The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-25
SENATE'S TARIFF STRUGGLE.
REPUBLICAN LEADERS TRYING TO
CLOSE UP THEIR RANKS.


ments BE Referred to the Finance
Committee For the Purpose of
Having Changes Made in the Bill
without Debate Wherever POssi-
bIe-SenatOr AIdrich Explains the
Bill and Some of the Amendments
TO the Caucus.
Washington May 24-The republican
caucus to-day emphasized the fact that
there is a wide divergence of opinion
among the republican senator's on the rates
of duty fixed in the various schedules of
the tariff bill.
The senators were in caucus nearly four
hours. The only official announcement
that was made after the caucus adjourned
was that it was decided to appoint three
senator's in addition to the republican
members of the finance committee, who are
to act as a committee in getting the tariff
bill through the Senate. 1t was generally
| stated, however that an agreement had
been reached that there should be no set
speeches on the bill from the republican
side except that of Senator Aldrich, which
| is to be delivered tomorrow.
| A resolution, or memorandum, offered by
| Senator Burrows, was agreed to by those
~
| of those present, there not being full
| attendance of the caucus, was that repub-
/ lican senators having amendments to offer
| should present them to the republican
| members of the finance committee, and If
! the amendments are approved by the
committee they are to be offered in the
| Senate. If disapproved, the senator's pre-
senting them were to have the right to
! submit them to the republican caucus,
which is to be called upon each schedule
| if amendments to it are proposed. The
! finance committee is to hold sessions each
| evening for the purpose of hearing prop
| ositions from republican senators, and to
| decide upon the advisability of presenting
| such amendments in the Senate. The OBJ
| ject of this proposition is to prevent the
republicans from dividing upon various
| schedules which might be presented. The
necessity of this arrangement was devel-
oped by the debate and the various con-
| tention 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 Cul-
| lom called for a statement on the sugar
| schedule, over which there had been much
| controversy. The explanation presented
was largely technical. The senator un-
| derstood that the House schedule would
| largely exclude the coarse and low grades
| sugars from Java, the Philippine ISL
/ ands and other points. The protection in
the Senate bill was 70 per cent, and equal
| lied through protecting 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 Sen-
| ate bill being for the purpose of making
| this equal. The average rate in the Sem
| ate bill was 15 per cent, with differen-
tial of Il of a cent on refined sugar. Sem
| ator Aldrich said that this was not as
advantageous to the sugar rehners as the
| House bill. The explanation seemed to
cause general satisfaction, at least no one
| questioned the senator further.
| There was some discussion on the
| length of time the bill should be under
| discussion in the Senate. Senator Mason
suggested that as soon as the opening
| speeches were made, a move should be
taken towards having a vote on the bill
! in two weeks. 1t 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 having
| evening sessions from to II D. m.
Debate on various schedules consumed
the time of the caucus. A great deal of
opposition was developed to the increased
| tax on beer and to the duty on tea. Sem
| ators Platt of New York, Hanna and
| Spooner were especially vigorous in their
| opposition to the increase in the 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 senators
| of embarraSSments. 1t was determined
| that efforts 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, said that the duties
| proposed by the committee were In his
| Judgment, inadequate and he thought
| there should be increases on the lines of
the amendment proposed by western SEN
| ators.
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
storm among the western men, who
said that IL such a method was proposed
| they would be compelled to vote for piac-
ing certain articles on 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
announced that to settle with the eastern
men who voted 10 reduce the duties on
| their products they would vote to reduce
the duty on articles which their people
| purchased and did not produce.
IL was this state of affairs that brought
forth the proposition OF senator Burrows
to submit proposed changes to the 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 a whole. IL was on the matter
| Of schedules that they disagreed.
The section abrogatng the Hawaiian
treaty caused a lively debate. Senator
| Aldrich stated that the committee intend
ed TO bring an amendment TO this portion
| OF the bill. Senator Frye opposed the alb
rogatlon In the strongest possible terms,
| while Senator Nelson OF Minnesota made
"A vigorous speech In support OF the COM
| mittee amendment, declaring that the rev.
enue which would be raised from the duty
! on Hawaiian sugar would be greater than
| that which the committee expected to get
| from tea. He declares that the admls-
sion OF the Hawaiian sugar free was In
the interest OF the sugar reiiners and the
| consumers received no benefit from IT,
| --e-f~s-
4.