St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-12
HOUSE CAUCUS CALLED,
At Which Many Believe the
Senate Bill VIII Be Ac-
eepted.
SENATE POSTPONED ACTION
On Hills Resolution to Await
the Outcome Of the
Caucuse

WASHINGTON. Aug. 1.-THE tariff
bill Is in cloud tonight, and there are
as many opinions both as TO its present
status and AS to its future as there are
political groups. The surface develop
ments today showed that Democrats of
the senate were willing to pull together
Rgain for time in order to see if the
caucus of the house Democrats would
offer any kind of solution to the per-
picking problem. The call for a caucus
of the house, approved by the speaker
and requested by the house conferees.
shows that the leaders III that body
have become greatly concerned over the
fate of the tariff bill and acknowledge
it is
Ina Critical State.
But neither the action Of the senate
In delaying the Hill resolution nor the
call of the caucus by the house Dem
ocratS inSureS the passage or defeat Of
the bill, noryet does it certainly mean
the senate bill or nothing. There are
many persons who believe that the
Democratic caucus will result in the
final success of the senate bill, and that
this action will be taken because the
Democrats of the house, or a majority
OF them, wi II not want to risk any vote
whatever in the senate for fear of kill
Ing all tariff legislation. This feeling,
however, was stronger at ? o'clock than
at O'Clock today, and it is quite prob
sble that the time which has been
gained will be devoted toward reconcil-
ing the differences, making compro-
mise bill shurriedly and with the least
possible friction and passing it as
quickly as possible, providing sue h
action will be acceptable to the house
caucus.
The Parliamentary Tangle
In which the bill now is placed if no
report is made by the senate conferees,
has caused considerable discussion, and
opinion is divided as to the courses open
to the house. These tangles, however.
would all unravel at once if the wings
OF the Democratic party again Tapped
IL harmony and an agreement on re-
port were reached by the conferees. If
this be found inlpoSsible.i it Is contended
by some that the house could concur in
the senate amendments and pass the
bill at once whether the particular copy
of the bill on which the conferee5 are at
work is on the clerks desk or in the
conference room. 1t is also claimed
that the house can rescind the action
sending the bill to conference, which
would bring it as amended by the SEN
ate again before the house. The par
liamentary difficulties are not so serious
khf,O ,,nl,
arisen and which may arise before the
caucus Oh Monday and before the SEM
ate meets again to prevent an adjust
ment Of the differences.
At present the questions remaining
unanswered are:
Will the house caucus decide to take
the senate bill, or will a decision be
reached to make
One More Effort to Agree
on compromise bill? 1t is conceded
by almost all parties now that fewer
concessions are to be expected of the
senate than possibly could have been
obtained week ago: that the outlook
at this time is between no bill, the SEN
ate bill and the senate bill modified, but
not to a great degree. When Speaker
Crisp and Chairman Wilson determined
after conference at noon that house
caucus should be held on Monday morn-
Ing, another new element was added to
the tariff situation. The house con-
ferees had previously concluded thata
caucus was desirable, and Mr.. Crisp
quickly assented TO The plan, his name
and that of Mr. Wilson heading the
petition to Chairman Holman that the
caucus be called. With this authoIita-
tive Endorsement from the house and
tariff leaders, signatures were secured
as fast as the paper could be passed
about, and the number necessary for the
call was obtained in half an hour. Mr..
Crisp went over TO the senate and told
the senators what had been done, and
this was one OF the main causes fol
postpOning the Hill resolution until
Monday, as the caucus at 10 a. m. will
give an opportunity for the house to
determine upon its policy before the
Hill resolution is taken up at IL o'clock
Throughout the day the
Purposes of the Caucus
were canVassed from every possible
standpoint. Speaker Crisp said of il:
4HeIe 10 Ho pledITdnSeu programme
for the caucus. The house conteree:
thought that they would like to inform
their associates of the diffcultIe:
encountered and of the position the,
had taken up to the present time.
did not know that they desire or intent
to ask for any particular line Of action
1t Is called simply to allow them to in
form Democratic members of the exac
situation. What line of action will bt
developed l cannot say, and think il
will depend largely on circumstances
There is no purpose on the part of thu
conferees so far as | know to presen
the question Of the senate bill or n,
bill, but that may and probably viii
come up"
Chairman Wilson
also treated the caucus as designed fo
the purpose of giving and receiving in
formation and advice. He said he woulc
make full statement of recent diff
enlties In conference and of certaiI
miSapprehensions which had been give
wide publicity. One of these misappre
tensions which Mr.. Wilson will clea
up is as 10 the tender of free sugar an,