Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-07-21
TRYING TO PATCH 1T UP.
Republicans Excluded from the Com
ference on the Bill of Sale.

N Ehit0 ~ tn MI 1 OEs
Republicans Excluded from the Com
ference on the Bill of Sale.
From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, July 16. The
alleged conference of commit
tees from the House and Senate
on the tariff bill, which is ac-
tually only a conference be-
tween eight Democrats and the
various trusts which demand
protection Of their interests in
payment for past and future
contributions to the Democratic
corruption fund, is still going on
and from what has leaked out
there has been some very lively
word battles in the committee
room in which the meetings are
held. Little Mr.. Wilson, who
by order of Mr.. Cleveland was
put at the head of the House
Ways and Means committee, got
so worked up at one of the meet
ings at the various demands
made on behalf of the trusts by
the Senate that he left the room
in huff and vowed he would
have nothing more to do with
it. However, after a con-
sulation with boss Cleveland he
thought better of it and is again
a regular attendant of the meet
ings, and before the thing is
closed will probably vote as
meekly for what the trusts want
as any of his colleagues. No
indications of when the legal
conference, which shall be at
tended as by law provided by
the entire committees appoint
ed by the Vice-President and
Speaker of the House respective
ly, will begin, has been given to
the six Republicans who are
members of those committees.
Senator Hale's resolution call
ling attention to the irregular
and illegal status of the meet
ings now being held may be
heard from again in a way that
will be both unexpected and un-
pleasant to the Democrats and
the trusts. When conference
committees We're by law provid-
ed for in cases of disagreement
between theHouse and Senate on
pending legislation it was not
with the intention that the
members of the majority party
should devote days and weeks
to bargaining and dickering
with each other In order to
arrive at a cut-and-dried agree
ment which should then be
sprung on the minority and
supported by the majority. On
the contrary, it was intended
that the conference should be
what the term implies, a full and
free discussion of the points of
between the House
and Senate, by all of the repre-
sentatives of the House and
Senate, and not by representa-
tiyes of only the political par
ties that happen to be in con-
troll Of those bodies, and never
until now has that intention
been deliberately violated, al
though there have been hum
dreds Of conferences held. Ser
ator Voorhees, admitted that
a mistake was made by not in.
viting the Republicans to be
present at the first meeting
held, but so far as known he
has taken no step to correct that |
mistake. Strictly speaking
those eight Democrats have no |
legal right to tinker with that |
tariff bill in the forced absence
Of the six Republican members
Of the conference committee, |
and their attempting to do 80 |
may make trouble for them and
and their party. This tariff |
bill business is a long way from |
being settled.
Some of the Democrats have I
discovered that Utah /
will probably go Republican and
50 greatly are they exercised |
over it that they are actually |
Trying to get Mr.. Cleveland to /
veto the bill for the admission I
IF that territory to the Union. /
Mr.. Cleveland did not want the
Utah bill passed at this ses-
sion of Congress, but from the
pest obtainable information it
S not probable that he will veto I
he bill now that it has passed I
rs it would be difficult to find a
good reason for SO doing.
The commission which Mr..
has agreed to APP
,oint under the act of 1888, to I
investigate the railway strike
S not likely to secure any very