St. Paul daily globe., 1894-02-21
CAUCUS MAY Be CALLED.
DEMOCRATIC SENATORS UNABLE TO
AGREE ON THE TARIFF.
Sugar Schedule Is a Source of
Great Annoyance The Sub
Committee Will Likely Favor
Small Duty-Lead Ore Men
Also Want Protection - De-
mands of the Tobacco People.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 20.-There has
been considerable talk about the senate
today of the prospect of Democratic
caucus to consider the tariff bill. Sena-
tor Gibson, of Maryland, who has been
cooperating with Senator German and
others to secure duty on coal, said this
afternoon that he considered caucus
inevitable. and that he thought it would
be held during the first part of next
week or possibly the latter part of the
present week. Members of the finance
committee do not consider that caucus
will be necessary, and they confidently
predict that none will be held. They
attribute the caucus reports to the dis
satisfied element and are evidently of
the opinion that they will not be able to
secure sufficient backing among Demo-
cratic senators to force caucus. The
meeting of the full Democratic commit
tee does not change the aspect of the
situation so far as can be learned,
though it came near doing so, and at
one time looked as if the meeting might
result in ordering the calling of COM
mittee meeting tomorrow and the re-
porting of the bill to the full committee
then. Only the fact that the week will
then be half gone and that the senate
will probably adjourn over from tomor-
row until Monday OH account of Wash
ington's birthday prevented.
THE SUGAR sCHEDULE
appears to be at present the item which
is giving the greatest annoyance, and
there is no doubt but that for the un-
satisfactory status of this matter the
other disputed questions would have
been agreed upon before this time and
the bill reported to the full committee.
There is no feature of the bill concern
ing which the members of the commit
te6 are so nom communicative as this,
and they say they cannot talk, for the
reason that anything they would say
would be misleading. They are unde-
cided between wish to report favora-
bly, to free sugar and desire to insure
the harmony Of the Democratic sena-
tors and make sure of the passage of
the bill in the senate. The duty advo-
Gates feel encouraged by the delay be-
cause they do not consider that the
postponement of the report can injure
them. and they hope that it will be OF
benefit to their cause. 1t cannot be
learned whether the subcommittee has
shown any favor to the sugar men at
all. but it it has it has certainly not
granted all that Is demanded by them.
The opinion current about the senate is,
that while a majority of the subeom-
mittee is opposed to any duty whatever
on sugar, they will concede about three
fourths of cent. The members Of the
committee admit that the
PRESSURE Is VERY STRONG
for IL cents, but say they feel very
confident that even if the bill is re-
ported without any duty it will receive
the Democratic support in the senate
when it comes to the test of vote, and
they may vet decide to let it go in at
that figure. There is good authority
for the statement that the committee
has decided upon small duty on coal,
and also on lead ore. The lead ore men
are very confident they will get a duty
of at least one cent pound. There is
the same authority for the statement
that iron ore will be undisturbed, and
will be the same i'll the senate as in the
house. A member OF the committee
gave as his opinion today that the tax
on manufactured tobacco would he un-
disturbed, but thought it possible that
tax would be placed on nunmanufactured
leaf tobacco. though even this would
not be done if some other means could
be found of equaliZing the revenue.
The tobacco manufacturers are exert
ing their energies to have this tax
levied, and also to prevent an increase
in the tax OH the manufactured article,
and there was large delegation from
the National Tobacco Manufacturers
convention at the capitol today in that
interest.