People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 July 1894 — FROM WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

FROM WASHINGTON.

An IntcreMtlng Batch of Sews From the Capitol. From our Regular Correspondent. Washington, July 6, 1894. No excitement accompanied or has followed the passing of the tariff bill by the Senate and its going back to the House and being referred to the Ways and Means committee. There were several reasons to account for this indifference both in and out of Congress. Firstly, as the person would 'say, there is probably not a man in Congress, or anywhere else for that matter, to whom the tariff bill as passed by the Senate is entirely satisfactor/. Secondly, there could not ■ found with the most dilige: -arch a man who believes th- ■ >o bill -will emerge from t - i Terence committee in anylike its present shape. 7 e is a wide difference in ion as to how long the bill ■ il remain in the hands of the ■ iference committee, some bei wing that not over ten days will be required and others adding thereto until some go as far as to say that six weeks will be consumed. Much will depend upon whether the conference deals with the Senate amendments singly or in bulk.

The sugar trust got out of the Senate very easy; when the state of public sentiment is considered. It loses the money that it might have made by bringing in free raw sugar until the first of next January, by reason of the adoption of Senator Hill’s amendment making the sugar schedule go into effect as soon as the tariff bill becomes a law, but by a majority of one vote it succeeded in getting the extra duty upon refined sugar kept in the b i 11. ASe nat or,whous ual 1 y knows a. hawk from a handsaw, speakin.spf.llle abuse which has been , Mfowered upon, Senator Quay for deserting his party and supporting the sugar trust, said: “Quay is, being made a scapegoat of, probably with his consent, but I happen to know that there are other republican Senators who would have voted to retain the sugar trust duty had their votes been necessary. One majority was as good as a dozen would have been.”

The sugar schedule as it now stands will never be accepted by the House, unless a considerable number of Representatives vote against their opinions and upset their records. The argument that the revenue is needed by the government may possibly result in the acceptance of the duty on raw sugar, notwithstanding the overwhelming sentiment in the House in favor of free sugar, but it is no believed that any argument can oe advanced that will bring about the acceptance of the duty on refined sugar, which is not intended to bring in revenue but to shut out foreign refined sugar and leave the sugar trust in control of the market.

The action of the Senate in striking out just before the tariff bill -was passed the amendment to the income tax paragraph, exempting the salary of the President of the United States from payment of that tax, which Senator Hill had sarcastically offered and the Senate had seriously adopted while the bill was beihg considered in comihittee of the whole, meets with general approval and removes one obstadle to an agreement between the House and Senate. No good reason exists for ex-

empting the President’s or any other official’s salary.

Resolutions /and bills have been introduced in both House and Senate concerning the great railroad strikes and there is much talk concerning them and the action of the administration in ordering that U. S. troops be used if necessary, either to compel the prompt forwarding of the mails or to carry out the orders of U. S. Courts, and officials, but this outlook is not favorable to Congressional action. It will be the same old story; while the strike is in progress Congress is interested; when the strike is over Congress will forget all about it as quick as possible.

The Grand Jury has indicted two stockbrokers and two newspaper men for having refused to answer questions asked by the Senate investigating committee, and they have given bail for their appearance for trial when wanted, but up to this writing no indictment has been found against Messrs Havemeyer and Searle, the members of the sugar trust who were certified to the Grand Jury for the same offence. The investigating committee held a meeting this week, but reached no conclusion as to when its report, or reports, should be made. Senator Gray, chairman of the committee, and his democratic colleague, Senator Lindsay, are blamed for the delay, as it is customary for the chairman of a committee to prepare and submit a report before members feel at liberty to submit minority reports, and Mr. Gray has not yet done so.

There is scarcely a quorum in either House or Senate and is not likely to be before next week. There was a grand rush to get out of town for the rest of the week as soon as the Senate passed the tariff bill. The absence of a quorum will not interfere with the business of either House for a few days.