People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-08-17
CAUCUS 50 DECIDES BY 1870 TO 81
The Resolution to Surrender Presented
by Speaker Crisp and Advocated by
the Conferrees - Separate Free
List Bills - The Caucus De-
cides to Press Measures
for Free Sugar.

means committee and others had de-
clared that it was the senate bill or
nothing, the Democrats of the house
decided IN caucus to-day TO recede
from their disagreements to the sem
ate amendments to the Wilson bill,
and the final passage of the senate
surrender measure is now assured.
That the friends of tariff reform
should not feel disconsolate, however,
the caucus decided to order the WAYS
and means committee to at once pre-.
pare and report separate bills for free
sugar, iron ore, coal and barbed wire.
The session of the caucus was very
warm at times, especially when
Burke Cochran of New York. de.
nounced the proposal to recede and
it is generally understood that nearly
all of the twenty-oue who voted
against the resolution will vote in the
house against acceptance of the SEN
ate amendments.
An hour before 10 o'clock the time
set for the Democratic house caucus.
members began to arrive at the cap
itol, and hasty consultations were
held on the course to be pursued.
AT 10 o'clock Speaker Crisp and the
conferrees filed out of the speakers
office and took seats in body in the
forward part of the Democratic side.
There was an ominous silence as they
came in. At that time 153 Democrats
were on the floor. As Mr.. Wilson
passed through the corridor he was
asked as to the result of the confer
ence in the speakers room but ne an
swered, ~ cannot make it known
now"
Chairman Holman called the caucus
to order promptly and the call for the
meeting was read. The roll call
which followed took some time and
members shifted uneasily for the de-
cisive action ahead.
CHAIRMAN WILSON TALKS.
Chairman Wilson took the floor i'm
mediately after roll call and made a
general statement of the situation. He
spoke calmly and dispassionately.
Members left their seats and crowded
about him, listening intently to every
word. He began with a recital of the
difficulties that have been en-
countered and went over each
stage of the situation with
much detail He said that each
step had been pursued with an ardent
desire to support with honor the de-
sires Of the house to resist what was
regarded rs the unreasonable de-
mands OF the senate. He took up the
contested schedules, particularly
sugar, coal and iron ore, and reviewed
the difference in conference on these
items. He spoke of the vast profits to
the sugar trust which would result
from many of these propositions. He
did not indulge in the sharp criti-
cism that was expected on the
motives of the senate conferrees. He
dwelt on the fight made by the house
conferrees for specific duty on sugar
on the ground that under an ad val
Orem system it would be impossible
TO tell on account of the invoice meth
DDS the exact advantage which would
accrue to the sugar trust He made
the remarkable statement that he had
been credibly informed and believed
that the sugar trust had anticipated
the acceptance of the senate sugar
schedule and purchased Sl19. 900, 600
worth of raw sugar. If this was true.
he said, the profits accruing to the
trust from this investment in advance
of enactment of the senate schedule
would be at least S4O,OOO,O 900. He also
pointed out at length the embarrass-
ment attendant on the efforts to ad-
just the coal and iron schedules.
"The great battle" said Mr.. VIII
son, warming up, sis between the
American people and the sugar trust.
1t is battle in which Il trust has
taken the people by the throat, and it
will never end until we throw off the
grip" There was an enthusiastic ap-
plause at this.
Mr.. Wilson proceeded to state that
the house conferrees had been willing
to concede almost everything except
these vital items of sugar, iron and
coal; that the senate conferrees had
also seemed willing to concede much
and had much tie same views. and
were apparently dominated by the
knowledge that if they conceded what
the representatives were willing to
concede the bill could not pass and
the agreement would be useless.
Mr.. Wilson concluded by saying that
he had now become satisfied that it
was either the senate bill or no legis-
lation.
Mr.. Montgomery then took the floor
and substantiated what Mr.. Wilson
had said as to the details of the con-
ference.
Speaker Crisp followed Mr.. Mont
gomery. He spoke with much spirit
and earnestness and soon the caucus
was in tumult of enthusiasm, round
after round of applause greeted his
remarks He spoke of the critical
situation, and the apparent need to
accept the senate bill, and then, if
need be, to introduce separate bills
for free sugar, free iron and free coal.
He believed that it was either ''the
senate bill or nothing" lie said that
as long as there was a desperate
chance of securing the concessions
which the house demanded. he was in
favor of standing out, but he was
now satisfied that the time had como
when further insistence by the house
was useless.
Mr.. cRIsP's SURRENDER PROPOSAL.
Mr.. Crisp closed by offering a resolu-
ton instructing the house conferrees