The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-08
If One Amendment Is Made
There Will Be Many
Others Offered.
OF VARIOUS STATES.
Jones of the Finance Committee Appears
to Be the Present Master of
the Situation.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. lowing
to the late session of the Senate the Re-
publican caucus, that took a recess until
this afternoon, was postponed until to-
morrow after the adjournment of the
Senate. It's confidently believed that at
that conference the Republicans will, by a
vote of comfortable majority, direct their
members on the Finance Committee to re-
port the tariff bill to the Senate as it came
from the House, and without amendments
of any kind.
Shortly after the caucus convened this
morning Quay moved that the committee
be so instructed, and his motion led to the
debate that followed. But one Senator in
dicated any desire to reconstruct tariff
bill along Republican lines. That Senator
was Baker of Kansas, new man, and his
associates in the Senate looked upon his
zeal as the result of his unfam1liarity with
the conditions that surround the Senate at
this time. There were other speakers who
desired amendments to be made, and said
they would insist upon them If the debate
was opened at all but, if the consensus OF
opinion was that this should be done, they
would be satisfied and support the majority.
There is division in the Finance Com
mittee itself as to the wisdom of amend
ing the House bill, and it was because of
such division that this caucus was held.
Sherman favored an additional rate on
crockery, if changes were to be made, and
Platt's State was largely interested IN the
raising of tobacco, and if amendments
were in order he was constrained to look
after that schedule. Allison's constitu-
ents were largely interested in agricul-
tural products, and he, too, would be COM
PEELED to insist on an increase there.
On the other hand, Jones, the Populist
member, urged that raw sugar had been
Disseminated against when the House re-
fused to increase it by Is per cent, as it
had every other schedule on the bill
Jones insisted with vigorous protestations
that raw sugar should be given this addi-
tlonal 10 per cent in the Senate. He was
REINFORCED in this contention by Perkins
of California and Thurston of Nebraska,
both of whom represent States that are
engaged in the growing of beets for sugar
and the manufacture of sugar from that
farm product. Thurston was not in a
position to urge the committee, but he has
done so very effectually by the aid of the
| telegraph.
In view of these contentio ms it is easy to
see that the Republicans of the committee
were very much at sea as to what should
be the policy they ought to pursue.
Hence their appeal 10 the full membership
OF their own party. Should the caucus to-
morrow, as seems likely, instruct the com.
mittee to report the bill thus reported
and vote down any and all amendments,
deadlock between Jones and the Repub-
lican members OF the committee appears
to be imminent. Jones holds the balance
! OF power in the committee. His vote is
necessary to report the bill, and without
him the Republicans cannot report the
measure in any shape.
Jones said tonight that he would insist
upon the addition of the Is per cent to the
sugar schedule. Ii the caucus so decides
the Republican members will not grant it
Jones, it seems, must then either change
his mind or the bill will remain on the
files OF the Committee or Finance.
Republicans profess to believe that Mr.,
Jones will not put himself on record, but
that after urging his proposition he will
yield to the will of his former Republican