The morning news., 1894-08-06
FATE OF THE TARIFF BILL
The Outcome Of the Conference Still
in Doubt.

The Senate Conferees Insist That
They viii Make No Concessions on
the Coal and Iron Ore Schedules.
The Sugar Schedule Practically
Agreed on and No Longer in the
Way OF an Agreement.
Washington, Aug. 5-The present week
will probably seal the fate Of the tariff
bill. The democratic members of the
conference committee met in an informal
way to-day and again went over the bill
agreeing here and there TO tentative
changes in the hope that they could
hasten a conclusion. The senatorial con
tlngent of the conference were unable to
assure their colleagues of the House that
the new sugar schedule would be accept
able to the Senate and secure the 43 votes
necessary, The discussion in confer
ence today, however, indicated
that all parties recognized the necessity
of making an early report of some kind
The Senate conferees decline to indicate
what the nature of that report will be,
but one of them stated positively that
there would be conclusion reached not
later than Wednesday and possibly to-
morrow He made the positive statement
that there would be no compromise on
coal and iron, and if the House conferees
insisted upon the House bill on these
items, there would soon be a disagreeing
report. The House men stil demand
some concession on these items
PARLIAMENTARY STATUS OF THE BILL.
The parliamentary status Of the bill is
giving its managers some uneasiness.
The bill is now in the possession of the
Senate, The House can take no action on
the measure until after the Senate has
acted, and it is the possible result in the
Senate that causes the uneasiness that
has been manifested. Some conservative
democrats in the House, who have here
tofOre upheld the House bill, are now con
demning the deadlock Could these men
get chance to vote on the bill it is be-
lieved they would override their confer
eeS, and hasten the end of the struggle.
Whatever may be the conclusion
reached by the conferees, the report must
first go TO the Senate, and the tariff bill
cannot be acted upon in the House until
that body has before it the original bill
and the conference papers How long it
will taKe these documents TO get back TO
the House after the matter is again opened
in the Senate, no political augur can fore
VOL a NASoe AobALiH VI uAi ihLNtlllk IbpDIb
is bound to renew the whole field of de-
bate
The woolen, metal and cotton schedules
are said to be as difficult of solution as
the other three schedules around which
so much political importance clings. MIR
Smith and Mr. Murphy have resisted
from the first any serious encroachment
upon the woolen and cotton schedules,
while il is said the eteution of the iron
| and metal schedule intact is the price of
the silence of certain republicans, who,
should these be reduced, will at once re-
sumo dilatory tactics, and insist upon
talking the conference report TO death.
A SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION
The situation in the committee of con
ference may be briefly summed up. The
House insists upon some material conces-
sion on coal and iron ore the Senate re-
! fuses absolutely to give more than
reciprocity on coal Mr. German will
not listen to any proposition looking to a
graduated duty on these raw materials,
or the counter proposition that the duty
be left as it is, with the proviso that 1t
shall expire in three years and iron ore
and coal be then transferred to the free
| list
The House conferees will agree to tho
schedule recently made public, on the
one-ffth basis, and the sugar senators,
lana senators and Senators Allen and
Kyle will not support il, and these four
votes, together with those of Senator
Hill, and probably that of Senator lrby,
would defeat the bill. With the sugar
schedule, as it is now, the Senate was
able to pass the bill only by
very narrow margin, and that
too, as is now claimed, In the belief
on the part of the Louisiana senator's that
the bounty was to be given them in con
ference. This bounty having been re-
fused it is problematical if the demo
Gratis could get the bill through again if
no item be changed. The managers on
the part of the Senate recognize the
dilemma in which they find themselves
and naturally dread the contest that
must come.
In addition to this, it was understood
yesterday that at least fifteen republicans
had bound themselves by tacit agree
ment that when the conference report
again came into the Senate they would
use every means in their power 10 prevent
the bill from ever getting off the Vice
Presidents table. This, Of course, means
more 6libusterinq