The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-07
SUCCESS OR FAILURE.
Fate of he Tariff Bill To Be Sealed at To-
days Caucus.

days Caucus.
Washington, January 6.-The Repu Bill
cans of the Senate will hold caucus to-
morrow to consider the tariff bill now be-
fore the finance committee. Reports are
that the committee have been unable
to agree After vote on proposition
that free coinage be substit ute1, the
Democrats left the committee room and
the Republicans remained in conference
upwards of two hours. Several tenta-
tive propositions were submitted looking
to qualifications III the House bill. These
consist of raise of the House increase
of Is per cent on all the schedules OF the
Wilson act, to 20 per cent in the schedules
covering agricultural products, crockery,
tobacco ana spirituous liquor. MI. Jones
of Nevada, insists that t he duty on raw
sugar not touched by the House shall be
increased by Is per sent. In this mat
ter, MIR. Jones is endorsed by the Senators
for Nebraska aud California. Mr.. Jones
is ranked as Populist but his vote is
necessary to enable the Republicans to
report the bill from the committee. 1t
is thought il he persists 10 his views with
regard to this, he will compel the
change to be made. The Republicans be-
ing unable to agree among themselves,
it was determined to temporarily lay
the bill aside and call caucus. AT this
meeting full Interchange of views will
be had and an effort made to get the Re-
publioans to agree upon some policy that
Will find them standing together. when
the bill is reported and ready to vote
down all amendments the opposition Inay
offer. The Republicans when the bill
tn q
bIoadside of amendments intended to
kill the measure hut if they can marshal
their forces to maintain solid front
they expect to eventually carry the bill
through the Senate. The caucus t0mor-
row will indicate the success of or failure
of the tariff bill.
Previous to the meeting OF the commit
tee. the silver members of the committee
were in conference in the room OF Sena-
tor Harris, and agreed upon the text of
the bill they proposed to submit in full
committee. This bill, as laid before the
full committee provides for the free and
unlimited coinage of silver at ratio OF
16 to /, the coinage of the ssigniorage in
the treasury. and the application of that
coinage to the payment of current and
other obligations of the treasury.
A clause is also inserted that directs
the Secretary of the Treasury. in redeem
ing both treasury 1fotes and greanbacks,
to use his option in redeeming them in
either gold or silver, and not take the
option of the holder. This bill was agreed
to by the solid vote of the silver men,
and the report will be made to the
Senate tomorrow. After this had been
accomplished a recess was taken for 30
minutes, and the Democrats again went
into conference, presumably on the
tariff bill, which is to be taken up next.
The free coinage bill. also provides for
the retirement of all national bank notes
of denominations of less than sic and
the substitution therefor of silver GER
tifcates. the bank notes to be replaced by
notes of denominations abova $40. There
was no debate in the committee over the
measure. 1t was read and Mr. Voorhees,,
Democrat of Indiana, moved that it be
substituted for the bond bill that came
from the House. This was done by a
yea and nay vote, Mr.. Wolcott, who
was absent, being voted for the subssi-
tute.