The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-05-04
REPUBLICANS AFRAID
TO HAVE THE LIGHT TURNED on
THEIR TARIFF BILL.
Opposed to It's Being Given to the Public
Before Safely Landed in the Senate.
Worried Because tho Democrats Will
Not Consent to Their Plans-Attempt to
Play a Bluff Game on the Democrnts.
Senator Jones Their Stumbling Block.

Washington. April 2a.-The senate
hour today, four republicans and four
democrats being present. No on
clusion of any kind regarding the tariff
bill was reached. The discussion was
confined entirely to the proposition OF
h republicans to permit the bill to
be reported direct to the senate. and
the alternative proposition TO consider il
very briefly in committee. The demo-
Gratis declined the first suggestion, but
said with reference to the second that
they ould make no reply until they
should nave an opportunity to see the
bill. They state, however, that under
any circumstances they would expect
to be given sufficient time to thorough
ly examine the bill before consenting
to its being reported. Beyond this they
would ask nothing, as they would not
seek unnecessarily to delay the bill
for a day.
The republicans stated their reason
for making the request to be that they
were much fatigued with their work
in committee and admitted also that
they were DESTROYS Of avoiding the i'm
portunity to which they knew they
would be subjected when the contents
of the bill should become known. They
also stated hat their work was not
sufficiently advanced to permit the pre-
Sentation Of copies of the bill to the
democrats, but they vouchSafed no in
formation in regard to changes, beyond
stating that they were generally in
the line of reduction. The discussion
was of a conversational character and
| was participated in by all the senators
present.
One effect developed during the con-
ference was that the republicans should
not feel absolutely assured of the vote
of Senator Jones, of Nevada. in COM
mittee. On the other hand. the dem
| ocrats expressed confidence that he
would stand with them, at least to the
extent Of seeing that they had time for
consideration of the bill in committee.
The republican members of the
finance committee do not accept with
good grace the refusal of the demo-
Gratis to permit a speedy report of the
tariff bill. They say that the position
of the democrats is unprecedented, the
rule being to allow the majority to
bring in and present its amended bill
W NiioA "a I'm pa
ity to change the result in committee.
There is a possibility that they may
| evade the demands by reporting the
Dingley bill back to the senate without
any amendments whatever. This could
be accomplished by the adoption of a
resolution by the senate discharging
the committee from the further con-
sideration of the bill and ordering it to
report it ack
The ACCESSIBILITY Of adopting such a
| course as this was discussed somewhat
by the republican members OF the
finance committee after receiving the
refusal of the democrats. They say
the amendments agreed upon by the
republican member could be presented
! from time to time in the senate and
they feel that there would be one great
advantage in this course in avoiding
the necessity of getting the assent of
Senator Jones of Nevada to every
change made before the presenting Of
the bill.
The democratic members do not re-
gard the outlook thus presented very
seriously. They do not believe that the
republican members of the committee
would take the responsibility of report
ing the bill without a change and pro-
nounce the ak Of such a course as
a bluff"