The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-05
ERRORS IN THE TARIFF.
A Hard FiFht to be Made to Have Ger
I in Changes Made.


in Changes Made.
Washington. Jan. 1.-The recent action
Of some of the democratic managers in
the Senate leads to the conclusion that
an effort may be made TO patch up a truce
of some sort that win permit through
the medium of the urgency deficiency bill
the correction of various errors now in
the tariff law, and which would have been
corrected had the conferees finished their
labors on the bill before it was accepted
by the House as it left the Senate. To de-
wise some means to accomplish this re-
suit was the object of a conference held
yesterday in the room Of the committee
ON appropriations, and Immediately after
il was over one of the senator's who
attended that conference was seen IN con-
sultation with one or two republicans
The object of this talk was to ascertain
if the republicans were still determined
that nothing should be done. But little
announcement was received by this dem
ocratic senator, and matters viii now
be held in allegiance until the meeting or
the finance committee next Tuesday.
Meanwhile Mr.. COckrell will probably re-
frain from reporting the urgency defici-
ency bill in the hope that some good may
come from the discussion of the situation
at this meeting, where the leaders of both
sides are SO largely represented. The
populists are determined to make vigor-
Gus opposition to any change in the text
of the present law save under conditions
that the democrats cannot afford to ac-
cept If the democrats will agree that
certain increases shall be made In the
tariff rates in the schedules that We're, as
the republicans assert, unduly reduced,
then the republicans will permit the cor
rection Of the evils of which complaint
Is made and a remedy for which the
treasury department insists shall be pro-
vded, among these is the free alcohol
clause, which has practically been abro-
gated by the failure to provide treasury
regula lions of its endorsements and
by the failure of an appro-
priation to carry such regulation into et-
feet. Other errors that becloud the mean
ing of the law also need attention, but
above all there is an earnest appeal to
congress to find some way to remove the
discriminating duty levied against refined
sugar exported to this country from those
countries that pay an export bounty.
In this case the only country hard hit is
Germany, and the law has got the United
states into q. diplomatic tangle with that
country from which the Secretary of State
appears TO see no way out save by repeal
of the obnoxious provision. This one
item, more than all the others combined.
is causing the administration trouble and
the pressure that mas been brought 70
bear upon the state department has been,
IN a measure at least, transferred TO the
Senate, and II is said by no less a person
that the German ambassador himself Bar
on Won Souma -Jeltsch. Conferences which
the representative Of the German govern
ment has had with the Secretary Of State
would appear to have Impressed him with
the ability of that official 70 provide the
relief for which the government asked
In view Of what the ambassador is known
to have told some senators II would seem
TO be altogether clear that the campaign
against American meat products lnaugu-
rated by that government had grown out
Of spirit of retaliation and with the sole
end in view Of forcing their government
to retrace its steps in the matter Of this
discrimination against German sugar
products.