The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-06-10
REPUBLICAN SUGAR CAUCUS.
The Republicans Will stand To-
retber-The Sugar Schedule.

Gether-Ihe SuSuT
Washington, June S.-The republican
caucus today was well attended, nearly
every republican senator IN the CITY pc
ing present. Considerable interest was
manifest, because it was known that an
effort was TO be made to secure new
sugar schedule and one which the repub-
iican senators could support. Senator
Aldrch was present. and after the caucus
adjourned said it was very successful
and that no felt that the republicans
were going to stand together on all schcd-
ues of the bill, and that an agreement
would be reached whereby difference OF
opinion would be eXtinguishcd. Almost
the entire time of the caucus was devoted
to the consideration of the sugar schcd-
ule. Other features where there are dit
fercnces were not reached.
No agreement was reached in regard TO
Hawaii, and the committee is expected
to report some amendments or prOvi-
sion which will not leave the matter in
any uncertain condition or absolutely alb
rogate the existing reciprocity provision
of the treaty.
An important feature of the caucus was
the determination reached to vote to-
gethcr on party lines, which insures
favorable action on all contested sched-
ules and the passage of the bill as pro-
vided by the majority. This determine
ton was reached upon n suggestion made
by Senator Thurston. This suggestion led
to the most interesting incident of the
caucus. There had been several refer
ences to the meeting as "a conference"
Mr.. Thurston objected to this, saying
n conference never bound any one, and
that he wanted it definitely understood
whether this meeting was to be binding
or friendly, for if it was not to bind all
senators on all schedules he would not
agree to decision upon the sugar qups-
ton. This speech brought Senator Hanna
to his feet with an earnest plea for party
harmony and united effort on all the
features of the bill. He referred to the
apparent division at the present existing
in the senate, and said it was high time
that perfect understanding was reached.
Senator Thurston then put his sugges-
ton in the shape of a motion to the eff
feet that the agreement of the caucus
should be binding upon all republican SEN
ators, and it was carried by a large ma
jOrty. The main propositions on the Sill
gar schedule were those fixing the rates
on refined sugar. There were three of
these propositions. The one adopted. fix
ing the rate at 1.95 cents per pound in
place of 1879 as fixed by the house bill,
was suggested by Senator Spooner. SEN
atOr Perkins suggested l 3-16, and Sena-
tor Wellington the rate of the house bill
The last amendments were voted down,
vive voce. and the SpoOner amendment
adopted by an almost unanimous vote.
There was no special effort to retain
the amendments originally offered by the
senate finance committee. and no propo-
sition was made to that effect by any one
Senators Allison and Aldrch expressed
the opinion that the schedule as prepared
by the committee was equitable and
that its provisions were misunderstood
The text of the new sugar schedule is as
follows:
Sugars now above No. 16, Dutch stand
ard, in color, tax bottoms, syrups of
cane juice. melada. concentrated melada
cOnreto and concentrated moasses. test
ing by the pOlariscope not above 10 de-
greeS, l cent per pound, and for every
additional degree shown by the polari-
scope DOB of l cent per pound additional
and fractions of degree in proportion,
and on sugar above No. 16, Dutch stand
ard. in color, and on all sugar which has
gone through process of refining, 1.95
cents per pound; molasses testing above
40 degrees and not above So degrees, 3
cents per gallon; testing So and above, 6
cents per gallon; sugar DRAWINGS and
sugar sweepings shall be subject to duty
as moaSSeS or sugar as the case may be.
according to polariscopic test; sugar tank
bottoms. cane juice or beet juice melada,
concentrated melada and concrete and
concentrated molasses. the product of any
country which pays, directly or indirectly.
a bounty on the export thereof, when i'm
ported directly and in condition as ex-
ported therefrom or otherwise, shall pay
in addition to the foregoing rates duty
equal to such bounty, or so much thereof
as may be in excess of any tax collected
by such country upon such exported ar
ticle or upon the beet or cane from which
it was produced.
A new paragraph is added, reading as
follows:
That the duty on moasses. clayed. jog
gerry and other sugars testing not above
81 degrees by the polariscope shall be
lilo of 1 cent per pound less than those