Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-13
The SENATE BILL
The House Will Swallow All the
Amendments.
SPEAKER CRISP'S CAUCUS RESOLUTIONS
Special Bills for Free Sugar, Iron
and Coal.
MIR. WILSON'S STATEMENT

As far as Congress Is concerned tho tar
IN bill is practically out of the way. The
action or the House caucus this morning I'm
deciding to accept the Senate amendments
settled the contest in favor Of the Senate
bill without the "dottIng of an 1 or the
crossing Of t." They expected to dis
pose of the matter in the House today and
to send the bill to the President
Ihls will not end the session. The de-
cision OF the caucus that bills putting iron
ore. coal. all sugars and barbed wire on the
free list Is liable to prolong the session in
definitely
The action taken by the caucus was with
The understanding that Congress should be
kept in session until the Senate has acted
on the bills which the House proposes to
send them
1t was the desire of the House managers
that both the Senate amendments to the
tarih bill and the proposed new pop-gun
free-list bills Should be acted upon today
Immediately after the adjournment of the
caucus a meeting of the committee on rules
was called. to be held at once. 1t was de-
layed, however. by the temporary absence
of one of the members. Their plan was to
bring In special order today to suspend
the rules and take immediate action on the
Serate bill. If possible. they wanted to get
through with all this today.
"hat VIII CIeNe1anO DO.
There is a great deal of speculation as to
what Mr.. Cleveland will do with the Senate
bin when II reaches him. A great many be-
Heve that he will veto ii, but the more gen.
eral belief is that after keeping it almost
the full limit of lime allowed by the Con-
stitution, he will sign the bill, and send 1t
back to Congress with ringing message
calling for further legislation In compliance
with the election pledges of the democratic
party. Very little doubt Is entertained as
TO his purpose to Keep Congress in session
Until something further is done.
Mr. Cultivate return ed at o'clock, and
a meeting of the committee on rules
held at once, with the expectation of bring
ing in their report today adopting the Sen
ate amendments to the tariff BILL and pass
ing the free list bill at once. without ref
erence to the ways and means committee.
Chairman Wilson's Statement.
Chairman Wilson. author of the Wilson
bill, prepared at the close of the caucus to-
day a statement of his views on the tariff
situation. The statement is in Mr.. Will
sons handwriting. aud gives succinctly his
position on the action of the House in
cepting the tariff bill. 1t is follows:
Il canno. see where we failed to do any,
thing we could do to bring about a better
result. When 1 have done the best, Accord
ing to my capacity and Judgment. i must
fall back on the consciousness of duty done.
The difficulty which the country must rec
osnize is hat on the tariff question We did
hot have a democratic Senate, and what
ever has beea gained has been wreSted
from a protection body.
Il have been willin to take any, even the
most desperate chances, that gave the least
hope of success in getting rid of the most
Objectionable Senate amendments. and
would have fought to the 4th of March
with any ground to stand upon. and any
following to sustain me. We have been
confronted by Senate with closed ranks.
while we have hal divisions from the he
ginning that have been fomented from the
Eenate. and the growing imparteuce Of the
members to get back to Their districts with
anything that might be called tariff re-
duetion bill has made them unwilling to
stay unless promise could be given Of as
sured or most probable victory. We could
not honestly give such promise. and a man
cannot continue q battle with his army
ready and eager to break away"
What Mr.. McMiIIin says.
Representative McMillin, one Of the demo-
cratic House conferees, gave a statement
mere in detail as to the effect of the tariff
bill, which would be enacted as a result of
today's action. He said: THE effect of the
Caucus action will be to pass the House bill
with the Senate amendments. Whilst the
house bill Is better measure. In my tudg-
ment, than this. the measure which will
become law instead by today's action is a
wonderful Improvement the Mckinley
law. 1t gives free wool. free lumber, free
hemp. fax and jute. and reduces largely the
manufactured goods into which all these
materials enter. To illustrate, the average
duty on woolen goods under the Mckinley
law Is 9S-l-2 per cent.
This has been reduced more than half.
There is a considerable reduction in all the
schedules, and the average on all will be
about 81 per cent as against about 80 per
cent under the present law and In addi-
ton to this are the very great additions to
the free list. upon which no tax Is collected
at all The right of the President to i'm
pose taxes without Congress is taken away
civ ha Oh IN nm IN w N
belongs. and from whom IL was wrested by
the Mckinley law. Much has been said
concerning the sugar duty. There is less
benefit given to the manufacturer by this
bill than by the Mckinley law. There is a
very considerable reduction In this. While,
as / stated in the beginning, the Senate
amendments leave the bill in less accept
able shape than it left the House. there is
no comparison between the merits OF the
two 1t should not be forgotten, also, that
that system recommended by the House
known as the income tax Is retained In the
bill and becomes a part of our fiscal policy
BY this 1t is proposed to tax what people
have in excess of their needs. rather than
to tax what they need and have not
The Caucus Proceedings.
An hour before 10 o'clock. the time set for
the caucus. members began to arrive at the
Capitol, and hasty consultations were held
on the course to be pursued. Speaker Crisp
was .oined In his private office by Chalr-
man Wilson and Representatives Turner.
NcMilln and Montgomery, making tne IuIi
membership of the House democratic con-
ference committee.
Representative Breckenridge of Arkansas.
an advisory menrber of the conference, was
also present. 1t was a final consultation on
the line of action TO be presented by the
House leaders to the caucus. Ihe meeting
lasted until IL was time for the G~ucus 10
convene.
In the meantime there was scene or AMI
nation on the floor of the House. REPRE-
senta tives Tracey, Straus, Warner ana
others passed among their associates and
suffened up the sentiment of loyalty to the
conferees. II was apparently Uphill work,
however. as the current of feeling among
the rank and file of members seemed 10 De
setting strongly in favor of accepting the
Senate bill without further delay.
At 10 O'Clock Speaker Crisp and all the
conferees filed out of the Speakers office
and took seats In a body in the forward
part of the democratic side. There was an
ominous silence as they came In. AT that
time 153 democratic members were on the
floor. AS Mr.. Wilson passed through the
corridor to the House he was asked as to
the result of the conference in the Speakers
room. but answered, Il cannot make 1t
known yet"
The Caucus Called to Order.
Chairman Holman called the caucus to