The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-09
COAL AND IRON.
Cleveland Says Must Be
Free.
CLOSE TO AN AGREEMENT.
House and Senate Almost Reach
a Compromise.
TERMS OF THE TARIFF BILL.
1t Will Be Reported To-day if the
President Does Not Prove
Obdurate.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8.-When the Demo-
cratic conferees adjourned late to-day 1t
was understood on all sides that the
Democrats would report to the full con
ference tomorrow. Members of the con-
ference supported the general faith by
their statements, which were more or less
sanguine or guarded, depending on the
temperament of the speaker. While the
utterances at the time of the adjournment
were not as strong as those which were
heard early in the afternoon, they were
sufficiently assuring to justify the state
ment that. barring improbable contln-
gencies, the Democratic members of the
conference will find themselves prepared
some time during Tomorrow. or at the
latest on Friday, to call in the Republican
members of the conference for full
meeting.
II will not say" said Senator Jones,
"that we have agreed. for that would not
be true; but the situation is more cheer
full and the indications are that we shall
finish The work tomorrow. If we do not
come to an agreement tomorrow L shall
consider the conference at an end. for do
not see the utility of continuing our In
terview with the House conferees longer"
This situation was at the end of day
which had started out with determlna-
tion on the part of the Senate conferees,
supported by the conservative Senators,
TO bring the question at issue to hnallty
during the day, and which later brought
the positive, though unofficial announce
ment that the end bad been accomplished
and an understanding reached. The re-
lafi hnT1
O'Clock, and it grew stronger and stronger
without receiving positive confirmation
from those in position to know the facts
till about 2:3O. when the members of the
con ference and the Senators who had been
closeted with them confirmed it to the ex-
tent of saying that while the details had
not been arranged they felt confident that
a basis had been found upon which the
conferees of both houses could stand, and
the terms actually agreed upon which the
conservative Senators would accept.
Both Democrats and Republicans ac-
cepted this as the approach of the end and as
equal to definite announcement OF agree
ment. The terms as given out were
the sugar schedule as published last week,
namely, duty of 40 per cent ad valorem
on raw sugar. 40 per cent on the value of
the raw sugar in the refined, and One-ffth
of a cent differen tial on sugar, 40 cents a
ton on coal and free iron ore. with slight
changes in the metal, wooden and cotton
schedules.
When, however, the conference recon-
vened at o'clock it soon developed that
by no means all the details had been ar
ranged, and also that there was more or
less opposition to the programme, aud it
was not long before the conferees found
themselves bothering over many Of the
same propositions which they had been
considering for days. 1t also became
noised abroad that the outlook was not so
bright as it had appeared a few hours be-
fore. It was understood that objection
he'd been made from the House to the re-
tention of the duty on coal, and that GER
tain Senators, among whom was Senator
Pugh of Alabama. had taken decided
stand against what they termed a sacrifice
of iron ore. These complaints were suf-
ficienI to cause the conferees to halt for a
time, and it is known that some difficulties
we're encountered in adjusting the Difficult
ties on other schedules.
The conferees were therefore not as
afternoon session as they were when the
forenoon session closed. They came out
of the conference somewhat anxious, but
still they asserted that tomorrow would
see the final adjustment of their differ
ences. They stated, however, that the
coal and iron ore rates were among those
which had not been fixed beyond recall.
Indeed, sugar appears from the statement
given out to be the only article upon which
a definite conclusion has been reached, but
1t was understood that either coal or iron
ore would go to the free list and other
articles would be dutiable at Senate rates.
The metal schedule will have to be
changed TO accord with free iron ore, if 1t
is finally concluded that those articles are
10 be selected for the free list.
Members of the Louisiana delegation
were not pleased with the reported agree
ment. They said no bounty whatever
was given in the sugar schedule, and the
purpose was to put the new law into effect
at once witho giving the continuance
they had expected till January 1 next.
There was much talk, among them that
the schedule would not receive their votes.
Representative Catchings of the Rules
Committee is hopeful that an adjournment
of Congress will occur next week. The
Republican Steerage Committee of the
Senate held meeting Immediately after
the adjournment of the Senate to-day to
consider the situation. The understand
ing among them was to the effect that the
Democrats had got close enough together
to allow the tariff bill to be reported back
to the Senate tomorrow. There were
present Republicans who had information
as to the status of the bill, and they stated
that upon the manufacturing schedule the
Senate rates in the main obtained. but on
the three principal tems-sugar, coal and
iron ore-a compromise had been reached.
1t was from this standpoint that the Re-
publcans discussed the bill and the posi-
bility of defeating it.
1t was first ascertained that every Re-
publican and the Popuists, PETER and
Stewart. would vote against the bill and
that Hill would also oppose it. Three more
votes were necessary to defeat 1t. The an
nouneement was made with considerable
directness that both Caffery and Banch-
ard of Louisiana would vote against it,
though they were not considered absolute
ly certain One Of thase Senators h ,d