The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-15
LOOKS LIKE FREE SUGAR.
The Advocates Of a Duty May Have
reached Themselves.

The Raw Sugar Men Badly Hurt After
Gaining Their Point by Espousing
the Course of the Refners-Coal Apt
to Be Covered With Duty of About
30 Cents a Ton-Politics May Have
an Influence In Settling the Fight
over Coal.
Washington, Feb. 4.-The sugar men
over-reached themselves, and today the
finance committee was in a good humor
to keep the sweet substance on the free
list The committee was anxious to
protect the sugar planters of the south,
and had agreed to put duty of one cent
on the raw material. But they refused to
pander to the refiners and protect the
trust. The raw sugar men in the Senate,
after gaining their point began espousing
the cause of the refners, which put the
members Of the committee in such hu-
NOR that at adjournment this afternoon
they declared it better to let the
House bill stand as it was and let all
sugar be free. Every day brings the
committee nearer to the opinion that the
Wilson bill cannot be improved upon.
Senator Colquitt has been in close consul
tation with members of the committee to-
day and reiterated his belief that the
bill will emerge from the committee room
very much as it went in.
If no duty is put on sugar, that will
necessitate the tax on whisky being in
creased to S1.l0, if not S1.25. In any case
the bonded period will be extended to
five years
A tax of 45 or so cents on coal has prac-
tically been settled upon.
NEW ENGLAND UNEASY.
The report that the Senate finance com
mittee proposes restoring the duty on
coal to some extent has had disquieting
effect in New England and the east.
John E. Russell, the late democratic
candidate for the governorship of Massa-
chusetts, scame to Washington yesterday
to secure some information on this point.
He had conference yesterday afternoon
with a senator from one of the large coal
producing states of the south, and in
formed this gentleman that 1t would be
unfair to New England manufacturers to
reduce the duties on their products with
out giving some compensation in the way
of free coal.
POLITICS CUTTING A FIGURE.
The senator replied that the democrats
could not afford to pass the bill through
the Senate leaving coal on the free list.
He said that not only did the reelection
Of Chairman Wilson, of the ways and
means committee, depend upon restoring
the duty in part, but that it would be i'm
possible for the democrats to elect a sue
cessor to Mr.. Camden, whose term expires
on March 4. He informed Mr. Russell
that the eastern manufacturers already
nave ample protection and stated
that a duty of so cents a
ton would be placed on coal. He argued
that where two articles, one inferior to
the other, were brought into competition,
as for example, Nova Scotia and American
coal, the cheaper article always reduced
the price of the superior article, and that
IN little while after the passage of the
Dill, the difference in price between the
foreign and domestic coal would not be
material.
WANT THE WILSON BILL OR NONE.
The reports in circulation that the SEN
ate proposes changing the Wilson bill in
many particulars is not at all gratifying
70 the democratic members of the House
one OF the members of the
ways and means committee said
THIS morning in reference to
not stand any monkeying with the
wilson bill. 1t represents the senti-
ment of the democrats of the
country. We will not agree to a duty of
5O cents on coal or iron ore. We might
stand 25 cents a ton, but we would rather
leave both articles where they are-on
the free list 1t is also reported that
wool may again be placed on the dutiabe
list. Under no circumstances will the
House agree to this. We will have free
wool or we will have no bill. The Senate
might as well understand that"