The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-08-04
HAS AN AGREEMENT BEEN MADE

There were apparently wen supstah-
tiated reports from Washington this
morning that an agreement had been
practically reached by the tariff con-
ferrees, and that on Monday next the
Republican members of the committee
would be called into the council and in
formed OF the action OF their Demo-
cratic fellow members.
1t is true that each and every member
Of the committee denied the report, and
refused to say what actually had been
lone in the committee room, but from
other sources but little less authoritative
confirmation of the umo took definite
form, and it is of course an open secret
that there are ways and ways Of getting
at secret meetings.
President Cleveland at acabinet meet
ing held yesterday expressed himself
satisfied and said 1t was his expectation,
based upon statements made to him by
Senator's and Representatives, that he
would have pr esented to him within the
next ten days for signature a tariff bill
that will conform in a reasonable de-
gree to the requirements he outlined In
his letter to Chairman Wilson.
The reported changes are substantial
" as follows: Coal is to bs admitted
free from all countries where American
coal is in its turn admitted free. This
is a virtual adoption of Mr.. Blaine's re-
ciprocity idea in a modified form to be
sure, and is somewhat inconsistent with
the course of the Democracy in repeal
ing the reciprocity provisions OF h Nc
Kinley bill, but consistency is no longer
of the Democratic jewels.
So far as sugar is concerned, and this
of course is the schedule on which de-
ponds the success or failure of the COM
promise, it appears that two PROPOSE
ions nave been considered. The first is
Chairman Wilson's providing q duty of
40 per cent al valorem on all raw sugars
and upon the value Of the raw sugar
contained in refined sugar, without al
lowing for the cost OF refining, except
by a specific differential on refined sugar
of twenty-hundredths of a cent. This is
a complicated proposition, which in
wolves leaving the determination of the
value of the raw sugar contained in re-
fined sugar to the Secretary Of the
Treasury, and raises questions difficult
to settle as to the difference between
cane sugar and beet root sugar, which
are tested in entirely different ways;
also that there shall be no bounty for
this year and all bounty provisions are
to be repealed.
The other proposition came from the
Senate. and is to put a duty OF 40 per
cent. al valorem on raw sugars, and of
42.71 Ter cent. on refined sugars. This
is obviously simple, but also gives a
higher duty on refined sugar, while it Is
open to the objection as to the uncer-
tainty of all ad valorem duties.
The iron schedules of the Senate are
to be unchanged, as are also the cotton.
wooden and metal schedules of the
Senate. /.
While these are the propositions it by
no means follows that they will be ac-
cepted, or that the bill can pass the
Senate even il the committee decides in
their favor.
The sugar schedules must, in order 70
pass, be satisfactory to the Louisiana
Senators and to the "Sugar Senator'S
without whose votes the bill cannot
pass. There comes a hint also that the
high duties fixed by the Senate bill on
collars and cuffs are to be materially
altered and this will probably fix the un
settled Murphy in q position antagonistic
to the bill.
A compromise may be reached by the
committee, but it by no means follows
that it will DO accepted by Congress.
To be sure Secretary Carlisle is demand
ing in the interest Of the treasury de-
partment an early settlement because
of the loss OF revenue due to the uncer-
tainty, and the only alternative is a
heavy bond issue at a high rate of
interest.
This Mr.. Cleveland knows would be a
bad political blunder and so he hes
allowed the gold reserve to be drawn
far below tho point where 1t was
strengthened last February by a bond
issue in hope of a speedy determination
of the tariff question. This urgent
need of a revenue and the necessity fol
the passage Of some bill by the Demo
cracy for effect in the fall elections are
the only reasons for believing that q
' tariff bill will be passed.