The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-17
Impossible to Hold Quorum More
atOrs Are Going Away.
POSSIBLY NO BILL At ALL
WOULD FILL ON FOR
EIGN MERCHANTS AND THE TRUST.
LudicrOus Situation Being Discussed
in WashingtOn-Nicara Canal
Before Cabinet
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, July 16.-Inside informa-
ton on the very best authority warrants
the statement that Senators Jones and
Aldrich are about to yield on sugar, and
that the conference committee will be ready
to make it's report before the close of the
session tomorrow Saturday. The House
having adjourned over until Monday, the
report will probably not be made until that
day, although, as before stated, an agree
ment will have been substantially reached
tomorrow.
What has contributed quite as much as
any one factor to this early conclusion of
what threatened to be a protracted dead
lock is the difficulty which is being expert
enced in keeping quorum of the Senate in
town. Republicans we'll as Democrats
have reached the limit of endurance. and
many of them have completed arrange
ments to leave Washington next week, and
they are going whether a tariff bill passes
or not. Trouble is experienced now in get
ting quorum when votes demanded,
and the already narrow margin will be eX-
hausted by the departure of half of the
senators who are ready to pull up and quit.
Three Republican senators have engaged
passage for Europe on next Thursday
steamer, and others have plans which they
say nothing will be allowed to interfere
with, which will necessitate their absence
from Washington. 1t will be seen, therefore,
that there is real danger of no tariff bill
this session unless prompt action can be
had.
This danger is more keenly felt and bet
ter understood by senators than it can be
by the general public. Indeed, there is a
strong feeling in certain Republican quar-
ters that such failure would not be an un-
mixed evil Those holding this view say
that the damage which would result from
no tariff bill would fall almost entirely on
the English manufacturers and exporters
who have flooded American markets with
a years stock of merchandise in anticipa-
ton of increased duties, and upon the Sugar
Trust, which has laid in S00,060 tons of raw
sugar for the same reason. This is not con-
sdered a sound argument, but it is never
theless entertained by the Republicans, and
the possibility makes Democrats smile The
House Republicans are unit in their de-
termination to stand out against the sugar
schedule, and the Senate Republicans, with
the exception of two or three, are of the
same mind. The opinion is almost unani-
nous that Congress will adopt the House
schedule if anything.
Speaker Reed does not like to be joked
over the charge that he is running" the
House tariff conferees or that he is bull
. doing them. He says that he is not try
ing to induce the House committee to do
anything it's members DO not want to DO,
and, furthermore, that he has a right to
give them counsel if he sees fit to do so. He
recalls the time when Speaker Randall not
only gave such counsel but actually went
into the conference committee room and
took charge of the proceedings. This he
thinks should be a precedent which should
stop Democratic criticism