Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1894-07-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Tariff BIN sim /. the Balance
(From Our Correspondent. J

(FrOm Our Correspondent
WASHINGTON, July, %, 1894. -
Growers Epistle to the free trad
ers still holds It's own as the most
absorbing subject of conversation
now before the Washington public
1t was bad taste and an outrageous
assumption of authority for Mr.
Cleveland to have written that let
ter and it only aggravated the case
when he compelled Mr.. Wilson to
read 1t as a part of his speech on the
floor of the House; but there ia no de
nying that the letter has had, at
least partially, the effect 1t was in
tended TO have. 1t has made It Ger
tain that the House will never agree
to the Senate amendments to the
tariff bill. because, .as Senator Hill
significantly remarked, such sgree-
ment would merely result I'm getting
the bill vetoed. 1t has had another
effect, however, which It is certain
was neither expected nor intended
by It's writer. 1t has wrought a suf-
ticient number of democratic Sena-
tors to control the Senate with the
help of the solid republican vote, ND
to publicly declaring that they
would refuse to vote TO accept any
conference report that puts upon the
free list any article upon which
the Senate amendments placed q du-
ty.
That is iustthe way things stand
at this writing.
The House will not accept the Sem
ate bill, and the Senate will not ac-
cept the House bill. Now the ONLY
change that can take place must In
volye the surrender of either the
House or the Senate. It can be sur
missed, without any great risk of
making a mistake, that Mr.. Cleve-
land will be able to prevent any sur
render on the part of the House, and
as the democratic Senators who ad
ded the protection anne ndments to
the bill did so because of pressure
from the states they represent, IL
would seem that they might be
counted upon to stand firm even If
they we're not strengthened by their
hatred of Mr.. Cleveland, not only be-
cause OF the insulting manner In
which he refers to them In his letter.
but also because of the manner In
which he has tried to boss his party
In Congress-aye, and succeeded,
too-frOm the day on which he be-
came president. Still, If there is a
break in the lines of either side II is
believed that it will be on the part of
the Senate. The republicans are
playing the part of onlookers at the
contest, but they are by no means
disinterested. On the contrary.
they are so much interested that Sen
ator Aldrlch has asked all impaired
republican Senators to be on hand
and to remain within call until the
tariff is In some way disposed of
The republicans wish to accomplish
one of two things-prevent any tar
IN legislation, II that can be done
otherwise TO aid in getting as many
OF theSenate amendfnentsas possible;
In the bill that finally gets through.
Mr.. Cleveland's alleged arguments In
favor OF the sugar trust and of the
Whitney Nova Scotia coal syndi-
cate, in which all the world knows
the money of his closest personal
and political friends is heavily in
vested, have greatly weakened his
position and added to the chances
Tor non action on the tariff bin.
& eYerv body knows that Mr. CIeye-
Bands friends put their money into
that coal syndicate solely because
he assured them that free coal was
a certainty, and, although it Is not
absolutely known. there are excel
lent reasons for the belief that other
friends of his have obtained options
ROn certain Cuban iron mines upon
assurances that iron ore was also
to be free.
Did some democratic Senators
commit perjury when they swore
that they ne d never purchased stock
In the sugar trHst7
The direct charge hasIbeen made
that they did, and the s nate com
mittee has reOpened the investiga-
ton and Is again taking testimony.
1t Is keeping the testimony very
dark, too, members of the commit
tee claiming to be afraid that It's
publication might result In prevent
ing the committee obtaining impor-
tant evidence. 1t is rumored that
at least one witness has sworn to
having seen a written order for the
purchase of sugar stock, which was
given by a democratic Senator and
Is now In existence, and to have told
the committee In whose possession
1t Is. The gossip concerning this
matter has been very much enliven-
ed by the statement that certain
parties who has been .snubbed by cer4
tain Senators proposed to "get ev-
en- by furnishing the evidence co
make q case of perjury against one
Senator; In order that the whole bus
mess might be brought out in court.
There is little doubt In Washington
that Nbrjury has been committed,
but there is very much as to whether
It win be proven. If written orders
sor the purchase of sugar stock are
In existence 1t is more likely that