The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-07-21
he TARIFF ROBBERY.
Bill to Be Passed This Week
mo Free Bagglng and
Ties.

lies.
Washington. July l8-The indi-
cations tonight are that the tariff bill
as agreed to by the Republican con
ferees yesterday will probably have
passed both houses of congress and
be law at the end of the present
week. Delays and complications,
now unanticipated, might somewhat
prolong the final struggle The Re
publican conferees have been work
ing hard all day consulting and ar
ranging the details of the report
which they now believe they will be
able to submit to their Democratic
colleagues to morrow morning The
bulk of this work has fallen on the
shoulders of Senator Allison and
Governor Dingley, who are preparing
the statements Of the effect Of the
changes made by the conferees which
will be submitted to their respective
houses. They have had q small
army of clerks at work throughout
the day in the room of the senate
committee on finance preparing the
bill for the printer. If this task can
BE accomplished tonight 80 that the
printed bill can be laid before the
Democrats to morrow, debate will
begin in the house tomorrow after
noon. I: is not believed there will
be any disposition on the part of the
Democratic members of the confer
ence to delay the bill in full commit
lee, ,Sbut the Democrats have had no
meeting to determine their course
on This point. Governor Dingley ex-
pressed the opinion tonight that an
hour would be sufficient III which to
sexplsin the changes made by the
conferees to their minority colleagues
on the committee. One or two of
the Democrats are to night inclined
to insist upon day for deliberations
on the changes, brt they Of course
realize that they are helpless if the
majority desire to report the bill
over their protest, and inasmuch as
the Republican leaders of the house
decided tonight to give two full
days for the discussion in the house,
they probably will acquiese in the
decision of the majority to make the
report tomorrow. All along the Re-
publican leaders have been disposed
to allow but one day for debate in the
house, and, while they still believe
one day would be sufficient, after
discussing the question tonight,
they decided, more to disarm the
protests the minority would be sure
to make and the possible criticism
that the report was to be dragooned
through the house. to give two ful!
days for debate. The report must,
of course, be acted upon by the
house before it lis considered ia the
senate
The committee on rules wilt meet
tomorrow morning and prepare a
rule which will bring vote on the
report before adjournment on Tues
day The rules will be presented
and adopted as soon as the conferees
make their report, probably soon
after noon tomorrow The debate
will Immediately follow. The South
Carolina dispensary bill viii! be used
to consume time until the report Is
brought in It is not believed that a
single Republican vote in the house
will be recorded against the report
The program in the senate is
much more indefinite on account of
the wide latitude allowed for debate
ana the absence Of any parllamen-
tary method of bringing the report to
vote. The Democratic senator's. it is
safe to presume. from their talk to-
day, intended TO assail the compro-
mise on sugar to which the confer
ence agreed and to make pretty
stiff fight against the restoration to
the dutiable list of cotton bagging,
cotton ties. burlaps. etc /, which they
succeeded, with the aid of the Popu
lists and one or two Republicans. III
placing on the free list. They also
will make strong opposition to the
restoration of white pine to the house
rate of 81 per thousand. Some of
the Democratic senators to-day dis
cussed the possibility of defeating
the report on the presumption that
they might be. able to secure as
many votes against the report as
they did to place these articles on
the free list. But no one imagines
seriously that the report is in danger
when it comes to final vote. And,
moreover, the prominent Democratic
senators freely express the opinion
that the fight in the senate, though