Evening star., 1897-03-22
DEMOCRATS DIVIDED
Not in Harmony Either in the House or
Senate.
Differences Of Opinion ns to the Treat
ment of the Tariff
BIZ.

The confusion among the democrats over
the tariff question led TO their report being
delayed and to the opening of the debate
on their side being left to Gen. Wheeler,
instead of Mr.. McAIilin, who will no: speak
until later The republicans acting to
gether with great harmony far the
House Is concerned, and ii is expected
that the Dingley bill will be passed with
no amendments not agreed to by the COM
| mittee. The democrats are seriously di-
vided. not only as to the principles i'll
volved but also as to the method of attack
upon the bill. Mr.. McMillin has made it
plainly understood that he will not sign Il
report which distinctly favors tax on raw
materials. and it is understood that the re-
port which has been drawn up by Mr.
Bailey has not been modified in that re-
Spect. The position taken by Bailey is re-
garded as the best politics in view OF ;he
attitude of his party during the last CO. m
pa1gn, and with respect to its plans for the
future, ana the prospects are that most of
the democrats will stand with him. besides
his having the cooperation of the silver
republicans. The democrats who want 20
stand by the old line of tariff policy laid
down by Mr.. Cleveland want to make a
general fight on the Dinglcy BILL and 20
practically outline a tariff schem. of their
own through the medium of amendments
offered to be voted or. On the ether hand
those whose ideas Mr.. Bailey Mr Robert
son and most of the democrats Of the COM
mittee represent do not propose to give
such prominence to the tariff in politics Il
this would involve and would conten-
themselves with a general protest a.a.rst
the measure proposed by the republicans
No United Action by the Opposition.
With these conflicting purposes the pros
pect Is that there can be no united action
on the part of the opposition, and that
there will he t.x-o
ferent lires Those democrats who are
trying to save the party from all entan-
clements on the silver question and bring
all the old elements together again on tho
tSrin viii endeavor to force the tariff TO
the front as the main issue and TO have
silver lost sight of in the fight.
IT is definitely settled now that the re-
publcanS of the Senate finance committee
intend TO reconstruct the bill According
10 as good republican authority as can b.
desired the finance committee will devote
not less than month and. perhaps, two
or 1aree weeks more than that. to the con-
siceration of the bill. 1t is contemplated
that there will be reductions under the
house bill In few schedules so as to re-
dice the aggregate but that the rates on
the principal things where high protection
Is demanded will be Increased. 1t is ex-
pected that in the aggregate the bin as
1t comes from the Senate will be a more
highly protective measure than it now is
The IRON and steel schedules and few
others are expected to be slightly reduced.
In the Senate Also.
In the Senate the democrats are divided
on the question of the time that should
be consumed in consideration of the bill
in that body. Since the republicans can
not close the debate there except with the
consent of the opposition this is question
of the greatest importance. An element
of the opposition is striving to secure the
adoption of policy of delay. but il is be-
will not be able to fix the policy. Those of
the other clement are in favor of a vote
about the lst of July. Since this is the
calculation of the more conservative ele
ment OF the opposition vote earlier than
the 1st of July cannot be calculated on with
any confidence. and the chances are that
it will be at least week later than that
before the bill can be got to the President.