The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-12
House Members VIII Tie Up the Tarin
Bill Rather than Give In to
the Sugar Schedule.
A QUIET WEEK IN CONGRESS
UNTIL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Is
READY TO REPORT.
Democrats Planning to Make Trouble
Because of short Time to Be
Given to Debate.


Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, July 1.-THE conference
committee had a four-hour sitting to-day
and sugar was one of the chief subjects
discussed. Chairman Dingley and Senator
Aldrich did the heavy talking and by the
time the conferees separated considerable
heat had been generated in the committee.
1t becomes evident that the big controversy
over the bill will be about the sugar sched-
ule and it is the evident purpose of the
House leaders to force the issue to a hot
finish and to present unyielding front
in the belief that the Senate will surrender
If it settled down to a question of adopting
the House proposition or hanging up the
bill indefinitely. To the latter extremity do
the House Republicans seem quite willing
to so. The House viii not give much time
to a discussion of the conference report.
The Democratic request for three days dis
cussion will be denied and a much shorter
period allowed. The bill may be reported
from conference by Thursday or Friday.
Some estimates name an earlier day.
House and Senate conferees appear
satisfied with the progress that has been
made. Several hundred of the minor
amendments have been agreed on, many of
them mere changes of phraseology, and on
a large majority of these the House con-
ferees naturally have yielded. None OF the
important problems in the bill, however,
have as yet been solved. All of them have
received more or less consideration and
there has been a free exchange of opin
ions The temper and disposition of the
Senate and House conferees on these i'm
portant matters have in this way been as
certained. In several cases the conferees
have been very close to an agreement.
Both sides, so one Of the conferees said
tonight, show q commendable spirit of
conciliaton and, while in several instances
each side seems to be holding out strongly
for its contention as to rates, he said
there had not yet appeared on the horizon
anything which portended such difficulty
would not in time be surmounted. There
is the best of reasons for believing that
several of the main points of contention
will be compromised. This is especially be-
lieved to be true of lumber, hides and wool,
and possibly sugar, though on the latter
the House conferees are standing particu-
larIy firm for their schedule On the sub
ject of reciprocity the drift of opinion
seems to be in the direction of the Senate
substitute, but with certain of the House
provisions; that is, that the list OF arti-
cles which can be used as a basis for re-
that the Senate provision requiring the
ratification of the treaties will be dis
carded.
Several of the eminent lawyers in both
branches of Congress question the consti-
tutionaity of the power conferred on the
President by the Senate reciprocity proVi-
sion. The stamp tax on bonds and stocks
provided for in one of the Senate amend
mentS has not yet been accepted. The rev.
enue afforded by it furnishes a, strong ar
heavy anticipatory importations and there
is talk of widening its score so as not only
to include tax actual transfers, but
on all recorded sales. This necessity of
revenue also furnishes a strong argument
for the restoration of the House rates on
innate yet when a final agreement will be
reached, although various dates are
given as to the length of time the bill will
remain in conference ranging from Tues
day to week from tomorrow one of the
II oSt influential of the conferees said
night that all estimates were necessarily
pure guess work. He said that the deci-
SonS on the matters of transccndent i'm
portanCe in the bill were so interdependent
that an ultimate decision on one might in
VOlVe complete agreement on others
and that this final agreement might come
at any time after the rest of the matters
of secondary Importance were out of the
way.
When the report is completed it will at
once go to the House, where it is not
likely that more than one day will be al
lowed for debate. The anxiety to get the
loss of revenue involved in each twenty
four hours delay, it is argued justities the
Republican managers in declining to give
more than single day for discussion.