The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-03-06
THE FIGHT OVER SUGAR
The Only Article Now in the Way
of the Wilson Bill.
SENATORS AND REFINERs AT ODDS.

Ehe Outcome Now n Matter of Doubt, and
It May Result in Forcing Upon the
Upper House OF Congress the Greatest
Contest for Years.
WASHINGTON, March 6.-The Wilson
tariff bill was the subject of an earnest
consultation among the senators yester-
day. 1t has reached u certain stage of com
pleteness, and yet like complicated piece
Of machinery it may be thrown out Of gear
by one single article. In the tariff bill
that article is sugar, and II was generally
understo ood that if definite agreement
could be reached on this article that 1t
would then be possible to agree upon
everything else and that the bill could be
reported without delay 1t Is understood
that by mutual concessions and frequent
consultations the demands made by those
Democratic senator's who opposed the bill
In the form in which it was first printed
have been met and tentatively agreed upon,
but even these agreements are subject to
the approval Of the treasury department
and the needs of the government in the
matter of revenue.
Secretary Carlisle was with the mem
bers of the committee most of the day and
met with them again in the evening to
discuss and compare changes. But, while
these concessions have been made and the
members of the finance committee and the
objecting senators have found middle
ground, there yet remains the matter of
sugar, and the difficulties surrounding an
agreement upon this schedule are the
greatest that the tariff makers have to
contend with. The Louisiana senators
hn nno nlan uhirb doau mt f,aat ,uitb
favor by the refners. The plan of the re-
finers is Objectionable to the Louisiana
senators.
A suggestion has been made that nm nd
vslorem tax be laid, and the refiners have
said to the committee that this would af-
ford them no protection. Some senators,
looking toward concession, have said that
81 an ad yalorem rate is not just to retiners,
that a differential he made in their favor.
This is stubbornly resisted by those who
claim that an ad valorem rate would af-
. ford them just protection, as the higher
price of the refined sugar would necessi-
tate greater tax when imported than the
raw sugars.
Like wheel within wheel it appears
also that the proposition for an increased
tax on whisky Is mixed up mith the pro-
posed duty on sugar, IL the latter Is
agreed to the necessity for an increased
whisky tax disappears. For this reason
those who have been insisting upon in
creases in the whisky tax are not favorable
to sugar tax.
One of the senators who was openly OPP
posed to the Wilson bill aS it was amended
by the senate sub committee, and who was
active in the caucus, said this morning
that the outcome was matter OF consid-
cradle doubt
Had the bill made equal reductions"
he said, land had no attempt been made
to give some special interests an advantage
we could not complain. But when it was
proposed to protect the Louisiana sugar
men we could not sit still and see interests
In our states suffer This led to the caucus.
aud it was there shown how unjust it
would be to make the bill protective in
one locality alone. 1t may be that the
concessions which have been made will he
agreed to, and that the treasury depart
meut will find them satisfactory and vet
.snsl little thing may result in undolng all
that has been done and the Wilson bill
reported very much in the form it came
pyer" .-.
Then there would be fight in the sen
atetn
Yes. and the biggest that has occurred
for years. But the whole matter is on
such delicate ground that IA rejection by
the senate of one of the points IN dispute
might kick it all over; besides the house
may also Kick over what the senate does.
We hope, however, that we are going to
reach an adjustment which will settle the
matter"