The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-05-05
IT WILL PASS EARLY.
Indications that the Tariff Bill
Will Be Disposed of
BY THE MIDDLE OF THIS MONTH,


Things-Republiean Opposition will
be Crushed. The Combined Efforts
Of the Senate, the Administration and
Democratic Organizations will be
Called Into Play.
WAsHINGToN, d. c., April 2s.-The
feeling of aggressive confidence
which has developed among the
Democrats of the Senate in the last
few days, now leads to the predic-
ton in well informed quarters
that the tariff bill will be pass
ed by the middle of May. There are
Republicans who admit in private
that this may be the outcome of the
struggle They realize that the
Democrats mean to make a desper-
ate fight for speedy action. that all
the power of the Administrative and
the national Democratic organiza
tion will be used to aid them and
that the Republican silver Senators
will not help their eastern colleagues
in obstructing the passage OF the
bill.
If the Democratic Senators are
solidlv united, as they now appear
to be and are led with spirit they
can find way to crush out the Re
publican obstruction in the next two
or three weeks and secure "a vote.
That this will be done all the signs
now indicate.
President Cleveland himself is
NOT AT ALL ANXIOUS
about the situation. On the con.
trary, he expresses the utmost con
fidence in his conversations about
the tariff bill that it will pass the
Senate much earlier than is general
ly believed. He has no fear that
any Democratic Senators will vote
against the bill
Much of the spirit of confidence
and aggressiveness that has taken
possession of the Democratic Sena-
tors in the last few days is due to
President Cleveland. 1t is under
stood he has read the riot act in the
most vigorous style to certain sullen
Democratic Senators, convincing
them that their only safety lay in
standing manfully and favorably by
the platform of their party, and aid
ing by their votes, even if at some
personal sacrifice, in redeeming the
party pledges.
The principal changes to be made
in the tariff bill in accordance with
an agreement made today by the
Democratic Senators, are in the in
come tax and the sugar schedule
The sugar men have been from the
first clamorous for an advalorem in.
stead of a specific duty, and
THAI CHANGE HAS BEEN CONCEDED
The details have not been absolute
! ly fixed bat there is little doubt
that the sugar schedule will be en-
tirely supplanted by a new one
which will provide uniform duty
of 40 per cent. ad valorem, with an
addition of | of a cent for refined su-
gar
The principal change in the in
come tax is a provision of a limita.
ton for the time that the law shall
remain in operation. This is anoth.
er matter of detail, which has not
been absolutely agreed upon, but the
principle having been conceded, the
Senators who have the compromise
in hand, do not consider that there
is any possibility of failure on ac.
count of the period. 1t will proba
bly, be about five or six years There
will be no change in the rate of tax.
alton, which will be left at 2 pei
cent. on amounts in excess of "a, 900
A NUMBER OF CHANGES
in the rate of duty will be made in
the iron schedule, in which there will
be a slight advance over the rates
fixed by the pending bill. Carpets
will also secure an advance. In
many cases the rates fixed in the
House bill will replace those of the
bill reported to the Senate, by the
Il luduCc 0OIu tulILcc.
Another material concession which
will be made to the disafected Sen
ators will be the restoration of the
specific system in many places
where the Finance Committee chang
ed the House bill by the substitu-
ton of ad valorem duty. The man.
ufacturers have made especial com.
plant of the ad valorem system be.
cause of the opportunity which they
say it offers foIfraud. Their Sena-
tors have supported them in this
representation, and the Finance
Committee while still retaining
their confidence in the fairness of ad
valorem methods have decided to
yield the point in many instances for
the sake of harmony and with the
hope of securing the support of the
UNITED PARTY IN THE SENATE.
There will be no change in the rates
fixed on iron ore, lead ore or coal.
and wool will remain on the free list
The whiskey tax as reported by the
Finance Committee will also be I'M
disturbed.
1t is understood that the entire
Democratic majority of the Finance
Committee is in hearty accord upon
the wisdom of the proposed changes
Senator Jones, of Arkansas, has tax
en- the initiative and, performed the
greater part of the work of effectinq
the compromise by getting the dis
satisfied Senators to state what they
wanted and bringing them together
and also by securing the assent and
cooperation of the President and
Secretary Carlisle.
The conservatives with one excep.
tion-Senator Hill-who is absent
from the city, have been fully consult
ed at the various stages of the nego
tiation, and it is understood that
with the amendments added to the
bill it will receive their cordial sup
port. They have given assurance
to this effect, those supposed to be
authorized to speak for Senator Hill
say they also have assuranceoof his
support.