The San Francisco call., 1897-06-09
On All Schedules the Re-
publiCanS Will Abide
by the Majority.
Party Harmony That Will
Insure Proper Protective
Tariffs.
An Additional Tax to Be Placed on
Sugar From Countries That
Pay Bounties.

WASHINGTON, D. c., June 6.-At the
Republican caucus to-day nearly every
Republican Senator at the capital was
present. Much time was devoted to the
consideration of the sugar schedule
Other features in the new tariff bill over
which there are differences were not
reached.
No agreement was reached in regard to
the Hawaiian treaty and the committee
is expected 10 report some amendments
or provision which will not leave the
matter in any uncertain condition or alb
solutely abrogate the existing reciprocity
treaty.
An important feature of the caucus was
the determination reached to vote to-
gether as Party. which insures favorable
acton on ali contested schedules and the
nassing OF the bill as approved by the ma
jority. This determination was reached
upon a suggestion made by Senator Thurs
ton, which led TO the most interesting in
cident of the caucus. There had been
several references to the meeting as a
conference"
Thurston objected TO this designation
saying that conferences never bound any
one, and be wanted it definitely under.
stood whether this meeting was TO be
binding or merely friendly chat without
further results, for if It was not to bind all
Senators on all schedules he would not
agree to abide by the decision upon the
sugar question.
This speech brought Senator Hanna to
his feet with IN earnest plea for party har-
mony and united effort on all the features
of The bill. He referred to the apparent
divisions at present xisting in the Senate
and said il was high time perfect under
standing was reached.
Senator Thurston then put his sugges-
ton in the shape Of a motion to the effect
that the agreement OF the caucus should
be binding upon all Republican Senator's
and it carried by a large majority.
The main propositions of the sugar
schedule were those fixing the rate on re-
fined sugar. There were three of these
propositions. The one adopted, fixing the
rate at L95 cents per pound. in place of
LS75 as fixed by the House bill, was sug-
gested by Senator Spooner. Senator Per-
kins suggested 1 316. and Senator We'll
lington the rate of the House bill.
The last amendments were voted down
viva voce, and the Spooner amendment
adopted by an almost un animous vote.
There was no especial effort to maintain
the amendment origin ally offered by the
Finance Committee and no proposition
was made to that effect by any one. Sen
ators Allison and Aldrich expressed the
opinion that the schedule as prepared by
their com mittee was equitable and that
its provisions were misu9d erstood.
The text of the new sugar schedule is
as follows: Sugars not above 16 Dutch
standard in color, tank bottoms, syrups
of cane juice, melada, concentrated
molasses, tested by the polariscope, not
above 85 degrees, L cent per pound, and
for every additional degree shown by
the polariscopic test three one-hun-
dredths of l cent per pound additional,
and fractions of a degree in proportion;
and on sugar above No. 16 Dutch standard
in color and on all sugar which has gone
through process of refining 1 cent and
ninety-fve oae-hundredths of 1 cent per
pound; molasses testing above 40 degrees
and not above so degrees, cents per
gallon; testing SO degrees and above, s
cents per gallon
Sugar drawings and sugar sweepinRs
shall be subject to duty as molasses or
sugar, as the case may be, according to
pOAdElsCOplC lcSI. TANK DOILOmS,
syrups, cane juice, melada, concentrated
melada and concrete and concentrated
molasses, the product of any country
which pays, directly or indirectly, q
bounty on the export thereof, whether
i'm mported directly and in condition as ex-
ported therefrom, or otherwise. shall pay
IN addition to tho foregoing rates a duty
equal to such bounty, or so much thereof
as may be in excess Of any tax collected
by such country upon such exported ar
ticle or upon the beet or cane from which
it was produced.
A new paragraph is added, reading as
follows: That the duty on moiassss.
clayed, io-gery and other sugars testing
not above 81 degrees by the polariscope
shall be one.tenth of per cent per pound
less than those imposed by the preceding
paragraph on the corresponding tests of
sugar"
No agreement was reached respecting
another caucus, but PrItchard stated that
one would be held to fix rates on tobacco.
The changes in the rates on wool. tea
cigarettes and beer proposed last week at
the Mcmillan dinner will be carried ont
without furthur caucus.
Senators German and Vest unite in saw
ing that as far as Democratic action is con.
cerned the tariff bill can be disposed of in
the Senate by June 20, and that is the date
now generally fixed for its passage.