Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-05-25
COURSE OF THE TARIFF BILL
Result of the Conference of Republican Sen
atOrs.
Management Of the Measure to BE Left
to the Republican Members of
the Finance Committee.

The republican senatorial caucus was in
session until very late yesterday afternoon.
The result of the caucus was that 1t was
decided to leave the management of the
tariff bill to the republican members OF tine
finance committee and three other republic
cans of the Senate, to be selected by the
chairman of the caucus changes proposed
by republicans from time to time to be
passed. upon by the committee. An appeal
from the decision of this committee may
be taken to the caucus. The finance COM
mittee is to hold sessions each evening for
the purpose of hearing propositions from
republican senators and to decide upon the
advisability of presenting such amend
ments in the Senate
The object of this proposition is to pre-
vent The republicans from dividing upon
various schedules which might be pre-
sented. The necessity of this arrange
ment was developed by the debate and the
various contentious of senators.
In the early part of the caucus Senator
Aldrich was called upon for an explana-
ton of the bill and some of the amend
mentS.
During the remarks Senator Cullom
called for a statement on the sugar sched-
ule, over which there had been much
controversy. The explanation presented
was largely technical but the senators who
schedule would largely exclude the coarse
and low grade from Java, the Philippine
Islands and other finest sugars. The pro-
lection in the Senate bill was 10 per cent
and equalized the high protection on low
grades and high grades. The effect of the
House schedule would be to shut out the
lower and cheaper grades of sugar, the
system of compound duties presented by
the Senate bill being for the purpose of
making this equally. The average rate in
the Senate bill was IS per cent, with
differential of y of cent on refined
sugar Senator Aidrich said that this was
as the House bill. The explanation seemed
to cause general satisfaction. at least 10
one questioned the senator further
Proposed Line of Debate.
There was some discussion upon the
length of time the bill should be under dis
cussion in the Senate Senator Mason sug-
gested that as soon as the opening speeches
were made, a move should be taken toward
having a vote on the bill in two weeks.
II was decided to ask that after the debate
had run along for a week that the Senate
begin its sessions at IL o'clock and sit until
$50, and have evening sessions from to
II p. m.
Discussing the Schedules.
Debate on various schedules consumed
the time of the caucus. A great deal of OPP
position was developed to the increased tax
on beer and duty on tea Senators Platt
of New York, Hanna of Ohio and Spooner
of Wisconsin were especially vigorous in
their opposition to the increased tax on
beer. 1t was pointed out that the demo-
Gratis had already stated their opposition
to this tax and would make an effort to
have the Senate committee amendment
eliminated. They thought it would be wise
to have an arrangement effected which
would relieve republican senator's of en-
barrassment. 1t was determined that ef-
fort should be made to secure the revenue
both from beer and tea by a stamp tax,
which would accomplish the same result.
Western senators referred to the wool
schedules. Senator Warren of Wyoming
appeared as the spokesman for the wool
growers of the west, and said that the
duties proposed by the committee were in
his judgment inadequate, and he thought
there should be increases on the lines of
amendments proposed by western senators.
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts, spoke
against the duty on hides, saying he did
not see how he could avoid voting for an
amendment which proposed placing hides
on the free list. This statement raised a
storm among western men, who said that
II such method was proposed they would
be compelled to vote for placing certain
articles the free list, or for reducing
the duty on them. They did not expect
that the democrats would vote with them
to increase duties. The westerners an
nounced that to settle with the eastern
men who voted to reduce duties on their
products they would vote to reduce the
duty on articles which their people pur-
chased and did not produce. 1t was this
state of affairs that brought forth the
proposition of Senator Burrows to submit
proposed changes to the republican mem
bers of the finance committee and then to
the caucus. There was no talk of boiling
and no senator said he would vote against
the bill as whole. 1t was on the matter
of schedules that they disagreed.
The Hawaiian Treaty,
The question of abrogating the Hawaiin
treaty caused lively debate. Senator AL
drich stated that the committee intended
to bring in an amendment to this portion
of the bill.
Senator Frye opposed the abrogation in
the strongest possible terms, while Senator
Nelson of Minnesota made speech in sup
port of the committee amendment.