The record-union., 1894-05-15
REPUBLICANS IN CAUCUS.
Senators Meet to Discuss the
Tariff Situation.
SENTIMENT DIVIDED AS TO WHAT
COURSE TO PURSUE
The Whole Force of the National Tube
Works at McKeesport. Pa, on
Strike-Thirty-Two Hundred Men
Out-Two Fatal Mining Accidents
in Pennsylvania.
Special to the REcoRD-US1ox.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoS.
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE Republi-
can members of the Senate were in eau
Gus at Senator Sherman's house from
until II o'clock tonight. The caucus par
took more OF the informal caucus than a
business caucus, and while it was called
with the purpose of arriving at a conclu-
sion as TO the method to be pursued by
the Republican party in the Senate, it
closed without eliciting anything in the
way Of party declarations. There was no
vote on any proposition whatever, and
the proceedings consisted of a large num-
ber of speeches. There were about
twenty of the thirty-seven Republi-
can Senators present, and everyone had
something to say in the course of the
evening. There was great divergence
in view of the course to be pursued. The
accounts of the meeting agree that while
there were probably twenty speeches
most of them, of course, were brief. No
two of them were on the same lines, or
advises the same manner of proceeding.
There was no agreement except upon the
one point, that the bill should be beaten,
if possible. On general lines, the greatest
divergence of opinion was on the ability
of the Republicans to beat the bill at all,
and while there was no formal division
which would permit of accounting the
caucus appeared to be about evenly di-
vided in sentiment on this question.
A statement leaked out that Eastern
Senators were favorable to a continuation
of the opposition on the lines which are
are now being observed. and the Western
Senators are opposed to any effort to Sc
cure delay, but there are exceptions
on both sides. Senators, Aldrich, Chan
dler, Frye and others contended that the
bill could be defeated and said that all
that was necessary to demonstrate the
correctness OF this assertion was TO give
the Democrats time to widen the breach
which they assert now exists. Some of
them declared that four or five DEM
ocratic votes could be counted as opposed
to the bill, while one of those present
went so far as to say he was assured of
the opposition of at least seven Demo-
Gratis. No names of Democratic Senators
were given, however.
The opposition element contended that
there was no positive assurance of any
Democratic support in opposition to the
bill, and that the only means OF testing
the truth of the rumors of Democratic
dissatisfaction was to let the voting go on.
There was talk as TO the general merits
and Inconsistencies of the bill, and some
OF the Senators did not fail to call atten-
ton to the lack of sympathy which had
been displayed by the Republican Sen
ators when the silver repeal bill was be-
fore the Senate last fall, and to intimate
that they had no desire at this time 10
heap Goals of fire on the heads of that
element by doing kindness in return for
what they termed reconsideration.
There was also an exchange of views
on the policy of the Republicans voting
for the Democratic amendments to the
bill, but the only agreement reached upon
this point was to allow the present indi-
vidual Republican Senators to act in ac-
cordance with their own inclinations.