The times., 1897-04-29
TIME To DISCUSS TARIFF
Democrats Asked to Reduce Their
Demands to a Minimum.
SHEARING THE HOUSE BILL
Wool, Hides and Sugar the Schedules
Yet Undisposed Of-Absurd Yarn
About Allowing Rebates to Coun-
tries Favoring international BIZ
tnetaiItsm.

The Republican members OF the Senate
ence with their Democratic associates To-
morrow morning, for the purpose of ascer-
tanning how much time the Democrats viii
want to consider the tariff bill In full COM
mittee, and Tor the further purpose or in
ducing them to reduce the time asked 20
q minimum.
1t was definitely decided yesterday that
the bill should not be submitted TO the full
committee until next Monday. According
TO the present program 1t will not be made
public until after the full committee has
passed upon it, although 1t is feared 1t viii
be aInIostimpossihle TO keep the provisions
OF the measure In absolute secret after its
contents have been divuiged To thirteen
men. A vote on this question Will be had
when the full committee meets. Had the
Democrats agreed to permit the bill to be
reported TO the Senate without delay it
would have been given to the press Mon
day morning.
The story published yesterday that the
subcommittee had been, or would be, forced
TO accept a proposition made by Senators
-
rebate OF / 5 per cent on all duties should
be allowed to all countries that join with
the United States In affecting internd-
tional bimetallism, was denounced by the
committee last night as ridiculous.
1.-The whole story is absurd on It's face,
said Senator Wolcott, who was indignant
over the factthat his name had beencoupled
with the alleged proposition sit is alb
surd and incapable OF operation for several
reasons, continued the Senator. ''Itwould
be IN violation OF the most favored na-
ton clause, IL nothing else. The propos-
ton has not even been considered by the
subcommittee.
It can be stated that the committee has
definitely disposed of every schedule, ex-
cept those covering wool, hides and sugar,
and on each of these tentative propositions
are pending, one of which will be agreed
to as soon as the vote is taken. The wool
men will get practically what they want
and a duty will be put upon hides. The
sugar schedule win show slight increase
in the lower grades. Each OF these cues
tions, IL was said last night, could be set
tied in five minutes when the time fer
voting arrived,
The proposition to abrogate the Ia
waiian treaty has been discussed at length,
and while Senator Aldrich and at least
one other member of the subcommittee
is known to be in favor OF the scheme,
it is not believed that the comrnfttee
will agree to it. or that the Senate and
House would concur In that action Were
il not that the present Administration
looks with friendly eye upon the Ifa-
ISL ar.fFe An ont
ultimate annexation has already COM
menced, the abrogation OF this reciprocal
treaty would probably secure the neees-
sary votes.
With respect to the whole bill. it may
be stated with positiveness that it has
been shorn of much of its inconsistency
and made more nearly what its name
implies-a revenue measure. Many Of
the paragraphs of the House bill We're
so high that revenue will be lost, by
reason of the rates being prohibitive of
importations. Some of the rates of the
Dingley bill have oUtdone the act of 1880.
These things have, it is claimed, been
corrected, so that if the bill, as amended
by the Senate, becomes a law, it will
raise much more revenue than is now in
sight
BY placing a duty on wool, hides, lumber
and lead ore the committee has not only
followed Republican lines, but has strength
ened the bill among the Western men and
reduced the antagonism of the boiling silver
Republicans 60 minimum. All Of these
things enter into the trade Of the Western
States arEely, and the people of those
states have demanded their protection.
A duty on hides was the last concession
made and granted In the face of the most
vigorous opposition In the East
A prominent Democratic member Of the
committed said last evening that the mi
norlty should insist upon sufficient time
to consider, not only each schedule, but
each paragraph. Inasmuch as the Re-
pubIicans have taken six weeks he thought
they would be entitled to at least two.
They should not, he said, be captious in
their criticism of the measure, but should
offer such amendments as they believed
stood reasonable chance of being adopted.
The minority had no intention of delaying
action, but if any effort was made to
avoid giving the Democrats a fair show
this Senator asserted that the minority
would find the proper way 10 protect its
rights and enforce its demands. There
must, he continued, be plenty Of time, both
careful consideration, but not one moment
would be employed by the Democrats in
useless obstruction.