Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-08-16
TARIFF BILL PASSED
PASSED BY 4 VOTE OF 1872 TO to7.
The Democrats Then Put Through Bills
Placing Coal, Iron Ore, Barbsd
Wire and Sugar ON the
Free List.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.-THE long
struggle over the tariff bill came to :
close at o'clock yesterday evening,
when the house, by vote Of 1852 to
lO7, decided to discharge the house con.
ferees from further consideration Of
the bill, recede from Its opposition TO
the 634 senate amendments and agree
to the same. Itwasa complete victory
for the senate. The house made an
absolute surrender. The result grew
directly out Of the sensational course
of events at the senate end Of the cap
itol precipitated by Senator Hill on
Friday.
Up to that time the house confereee
had stood firm against the senate
amendments, especially on the three
disputed schedules Of coal, iron ore and
sugar, and the temper and voice Of the
house was for war-war to the end.
But the indications that the democrats
of the senate might be unable to longer
hold majority Of the votes in line for
even the senate bill, and that the bill
was in desperate jeopardy, forced the
house democrats to immediate action.
The democratic conferees Of the house
at last admitted that they were beaten
and that another vote could not be
risked in the senate, that II must DO
either the senate bill or no bill.
The whole question was precipitated
at the caucus held just before the
house convened yesterday, at which,
after thorough review Of the situa-
ton and speeches in favor Of receding
by Speaker Crisp, Chairman Wilson
and Others, 1t was decided to take the
senate bill, and Immediately after
wards pass separate bills placing coal,
iron ore, sugar and barbed wire on tho
free list, and by SO doing place the
house on record and at least partially
overcome the humiliation involved In
its defeat. The programme arranged
in the caucus was carried out to the
letter In the house after an ironclad
special order.
The scenes in the chamber through.
out the dag and evening were exciting
and at times sensational. The galleries
were packed and the members ap-
plauded and chcered their respective
leaders to the echo. Under the terms
Of the order but two hours were al
lowed for debate on the main PROPOSE
ton to recede and agree to the senate
amendments to the tariff bill. A par
liamentary skirmish preceded the
pitched battle, but points Of order
raised by the republicans were swept
aside. The speaker ruled the house
with an iron hand.
The principal speeches for and
against the main proposition were
made by Chairman Wilson and Speaker
Crisp on the one hand and ex-Speaker
Reed and Mr.. Burrows on the other.
There was no time for preparation
and all Of the speeches were hot from
the forge Of the brain and were greeted
with round after round Of applause.
Bourke Cochran, of New York, and
Mr.. Tarsney, of Missouri, both demo-
cratic members Of the ways and means
committee, delivered scathing and
sensational speeches denouncing the
surrender Of the house as cowardly
and indefensible.
The speaker replied to Mr.. Cochran,
whose effort was d brilliant one, with
such temper that the latter took it as
personal atfront, although the speaker
disclaimed such intention, and made Q
vicious lunge at Speaker Crisp. There
was no attempt on the part Of the dem
ocratic leaders to claim victory.
They all admitted that they were &C.
ceptlng the inevitable, justifying their
action on the ground that the senate
bill was infinitely better than the Nc
Kinley bill.
The most startling feature Of the day,
perhaps, was Mr.. Cockran's eloquent
appeal to Chairman Wilson to name
the democrats in the senate who threat
ened the defeat Of all tariff legislation
if the attempt to adjust the differences
between the two houses was persisted
in, but Mr.. Wilson made no response.
When the vote came to be taken at Q
o'clock, thirteen democrats, Messrs
Bartlett, Cochran, Hendrix, Dunphy,
Warner and Covert, Of New York;
Davey, Meyer and Price, Of Louisiana;
Everett, Of Massachusetts; German, Of
Michigan; Johnson, Of Ohio, and Tars-
ney, of Missouri, voted with the repub-
licans against the resolution.
The democrats then put through one
after another, what the republicans
derided as the "popgun" bills, placing
coal, iron ore, barbed wire and sugar
on the free list, and which in the brief
debate on each Of the bills they main
tanned would be passed only to 60 To
their death in the senate.
| First published In the Abilene Weekly Re-
fector August 10, 1884,