Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-05-25
REPUBLICAN AGREEMENT
It Will Shorten the Time Consumed in Con-
sidering the Tariff Bill.
Some Important improvements In the
Hope for Antitrust Amendment.

The decision of the republican senators in
caucus yesterday to settle their differences
on the outside and to act together in the
Senate will probably shorten the time con-
sumed in the consideration of the tariff
even more than was anticipated by the
managers The avoidance of caucus upon
the bill a whole which would amount to
the reconstruction of the bill, is a time
saver. The finance committee have, Of
course, been anxious to avoid a caucus on
the bill, fearing that combinations might
be made among senators desiring changes,
whereby the work of the committee might
be overthrown. The proposition to submit
the amendments proposed from day to day
by individual senators to a managing COM
mittee composed of the republicans of the
finance committee and three other repubii-
can senators, with the right to appeal to
the caucus from the decision of the COM
mittee, renders less easy the making of
combinations, but it is concession to
eral principles it would appear that such a
plan does not promise to result in many
changes in the bill, though some of i'm
portance may follow.
To Abide the Decision.
The pledge of republicans to abide by the
decision of the committee or of the caucus
If an appeal is taken, will undoubtedly
cut off many amendments which otherwise
would be almost certain of adoption
great majority OF the changes proposed are
such as could be adopted only through the
republicans who favor them securing the
assistance of democrats Under the plan
adopted majority of the republicans will
be necessary to the adoption of any prop
csition, and each item 1t is decided on
will become party proposition, those
publicans who are dissatisfied not being
left with the discretion to appeal to the
opposing parties fer assistance.
This will serve the double purpose of
preserving the integrity of the bill in such
form as a majority of the party favor and
OF preventing time-consuming fights on the
floor of the Senate. Without such an agree
ment every republican who has some local
interest which is not cared for to his Salts
faction in the bill would feel compelled to
make a fight on the floor of the Senate
consuming much time and offering an op-
rortunity for the opposition whenever they
saw fit, to stick an amendment onto the
bill to its detriment.
Important improvements Expected.
At the same time, the supervision of the
bill by the caucus in its course through
the Senate will probably result in some inn
pcrtant improvements in the measure as
reported from the finance committee 1t Is
not Il ought that the finance committee
sugar schedule stand the test of a
caucus, and it is believed that other sched-
ules put in the bill at the demand of indi-
vidual interests will be changed IN caucus
The tendency of the plan adopted is expect
ed to be to greatly improve the bill by re-
GUcing to the lowest possible point the
power CT an individual to enforce his will
upon the party. The most Objectionable
features of the bill should go down before
the unrestricted power of majority.
Little Reason for Delay.
This, taken in connection with the action
of the democratic caucus in deciding not
to offer a substitute and not to attempt to
do more than to point cut features objec-
tionable from the democratic point of view
should leave very little reason for delay in
action. The republicans expect to come
into the Senate each day prepared to act.
The men with grievances will have already
exploited them in private and will be bound
by the conclusion reached in private There
will consequently be little inducement for
them to talk in the Senate. The opposition
not desiring to consume time, there will be
no valid reason why the consideration of
the bill should not be proceeded with in al
most as business-like a manner as that of
an appropriation bill.
The Anti-Trust Amendment.
Another feature of this policy Is that it
very greatly lessons the prospects of the
adoption of the Pett,grew antitrust
amendment. 1t was calculated that this
amendment would receive the support of
several republican senators, but with all
the republicans pledged to act together
after the course has been decided on by
majority, the antitrust proposition will be
deprived of this support. 1t is understood
that there few democrats who will
not vote for it, and in the absence of re-
publican support it does not seeIn that it
can be adopted.