Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-04-21
T HE TARIFF Bill L
It Will Be Reported to the Full Senate Com
mittee Saturday Week.
Policy of the Opposition When the
Measure Comes Before the
Senate.

The republicans of the finance committee
feel that they are on the home stretch on
the tariff. They will probably not be able
to report to the full committee on Satur-
day of this week, but the following Satur-
day will probably lind the bill in full COM
Inittee. The senators who are at work on
TIE hill are pretty near worn out, but they
are working day dEc night Much of their
time now is being devoted to adjus ting
matters so as to secure the necessary sup
port Of the bill. In this hey meeting
with quite as good success they could
possibly hope for. Some of the republicans
who are seeking rates more favorable to
their localities than the committee consider
wise are holding out in the hope of being
able to secure what they want from the
full committee.
The finance committee is not in control
of the republicans, and II the representa-
tives Of the combined opposition desired to
do SO. and were in perfect agreement on
ant changes in the schedules. The dissat-
isfed senator's. few in number, are hold
ing out for fight before the full commit
tee, with this fact in mind.
Policy of the Opposition.
1t is not believed. however, that the op-
position will lend their assistance to the
malcontents. Their policy Is 10 permit
the bill to go to the Senate In the form
agreed upon by tine republicans, and to
make their fight against it in the Senate.
When the question comes up in the Sen
ate the most important move of the Oppo-
s!tion will be to vote for the Pettigrew
antitrust amendment. The only counter
suggestion coming from the silver faction
IS to propose a substitute, SO as to make
the republicans rely a minority report
from the committee. This suggestion has
not met with approval, however, and 1t is
now too late to put 1t into execution. The
probability is that the bill will be reported
to the Senate as approved by the republi-
cans of the committee.
The expectation is that the report can
be made to the Senate by Monday week,
and it is proposed that by consent of the
two houses Congress adjourn for week to
give the opposition Of the Senate time for
the examination Of the bill.
Change I'm the Rules.
The agitation Of the proposition for
change Of the rules SO as to limit debate in
the Senate. which was started by Senator
Mason today, has direct bearing on the
tariff. Some Of the experienced men in the
Senate. however, who are anxious that
there should be as little delay as possible
in the passage of the tariff bill, regard the
sprtngtng of the cloture proposition as in
opportune.
II the cloture rule were already adopted,
1t would help the tariff through, but a Sc
riCus attempt to adopt it now would result
in a contest which would take up as much
time as would be necessary for the pas
Sc ge of the tariff bill ITSELF Moreover
there appears to be no end of cloture to ia
otIitate the vote on tariff, the general un-
derstanding being that the opposition to
the tariff will be merely formal. except on
the part Of few senators, and that there
will be very little delay after the bill gets
into the Senate.
The Retroactive prnvisfon
The republican members of the finance
committee of the Senate have reached an
agreement either to strike out the retro
active provision of the Dingley tariff bill
or SO to amend it as to pave the way for
its being stricken out in conference and
have so notified the democratic members OF
the committee.
this promise, not to press the Vest resolu-
tion on the subject of Secretary Cages re-
cent circular. This was one of the accom-
plishments of the visit of the republican
members to the Senate yesterday.
The sentiment among the republican
members is said to have been against the
provision from the first, but they felt that
to take decisive adverse action upon 1t in
the face of democratic opposition would
place them in the light of acting under
fire and taking a position because Of the
criticisms Of the opposition.
They therefore asked that the democrats
keep their hands off until the republicans
should have an opportunity to make their
intentions known.
The democrats considered this PROPOSE
tion as reasonable, and agreed to refrain
from pressing consideration of the Vest
resolution until the result of the labors
of the republican members could be known
While not absolutely decided between the
material modification of the provision and
its complete cancellation, the balance Of
opinion in the committee Is understood to
be quite On the side Of destroying 1t en-
tirely.
The democratic senators generally be-
lieve this will be the result of the COM
mittee's deliberations. and expect that
when the bill is handed to them the clause
will have disappeared