The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1900-03-15
REPUBLICANS NEAR A PANIC
Porto Rican Tariff Nav Prevent
the Presidents Reelection
Sugarand Tobacco Interests Blamed
for Getting the Party Into its Pres
ent Muddle---A Senate Caucus
Necessary 10 Avoid House
Experiences.

Experiences.
Washington, March S.-The Porto
tied down to a question as TO wheth
er the administration really favors
free trade or q tariff on trade between
Porto Rico and the United States
and the confusion is increasing rather
than diminishing. A feeling OF irrlta
ton has existed in congress since at
tempts We're first made to learn when
it was decided necessary to abandon
the free trade idea and take up the
tariff proposition submitted by Mr..
Payne. Some members go so far as
to say the president has imperiled
his chances of reelection, and posi-
bly, the election of republican con
sress. The statement that Secretary
Root was compelled by the sugar
and tobacco interests to submit to
the imposition of duties on Porto
Rican trade has vexed members who
have been trying to shield the secI .
tary of war, and to-day stories are
heard full of definite assertions of
personal responsibility for the change
OF front on the bill.
The sugar and tobacco interests are
charged with the chief responsibility
for securing a reversal of policy. Mr.. |
Oxnard of the beet sugar interests is
spoken of as having adopted the same
tactics employed by him in opposing
the annexation of Hawaii. The beet |
sugar farmers were asked to write |
letters to cong1 essmen urging them
to protect the threatened industry. |
With this movement the tobacco men
co-Operated, SO that the president |
was worked upon at the same time
that the members of the senate and
house were feeling the pressure. Mr.
Oxnard is said to have secured the
cooperation of the tariff reform
league and it is said that he practi-
cally prepared the bill which met the
of the ways and means
committee after it had decided to
throw over the presidents recon-
and the bill introduced
by Mr.. Payne.
With a great variety OF amend
ments offered for the consideration of
the senate, and opinions pouring in
upon the senator's to disturb them, i
the opinions being generally favora-
BILE to free trade with Porto Rico. :
senator's who were day or two ago {
quite free in expressing their opinions E
nave become impatient when asked {
the public outcome of the {
contest over the bill. ,
The caucus of the republicans that {
vas first suggested as desira BILE is now i
admitted to be Indispensable and s
many senators say that. it should be f
leld soon in order to avoid the break Il
hat was caused in the house, making c
legislative heroes of every member u
vho voted against the imposition of d
! 10 per cent duty on Porto Rican t
rade. g
Among indications OF the state of K
public feeling in reference to the Porto il
Rico bill in the middle west is the a
difficulty representative Crumpacker
$ having in suppressing his boom for
governor of Indiana. Mr.. Crumpack-
r wants to come back to congress p
md does not want to be governor. t
'rior to his vote against the Porto t
sican bill he was never thought of or 1t
as a gubernatorial candi- t
late. The resentment among repub- p
leans over the passage of the bill p
ook form i'll a spontaneous boom n
Or the only republican in the Indiana
delegation whose vote represented \
heir sentiments Mr. Crumpacker '
las done everything he could to sup L
'ress this boom. but all the reports )
hat come from Indiana indicate. '
However, that it may not be so easily II
disposed OF.
Steel and Wire Trust.