Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-08-23
TARIFF BILL PASSED.
HOUSE RECEDES FROM ALL
AMENDMENTS.
Separate Measures for Free Sugar. Iron,
Coal and Barbed Wire Passed-Crisp
Offers the Resolution on Which the De-
cision Was Finally Reached.
Victory for the Senate.


The long struggle over the tariff bill
CAME to close at q clock Monday
evening. when the House by vote OF
1S2 to l05 decided to discharge the
House conferrees from further consid-
Grafton OF the bill, recede from its op-
position to the 634 an endments and
agree to the same. 1t was complete
victory for the Senate. The House
made an absolute surrender.
Tne result grew directly out of the
sensational course of events in the
Senate and in the capitol precipitated
by Senator Hill Friday Up to that
time the House conferrees had stood
firm against the Sena amendments,
especially on the three disputed sched-
ules 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 conferrees OF the House
at last admitted that they were beaten
and that another vote could not be
risked in the Senate; that it must he
The whole question was precipitated
at the caucus held just before the
House conver ed, at which, after a
thorough review of the situation and
speeches in favor OF receding by
Speaker Crisp, Chairman Wilson and
others, it was decided to take
ly asterward pass separate bills
,N1a nj, nd ho ha6
wire on the free list, anu by so doing
place the House on record and at lea It
partially overcome The humiliation in
volved in its defeat The program
arranged in the caucus was carried out
to the letter in the House after an
iron-clad special order.
The caucus met promptly. There
was no wait for a quorum. When
Chairman Holman banged the desk
with his gavel there we Q l53 members
present. Ten minutes later every
Democratic member in the city was in
side the chamber. There was feverish
expectancy on every face. All felt that
the eyes of the country were upon
them. The Senator; themselves-cold
and far removed from public touch
betrayed their interest in the outcome
OF the caucus. Even Senator German,
calm and ever in perfect control OF
himself, cut his greetings shorter than
usual. And Senator Brice twirled his
glasses around his forefinger with
great rapidity.
In administration circles there was
keen anxiety. There, more keenly
than anywhere else perhaps, the i'm
portance Of the caucus action was ap-
preciated. Nothing but the Senate
bill seemed probable In the hotels,
clubs. streetcar, and streets what
will the caucus do?" was the sole topic.
Some men like John Dewitt Warner
spoke vehemently for continuing the
fight. But the majority favored sur
render and the prompt settlement Of
the controversy already much too pro-
longed.
Proceed dings I'm Secret.
The doors of the House were tightly
closed and extra guards placed to pre-
vent outsiders hearing anything of the
proceedings within. No one was per-
mitted in the gallery corridors, and it
wa only after great effort that the
Sergeant-at arms was induced to open
the working-ro> m of the press gal cry.
AS Congressman came from the caucus
chamber they were button-holed for
information, and like good sensible
men answered all questions fully and
promptly.
The caucus was exciting, but not tu-
multuous. Wilson, McMillin Crisp
and Cochran spoke, the last in opposi-
tion to the surrender, and then the
vote was taken on the all-important
point of surrender or no surrender.
The resolution offered by Speaker
Crisp to accept the Senate bill went
through with whoop
Immediately after the caucus ad-
journed the rules committee withdrew
to the Speakers room to prepare a
rule providing for the immediate con-
sideration of the tariff bill. The ma
jority in caucus having decided to sur
render, the best way to carry out its
decision wa to surrender.