Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-09
CONFEREES AT WORK
Republicans Trying to Adjust Their
Differences.
THE DOORS ARE KEPT CLOSED
Senators Making a Strong Fight
for Their Tariff Bill.
COMP ROMISE ON SUGAR

The republican conferees on the tariff
bill met this morning at $50 in the room
of the Senate committee on finance and re-
sumed the work of adjusting the differ
ences between the two houses. The five
republican conferees appointed by the
House. the four republican conferees ap-
pointed by the Senate. together with Sen
atOr John p. Jones of Nevada. who has
acted with the republicans of the Senate
throughout the tariff struggle, and who
voted for the bill. were present. The work
proceeded behind closed doors.
Insisting the Senate Bill.
The Senate conferees are making 4 strong
play for the acceptance by the House CON
fereeG of substantially the Senate blk The
general impression has been that the Sem
ate would be yielding after the bill got
into conference, and that il. the main The
House bill would prevail. without very
stubborn resistance on the part of the
Senate confereeS. 1t is unders tood, how
ever, that the senators started out with
the proposition that the Senate bill would
have TO be accepted, substantially. since
radical changes in it would result iii he
rejection of the conference report when
made
An effort is being made to impress the
House with the idea that the passage Of
the bill through the Senate by Il majority
OF ten has no significance which might
lead to the inference that the republi. ans
can adopt any sort of conference report
they choose to make. The attitude as
sumcd by the senators is that the Senate
bill is the very best they could get through
the Senate. and that it will have to be ac-
cepted as such This is the usual way with
the Senate in dealing with the tariff. The
narrow party plurality is the weapon to be
used upon the House.
The real facts of the case. however, hard
ly warrant the senatorial conferees in the
assumption that conference report not
Ii
of adoption. It may be true that certain
men who voted for the bill would vote
against a report which did not contain
those provisions which they demanded
should be i'll the bill. but at the same time
any loss CT strength on that account would
al once be made up for by the failure Of
certain Scna tors to vote, or by some of
those who did not vote on the passage
of the bill voting for the conference report.
There are a number of men in the Senate
belonging TO the opposition who are de
termined TO follow whatever course may lie
nee tSsary to enable the hill to be com
pleted If this were not so there might be
some force in the argument that the Sen
ate bill must be accepted by the confer
ence practically as il is, but, as matter
of fact. the disaffrction of two or three
senators who voted for the bill would not
endaEger the conference report, and the
Senate coIferees can yield to the House
where II .s proper without apprehension.
Compromise on Sugar.
1t is Insisted that the House sugar sched-
ule will have to be accepted. If this proves
true, ii is likely that most other things in
serious dispute will be yielded to the House
1t is more probable. however. that the
friends of the Senate schedule will secure
something more satisfactory to them thar
the House proposition, though they do Eo1
hold the Senate schedule. They are likely
to be able to do this by agreeing to stano
by other propositions IN the Senate oil II
they are properly supported in return, OIL
by threatening reprisdls if the sugar liz
terestS are sacrificed
1t is expected that in the matter of car
pet woods there will be an adjustment more
satisfactory 10 the carpet manufacturers
than the rates of the Senate bill.
1t is the intention of the conferees Il
reach complete agreement before making
any sort of report To make preliminary
report reciting certain agreements and ask
ing Instructions TO points where agree
ment could not be reached, would lead tC
endless trouble.