The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-02
Plenty of Talk But No Agreement.

Plenty of Talk But No Agreement
The MoRNING News expressed the opin-
ion a few days ago that il would be well
along in the spring before a vote on the
Wilson bill would be reached in the SEN
ate. Recent developments strengthen
that opinion. II was expected that the
bill would be reported to the Senate in
the early part of this week. Now it is
announced thatit will not be reported be
fore next Monday, and there is no assur-
ance that it will be ready for the Senate
at that time.
The reports of what the subcommittee
was doing did not give satisfaction TO the
democratic senators, and a caucus was
called to give it instructions
At the caucus such radical differ
ences Of opinion were developed that it
was not possible to agree upon any in
struction to the subcommittee. few
senators insisted upon taking i'm
portant articles from the free list
and putting them on the dutiable
list, and great hostility was OK
pressed to the income tax by Senators
German. Hill and others. The only vote
that was taken was on the question
whether a duty should be put on iron. BY
a small ma iority it was decided that iron
should remain on the free list, and one Of
the Alabama senators Immediately gave
notice that he would not be bound by the
action of the caucus but would submit
the matter to the Senate.
1t is quite certain, therefore, that there
will be a tariff debate in the Senate that
will extend through several weeks. The
bill, as it comes from the committee, will
not meet. the approval of all the demo-
cratic senator's, and strong efforts will be
made in the Senate to change it. The
Louisiana senators will not get from the
committee as high tariff on sugar as they
want, and they will make a long and
strong fight in the Senate for such duty
as they believe is necessary to prevent
the sugar industry from being destroyed.
Even Senator Murphy, of New York, is
prepared to delay the passage of the bill
by insisting that a duty shall be placed
upon collars and cuffs.
No one can predict, with any degree of
certainty, what sort of bill the Senate
will pass. Notwithstanding the very
strong sentiment in that body in favor of
the income tax, it would not be surprising
if that tax should be stricken out of the
bill and a tax put on sugar and some other
revenue-producing articles. The fault
which some of the democratic senators
find with the Wilson bill is that, while it
is revenue bill, it does not provide
sufficient revenue. 1t does not provide as
much revenue as the Mckinley tariff.
1t cannot be denied that the income tax
is popular with congressman from the
south and west, or that it is unpopular
with those from the east. Senator Hill
is confident that if the Democratic party
should make itself responsible for an in
come tax it would be many years before
it would be able to carry New York or
any other one of the Eastern states, and
Senator German apparently entertains
the same opinion.
With such differences of opinion among
democratic senators there is no prospect
of an early settlement of the tariff ques-
ton. 1t is greatly to be regretted that
this is the situation of affairs, because
there is every reason to think an imme-
date revival of business would follow the
passage Of the Wilson bill. The delay in
passing the bill has already inflicted
serious injury upon the country and no
improvement in business is to be expected
as long as the delay continues.