, according to the best
obtainable information, made up his
mind that it shall become law, but
has not yet fully decided whether he
will sign it or allow it to become a
law without his signature nor wheth-
er he will send another special message
TO Congress on the subject, urging
the passage at this session of the sepa-
rate House bills providing for free
coal, iron ore and barbed wire, So far
as the action of the Senate is concern
ed, 1t makes little difference what the
President may do, as enough Republi-
can Senators have gone away from
Washington to break 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
letter to Senator Harris, showing that
the revenue to be derived from the
tariff on sugar is absolutely necessary
to avoid deficit in the Treasury for
this iscal year, and stating that if the
bill for free sugar, which passed the
House with only II opposing votes,
is passed by the Senate, some other
bill to raise the S43, 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 it,
Notwithstanding the fact that ma
jority of the Senate favors free sugar.
Secretary Carlisle's letter contained
the latest revised estimates of the re.
venues of the Government under the
Senate tariff bill. The total estimated
receipts are $37S,ooo, 900, and the
expenditures, S363, ,ooo An es-
timated surplus of $4,000, 900 Is en-
trely too small to sstand any further
reduction.
The wisdom of the House in accept
ing the Senate amendments to the
tariff bill, although it involved a seem
ing 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 action of the House Demo
cratic caucus prevented its being car.
ried out Had Senator Hills reso-
luton directing the Senate conferees
to report disagreement to the Sen
ate been adopted before the House
acted, it would have been followed by
motion to postpone. the whole mat
ter until next December, and the mo
tion would have been carried. Senator
Vest, in speech defending the Sen
ate from the numerous charges made
against it in connection with tariff leg
islation, said " Men said the question
was between the Wilson bill and the
Senate bill. That statement was as
false as the assertion that this was a
Democratic Senate. On the question |
of tariff reform it never was and never
can be a Democratic Senate as at |
present constituted. The question
was between the Senate bill and the |
Mckinley law. There the choice was
to be made, and every one conversant |
with the situation knew it That is
as plain as it could be made
Senator Walsh is a good Demo
crat and good editor. Hence his
advice is good He says "rhe Demo-
cratic press should use its influence
to create just public opinion as to
the real merits of the Senate bill. |
When properly presented as the
best measure of tariff reform attain
able, the conservative sentiment of
the country will settle down to the
conviction that very substantial pro-
gress has been made in the direction
of real tariff reform and freer trade
amoung nations. That is the proper
way to look at it. The Senate bill is
great improvement on the Mckinley
law"
Representative Breckenridge, of
resigned his seat in the
House this week and qualified as
minister to Russia, to which position
he was nominated and confirmed
some weeks ago, Minister Breckin'
ridge expects to start for Europe in
few days, but he will travel lelsurely,
at a number of places, and
does not expect to reach St. Peters
burg until about October 18th.
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 conference here,
but they haven't met with much sue
cess. Even the Republican members
If the League are not solidly for Cam
eron, and he has few supporters among
he DoD,,I,rt ~, ~, harc and none among