Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-03-01
TARIFF CAUCUS ENDED.
Bill Returned to the Committee
Without Instructions.
FIGHT MAY NOT BE SETTLED YET.

| Opponents of the Bill Leave the Caucus
Got His Quorum, but Soon Lost 1t Again.
Frye Makes Another Hawaiian Speech.
| WASHINGTON, March 1.-The Democratic
senatorial caucus on the tariff bill is over
and both sides are claiming to have made
progress for the interests they represent
| The outcome is in the nature of a victory
for the Democratic members of the finance
committee. who prepared the bill, as it was
/ returned to them without any instructions
| to make changes.
Immediately after the adjournment of
the caucus Senators German, Brice, Hill,
Smith, Murphy, Camden and one or two
others, who have been known to be very
much opposed to the bill of the finance
committee as it was prepared by the COM
mittee, held a consultation, and their atti-
tude was in direct contrast with the mem
bers of the finance committee
During the three days while the tariff
| bill was being considered but one vote was
taken, and that but few minutes before
adjournment. This was on a proposition
to instruct the finance committee to put
iron ore on the dutiable list without fixing
any rate whatever, and this was lost by
vote of 10 to IL
Pugh VIII Not BE Bound.
Senator Pugh of Alabama stated that he
| would not be bound by the action of the
caucus and reserved the right to support
| his motion in the senate. Several senators
at once declared that it would he useless to
take any more votes, because if senators
did not intend to abide by the action of the
caucus it put an end to the power of the
| caucus
Soon after this Senator Voorhees,, chair
I,+
/ the caucus adjourn to meet at the call of
| the chairman, with the understanding that
! the finance committee should continue its
work on the bill and report it as soon as
| possible 1t is said that Senator BriCe
| passed the adjournment resolution to Sen
| ator Voorhees,, with a request that he
/ present it, Senator Brice, who was one of
| the prime movers in the caucus and who
| during its sessions has had as much to say
in criticism of the bill as any other senator,
said that the result could not be considered
in the light of defeat for those who were
instrumental in bringing about the eau
Gus. They went into it with not more than
Oue-quarter or one-third of the Democrats
Of the senate in accord with them, and
they came out about equally divided on the
only proposition upon which there was any
test whatever. Further, the men who had
called the caucus adjourned it, The Ohio
senator claimed that great deal had been
accomplished in presenting to the commit.
tee the ideas and wishes of individual SEN
ators upon the tariff. He believed it had
been demonstrated to them that certain
schedules in the bill did not meet the ap-
prevail of large number of senators, and
done in a more impressive manner than
could have been done without the caucus
There had been a free and full hearing for
every senator, and that was Il great deal
more than many had been able to obtain.
He said every Democratic senator between
now and the time when the bill is reported
will be accorded hearing by members of
| the finance committee.
Committee Claims n Victory.
While members of the finance committee
are generally reticent, what they do say
and what their friends say indicates that
they feel that the caucus has resulted In a
yindication of the bill which they have
prepared, and instead of being instructed
by the caucus they are free to present such
bill as they think is best suited to the
principles of the party and the necessities
| of the revenue.
1t is claimed that those who brought
about the caucus expected to secure votes
! tnstructing the committee to place duty
| on wool, iron ore sugar, lumber, salt and
a number of other articles and increase the
duty on sugar and coal, and yet upon the
strongest proposition they fell short two
votes. 1t is also alleged that the caucus
prompters endeavored to have the MEM
bers of the committee bind themselves to
abide the result of the caucus, and yet the
men most interested in iron ore announced
that they would not ABIDE the result when
they sustained defeat.
| Opinion seems to be divided as to wheth-
| er the committee will now make any
! changes. The impression is that some
! changes of a minor nature will be made as
/ we'll as some concessions granted where
| the demands have been apparently just and
| where the changes will not necessitate 9th
er changes IN the bill. These matters were
brought out in the conference held with
| Senator Voorhees, while the senate was in
! session. At that time Senator Voorhees,
! talked about sugar He said his cOnstitu-
/ ents might sustain him in voting a duty
| on sugar because he felt toward Louisiana
rs he did toward IA ncighbor, and the duty
would result in revenue, but they would
not sustain him in voting to give the Sug-
| ar trust any advantage over the producers
| He would like to grant some concessions
| to the Louisiana senators, but could not
make such concessions as they demanded.
| This is regarded as the sentiment of the
caucus by those who were its promoters
1t is thought that if the finance committee
makes any changes in the bill they will be
almost entirely on the lines suggested by
Senator Voorhees,
German Asks For Harmony.
| The afternoon session of the caucus pre-
sented some interesting features, and al
though it was expected that there would
be more voting and not very much talk it
| turned out that it was devoted almost ex-
clusively to talk. Senator German made
the principal speech of the afternoon. 1t
was moderate and conciliatory in tone. He
said n great deal about the necessity of par