The Van Buren press., 1894-08-18
THE SENATE COMPROMISE BILL
Is Accepted by the House without
Change.

Is Accepted by the House Without
Change.
House Afterwards Passes Bills Placing
Sugar, Iron and Coal ON the
Free List.
WASHINGTON, August 13.-The
long struggle over the tariff bill
came to a close at 6 o'clock this
evening, when the house By vote
of 1S2 to 105 decided to discharge
the house conferees from further
consideration of the bill, to recede
from its opposition to the 634
senate amendments and agree to
the same. 1t was a complete
victory for the senate. The house
made an absolute surrender. The
result grew directly out of the
sensational course of events at
the senate end of the capital
precipitated by Hill on Friday.
The whole question was precipi.
tated at the caucus held just
before the house convened today,
at which, after a thorough review
of the situation, speeches in favor
Of receding were made by Crisp,
Wilson and others. 1t was de.
clded to take the senate bill and
Immediately afterwards to pass
separate bills placing coal, iron
ore, sugar and barbed wire on the
free list and by doing so place the
house on record and at least
partially overcome the humiliation
involved in its defeat. The pro.
gramme arranged in caucus was
carried out to the letter in the
house after an ironclad special
order had been signed. The
scene in the chamber throughout
the day and evening were excit.
ing, and at times sensational.
The galleries were packed and
members applauded and cheered
their respective leaders to the
echo. Parliamentary skirmishes
preceded a pitched battle, but the
points of order raised by the Re-
publicans were swept aside. The
speaker ruled the house with an
iron hand. In the speeches there
was no attempt on the part of the
Democratic leaders to claim vic.
tory. They all admitted that they
were accepting the inevitable,
justifying their action on the
grounds that the senate bill was
infinitely better than the McKin-
ley bill.
Mr.. Wilson arose and offered
the first of the separate free list
in accordance with the resolution
adopted by the caucus. 1t pro.
vided for the free admission upon
its passage of bituminous coal
shales, slack and coke. Under
the order thirty minutes was
allowed. The Democrats evident
ly sought to hurry it through by
not using their fifteen minutes oil
time. Grosvenor, (rep. Ohio
occupied five minutes. Then
Payne, (rep. n. " spoke of the
triumphs of the sugar trust,
After fierce debate the coal bill
finally passed, yeas l60, nays 1O4.
Mr.. Wilson next presented the
bill for free barbed wire. The
vote was, yeas 1877, nays "a.
After the free sugar bill had
been reported Mr.. Wilson con.
cluded the discussion charging
the Republican party as RESPONSE
ble for the creation Of the sugar
trust and the power it had mani.
tested in this contest. Yeas and
nays were ordered. The Repub-
licans Joined with the Democrats
in voting for free sugar bill. 1t
passed by vote of 276 to IL.
This is the largest affirmative yea
and nay vote ever cast in the
house of representatives. Then
at 1925 p. m. the house adj journed
until Wednesday.
Mr.. McMillin Dem. Tenn.)
during the debate proceeded to
put out some good features of the
Senate bill, free wool, free lumber,
free hemp, ETC., and the reductions
in the general schedule. The
duties in the chemical schedule in
the Senate bill about to be
adopted, he said, were reduced
from 80 per cent to % per cent;
earth and earthenwero from 81
per cent to 35 per cent; metals
and metal manufactures from 5s
to SO per cent; wood and wood
manufactures from 81 to %;
tobacco 175 to 105; cotton 90 to
43; fax, hemp and jute, to Al; wool
and woolcns, 90 to 48; silk and silk
manufactures, 53 to 46; pulp and
paper, % to 20; sundries from 26
to "a; total reduction from 50 per
cent to 38 per cent.
Mr.. Mcmillan eulogized other
features, including extensions Of
the free list, especially the prin.
ciple involved in the income tax
provision, which taxed not what