The Portland daily press., 1897-06-23

| pass over the schedules in dispute. Il
| want to suggest, he said, that Senators
! are not to be driven and that the Senate
| is not good place to drive.
"And that Is why / won't drive" re-
torted Mr.. Foraker.
"Nor will l." came from Mr.. Allison,
for the first time flushing and showing
great feeling.
If there had not been question of
combination he would not have moved a
Question, but with the Senate "thrown
| into a condition Of excitement he did
not propose to submit to threats.
"And therefore it is" proceeded Mr..
Allison passionately, ''I am not to be
driven by threats by anybody We are told
we are in a combination and that the
combination will not vote for the bill. I
am for the bill and expect to perfect it
and vote for it, and do not wish to be
charged, as a member of the finance COM
mittee, directly or indirectly with dealing
with this question in covert way
Mr.. Foraker had remained ON his feet
and with biting scorn he replied to Mr..
Allison:
castically, 1--WE have only to look about
the chamber and see who the excited per-
| sons are
| He proceeded to show that entirely new
features had been proposed on the wool
schedule which Senators had not had an
opportunity to examine.
Mr.. Quay, Republican of Pennsylvania,
came in to inquire as to what the agree
ment was to which Mr. Foraker had re-
ferred. Q
| The Ohio Senator said the agreement
was informal, but Mr.. Quay was Informed
as to it, having been invited to attend q
meeting when Senators considered what
could be done toward an agreement on
| certain features of the wool schedule
Subsequently, the results of this meeting
| had been laid before the finance commit
| tee.
s'In fact you were present and party
to the agreement" said Mr.. Foraker
blandly to Mr.. Quay.
The Pennsylvania Senator sat down
and shook his head.
| Mr.. Platt. Republican of Connecticut,
who with Mr.. Allison, shares in the
management of the bill, here arose and
declared that the finance committee had
| never heard of this proposition.
| II suggest that the Senator did hear of
| it, insisted Mr.. Foraker, land he may
have forgotten it. I carried it to the COM
| (Platt) wrote it down with blue pencil
in his copy of the tariff bill. The Senator
from Iowa (Mr. Allison) also wrote it in
his copy
There was suppressed laughter at the
circumstantial detail of Mr.. Foraker s
statement. He added that some twenty
| Senators were present at the time, and
every item of the agreement was gone
over and written down in the bills of Mr..
Allison and Mr.. Platt.
Thus reminded, Mr.. Platt said he would
modifyEhis statement. There was meet
ing at which certain suggestions were
presented as-to what was wanted, but
| these were not assented to.
Mr. Foraker asserted that Mr.. Allison
had said that in case specific rates were
placed on third class wool, the duties on
secured woods would be tripled.
Mr.. Hale. Republican, Maine, now en-
| tered the debate as a peacemaker. He sug
gested that the Senators were not SO very
far apart and perhaps with little time
all differences could be adjusted and
united action secured.
This appeared to meet with general ap-
proval and Mr.. Carter thereupon asked
that paragraphs $40 and 376 inclusive
covering carpet wools,, go over:
Mr.. Allison assented. Mr.. Vest smiling
grimly, arose and said: 81 object
Attention was now directed to the
Missouri Senator who spoke in ironical
tones.
~ have had novel experience today
he began.
"For the first time in my life. I have
been accorded the privilege of listening to
deliberations of Republican caucus. +"
"Let me say" interposed Mr.. Allison"
that the question of wool was never dis
cussed before the Republican caucus
Mr.. Vest gave derisive shrug of his
shoulders and proceeded.
The senate had just heard he said, from
an eminent Republican senator (Foraker)
that 20 senators were present during the
consideration of certain aOT,paYnant
formal and written, SO that the statute
of frauds would not apply against it.
Senators had also heard, Mr.. Vest went
on that their Republican brothers were
together until the we sma' hours of last
night in fruitless effort to harlnonize.
"And now," he proceeded, 1--WE hear
from the great pacifcatory from Maine
(Hale) appealing for peace, but have so
often heard his assurance that peace pre-
vailed in Cuba that am inclined to
doubt him now
There was burst of laughter at this
which threatened to bring a rebuke from
the chair.
"Just as prosperity was in sight, Mr.
Vest went on ironically, "just as the
sunshine was Illuminating the land, the
Senate was asked to stop in the consid-
Grafton of the tariff bill and wait while
Republican senators held caucus
''I demand that the public business
L
publican senators cannot agree then let
them retire and confer, but do not halt
the business of the Senate and the coun-
try while the Republican senators reach
an agreement as to who shall have the
greater part of the swag."
Mr.. Teller of Colorado followed Mr.
Vest in opposition to any postponement
of the bill. So
Mr. Allison offered an amendment re-
quiring secured wool of the third class to
pay three ; times the duty of unsecured
wool of that class. Mr.. Allison stated
that the amendment was made to meet
the objection raised by senator's on the
floor of the Senate today. A debate en-
sued which was largely technical in char
acter, relating to the effects Of securing as
compared to washing. the shrinkage
entailed, etc., In which Messrs. Gray,
Warren, Mantle, Stewart and Jones of Ar
kansas, participated.
There were several tilts between Mr..
Jones and Mr.. Hoar in the course of
which Mr.. Hoar said the opposition to this
bill was the same old opposition that had
always been exerted against the protec-
tive system. That issue has been submit
toI 10 In