The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-08

action in the premises as it may dem neces-
sary and appropriate. and the chairman OF the
House caucus is hereby authorized and direct
ed to invite the Democratic Senators to meet
with tie Democrats of the House at that time
In joint caucus.
In his explanatory statement, which
was brief one, Mr.. Bynum said that
although there had been clamor from
part of the press for the House
bill. for himself he preferred the
Senate bill 10 no bill, aud as he
Interpreted the wish of the party it was
for tariff bill and prompt action. He
had no sympathy with the stand taken by
some members that it would be better to
retain the Mckinley bill than substitute
the Senate bill for it,
When Chairman Wilson OF the Ways
and Means Committee arose he was greeted
with enthusiasm. In his quiet way he
said he was glad TO meet with his party
colleagues, although he would not have
selected this particular time for a caucus
He commented upon it as an unfortunate
circumstance that at crucial point In the
negotiations of the conferees this week,
and at the critical stage of the conference
as we'll, movements had been started to
hold a caucus over the heads of the con-
ferees, so to speak. The House bill seemed
to be acceptable to the country, while the
Senate bill had not. He appreciated the
necessity for the party in power TO pass a
tariff bill The Democracy had been en-
trusted with the administration of the
Government for that purpose. Bnt the
necessity was equally imperative that the
bill agreed upon should be essentially a
measure of tariff reform. one that would
be in fulillment of party pledges, not one
that would put the party on the defensive.
He believed that more than month might
be we'll spent toward that end. He be-
lieyed that if the House cenferees did their
duty and the House did it's duty bill
hon ora bic for the House and Senate and
acceptable to the people would be the
result. Agreement would not be brought
about by any action that would notify the
Senate that ifIt would hold out to given
date the House would instruct its conferees
to recede. If the House Democrats could
propose any plan likely to sustain the
House bill and assist its conferees he
would welcome 1t.
Bland spoke up with the suggestion
that the House would pass bill to put
sugar on the free list ana then take up the
income tax, but as it was offered in
humorous vein no notice was taken of it,
and Livingston of Georgia proposed SUBJ
stitute for the Bynum resolution express
ing the confidence of the House in its
conferees and leaving the matter entirely
in their hands.
One of the Louisiana members argued
that speedy action was necessary; that 1t
was plain the Senate would not yield, and
then proceeded to pay a high tribute to
Senator Mills as pioneer in tariff reform
and said that this conspicuous tariff re-
former mad personally assured him that it
was the Senate bill or nothing. and unless
the House should recognize this all the
tariff legislation would fail.
Cooper of Indiana said Senators around
Mills had been trying to create the i'm
preston that nothing but the Senate bill
could be passed, and this might have had
its effect on Mills. These claims vere
before made by the Senators under cover.
Now that the American people had been
informed of the attitude Of these Senators,
they had been publicly plloried. They
would have surrendered already if these
caucus movements had not given them
hope that the House was weakening.
During this discussion Bynum of
fered to amend his resolution to extend
the time within which it was designed to
bring about action by the conferees
Something of a sensation was stirred by
the forging to the front OF Speaker Crisp
when the debate was we'll under way. The
speech of the Speaker was temperate, but
very forcible, and its logic was so irresti-
lNI 81
mover of the resolution, withdrew mis- mo-
ton. The Speaker declared that it was
and should be the purpose of the Demo-
Gratis to redeem the pledges they had made
to the people. The tariff bill had gone to
conference 10 be met with the most deter
mined opposition from the Senate. He
pointed out the workings of the confer
ences, the long struggles which sometimes
took place over disputed points and Illus
trated that by reference to appropriation
bills, which had been again and again sent
to conference, the House refusing to
yield Ito Democrats of the Senate, the
Senate protesting that it never would con-
sent, but finally consenting.
Crisp deprecated the passage of any
resolution at this time. The Senate had
not withdrawn its support from the Senate
conferees and the House would stand by
its representatives. No vote of confidence
was needed, while on the other hand the
of Bynum's resolution would be a
virtual surrender. He gave it as his
opinion that the conferees could reach an
agreement within a couple of weeks at
most, but that they should not be har-
assed by a back fire from their own house.
The House should be loyal to itself and its
representatives. The proposition of a
joint conference in case no agreement was
reached by BYnum the Speaker char
acterized as an abandonment. Pass a
resolution to that effect, he said, and
serve a notice on the Senators that you
want to meet with them. If you do that,
said he, you might as well hold the Joint
caucus tomorrow.
The Sneakers speech was received with
OF approval, and upon its
conclusion Bynum suggested that he would
be glad to withdraw his resolution If
Wilson would rise and say that an agree
ment was in sight. He paused for a reply.
Wilson made no move. He gave no ap-
parent recognition to Bynum.
The action of the chairman excited no
comment, as it was taken to mean a
Gecin&tion to have any controversy with
Mr. Bynum. Inquiries were made regard
ing the status of negotiations on sugar.
coal and iron, but no definite information
was forthcoming. Speaker Crisp said that
the Senate bill was more highly protective