Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-03-29
NO AGREEMENT YET
REPUBLICAN SENATORS IN eau
Gus FAIL TO GET TOGETHER.
ON PORTO RICO MATTER
Efforts TO Remove Tariff Features from
House Bill Unavailing-Senator
Foraker VIII Press Porto Riean Bill
as it Stands-No Harmony. Yet
Harmony Committee Discharged.

Washington, March 27.-The repub-
Ican members of the senate spent TWO
and a half hours in the caucus yester-
day in an effort TO reach an agreement
upon the Porto Rican legislation now
pending in the senate. The caucus
was apparently, however. without ma
terial result, the only accomplishment
being decision 70 proceed with the
general bill as it now stands. without
separating the tariff feature, and to
discourage the harmony committee
from further efforts. During the sit
ting there were twenty or more
speeches made. All were of a more
amiable tone than the speeches in the
caucuses fortnight ago. But, while
good feeling was generally manifested,
and all. the senators who spoke eX-
ing an amicable understanding. there
was little or no disposition manifested
to yield a point which might produce
that result. Senator Foraker was in
oIi uNtSI W LitE N<iuCuS " press luS
Porto Rican bill, as it now stands, the
governmental bill Incorporated with
the tariff measure, to as speedy vote
as possible. The understanding at the
time the instruction was given was that
Foraker would offer an amendment to
the tariff feature of the bill. adding
TO the free list by the president in his
executive order, exports going from
the United States to Porto Rico duty
free. but that the Is per cent. of the
tariff of the Dingley law carried in the
house bill upon goods coming from
Porto Rico to the United States shall
be retained.
1t is claimed two or three votes may
be secured for the tariff measure from
the ranks of the opposition parties in
the senate, and that in this way a
majority may be secured. Among the
senators who addressed the caucus
We're Messrs. Foraker, Allison, Cul-
lOm, Chandler, Quarles, Davis, Well
ington and Lodge. Senator Foraker
detailed the proceedings of the har-
mony committee. Senator Gallinger
offered a resolution directing the separ-
alton of the house tariff bill from
the senate governmental bill. This
was met by a counter resolution
offered by Wellington, providing for
the passage of a civil government bill,
with a free trade provision instead of
the tariff provision of the house. The
discussion proceeded on the basis of
these two motions. No new points of
Importance were brought out. Both
resolutions were ultimately withdrawn,
Senator WellingtOn's because of the
impossibility of passing it, and Sena-
tor Gallinger's because it was not con-
sidered wise to press it to vote in
view of the determined opposition of
the free trade element. On Senator
Chambers motion, the harmony COM
mittee was discharged from further
service. Near the close of the meeting
Senator Lodge offered a resolution rep
resenting the sense of the caucus that
there should be no present effort to
separate the governmental tariff feat
ures Of the bill, that the discussion
chOuld continue on the old lines for
the present Senator Allison remarked
that this was so evidently the sense of
the conference that there was hardly
any necessity for taking a vote, and
the caucus adjourned sine die.