New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-28
ONLY wEARIsOME TALK.
THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS TAKES NO
ACTION on THE TARIFF BILL
MANY SPEECHES SAID TO HAvD BEEN MADE
~ OPPOSITION TO THE WILSON MONsTRos-
ITY-sENAToRs HILL AND WHITE
TELL SOME PLAIN TRUTHS.
WHICH ARD NOT RELIsHED.
fBY rErEGRArH TO rHE rRrsrxFI


| Washington Feb. 27.-The Democratic caucu!
continued its sessions to-day in the marble room
| Of the Senate spending the whole morning anc
most Of the afternoon in a rather discouraging ef
fort to adjust the conflicting opinions within th'
party on the Wilson Tariff bill No action O
any sort was found advisable. IL being the gen
eral sentiment that every Senator should express
his views freely on the points in dispute before
the caucus should be called to settle the first
~ the controverted schedules. To elicit this full
expression Of opinion each Senator in order was
asked 10 state his grievances, II he had any,
against the Wilson bill in the slightly revised
form given it by Messrs. Jones. Vest and Mills.
As there We're many DIRECTORS whose complaints
were both forcbe and voluminous the four SEES
sons Of the caucus 50 far have been taken up
with criticisms Of the bill from its opponents and
rejoinders from it's friends
1t is understood that only two or three Sem
ators have yet 10 be heard from. and at some
time tomorrow it is hoped to reach vote either
on some general proposition or on some particu-
lar schedule which will indicate just how accept
able or unacceptable to the party in the Senate
has been the mysterious star-chamber work Of
the revisOry subcommittee Of three. Whatever
the issue is, it will show the "COnservatives,'
under Mr.. Germans sllilful leadership lined up
against the hot-headed advocates OF Free Trade
and Treasury deficiencies led by Mr.. Mills and
Mr.. Vest, and the result Of the first contest will
largely determine whether the Wilson bill is to
be reported TO the Senate in all its present i'm
projections and absurdity or is TO be submitted
TO the changes necessary TO convert 1t into
genuine tariff for revenue measure
Emboldened by his success in frightening the
Finance Committee into their hasty surrender
OF yesterday. Mr.. Germans purpose seems now
to be TO induce the Democratic caucus to COM
nit itself 10 the revenue" theory as the only
proper basis on which TO frame tariff bill.
IT, by laying down the principle that a tariff
measure to be acceptable to the party in the Sem
ate and conformabe to the Chicago platform,
must be drawn with an eye solely 10 raising
sufficient revenue and not 10 secure free trade
by creating a deficiency. Mr. German can per-
suade the caucus to condemn by implication
the whole work Of the Senate subcommittee
almost won. This fundamental principle once
established by decree Of the caucus it will be
easy enough to force through the rates Of duty
on sugar, coal, iron ore. lead ore, lumber and
wool which the conservatives" maintain will
be required to yield the revenue to support the
Government unprovided in the House bill or in
the Finance subcommittee revise"
Some general principle in the way Of instruc-
tons to the trainers and managers OF the bill
can be carried in the caucus, Mr.. German
shrewdly sees, much more easily than can any
particular demand for increased rates on any
single article. 1t is to be presumed. then,
that some declaration Of the purpose Of the
caucus to demand revenue bill which will yield
the necessary revenue will be introduced and
voted on before the caucus finishes Its sessions.
The direct and outspoken hostility TO the bill
so far has come from fifteen Senators
who constitute the backbone of the opposition to
he Finance Committees schedules. They are
Messrs. Caffery and White, of louisiana who |
oppose free sugar; German and Gibson, of Mary |
and; Camden and Faulkner Of West Virginia. |
1unton and Daniel, of Virginia, who oppose free |
,oal Pugh. of Alabama. who opposes free coal |
md free iron ore; White, Of California, who is |
dissatisfied with the fruit and sugar schedules; |
3rice, of Ohio. who is fighting free wool and the |
income tax; Hill and Murphy. of NewYork. and |
smith, of New-Jersey who favor only moderate |
eductions in all the schedules, and Butler, Of |
south Carolina, whose opposition is, perhaps, |
more personal than local. But the active oppo-
cunt on the quiet support of other 'conserva-
i've" votes for any compromises whichthey may
INSIST In this latter contingent of Senators
nay be put the following: Ransom. Of North
'arolina; Call, of Florida; Morgan. Of Alabama;
Iaris of Tennessee. and perhaps Cockrell Of
iissouri and Martin of Kansas With these
D control the caucus for any moderate changes
the Tariff bill which he may propose. Twenty
go constitute majority of the caucus when all
he Democratic Senator's are present and the
trength Of the acknowledged radical free-trade
cement does not exceed a dozen or fifteen votes.
Perhaps the chief feature of to-days session
the caucus was an elaborate speech by Sem
tor Hill. Mr.. Hill has been known as an oppo-
ent of the Wilson bill in its present form. but
is criticism Of IL to-day was more severe and
weeping than had been expected by his col
agues. He condemned both the extremist
leory on which il had been prepared and the
ar-chamber methods of its authors and re-
odellers To pass anything but the most mod
ate measure Of tariff revision at this time
,emed to him. he said absolute political folly.
he income tax was condemned as especially
nfortunate and odous. opposed 10 Democratic
Dlicy and American traditions and wasteful
nd oppressive in its enforcement. The Dill IN
S present shape. Mr.. Hill is understood TO have
cleared, in no way cOnformed TO the Chicago |
latform. 1t half protection, half free
ade and failed in the one essential required
!, Democratic doctrine-that OF raising revenue !
Rough TO meet the expenditures of the Gov
nment economically administered.
Mr.. White. Of Louisiana is said TO have made !
tier and excited speech at yesterdays session
the caucus. He charged that the bill re-
sed by the Senate Subcommittee had not been
omitted as 1t should have been TO Secretary
lrsle for his judgment and approval. and in
mated that many provisions Of 1t would be {
capable Of execution. Mr.. White also asserted !
at President Cleveland had only a few days
70 said in conversation at the White House.
at he favored fair tax on sugars. The
position Of Mr.. Vest to the sugar tax IL under
BOD to have been described by Mr.. White as an /
hibition Of hostility to the Executive-an init G
alton which caused a good deal Of bad feeling (
tween the Missouri and Louisiana Senators. c
though Mr.. White was eight days ago con-
med as an Associate Justice OF the Supreme :
urt, he announced that he would not retire | !
I'M the Senate until the caucus had acted t
d acted generously, as he hoped, upon the r