The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-12
LOOKS BAD FOR CUBA
REPUBLICANS TOTALLY AT SEA ON
RECIPROCITY.
DISAGREEMENT IS SERIOUS.
FOURTH CAUCUS HELD WITHOUT
RESULT.

Length to Prove Our Duties ana
ObIigations to Cuba-Said Mr.. Nc
KinIey Promised Concessions il
PIatt Amendment Was Accepted.
TayIer of Ohio Made Flaming Pro-
test in Behalf of Beet Sugar Grow
ers.
washington, March 1.-THE fourth
conference of the House Republicans
on the reciprocity question was fruit
less like those that preceded it, the
conference adjourning at midnight
until next Tuesday. The victory
was with the advocates of reciproc-
itv as the motion to adjourn was
carried Y to "a after a motion to
amend to make it a sine die adjourn
ment. offered by Mr.. Littlefeld of
Maine. one of the leaders of the OPP
position, had been voted down 81 to
70 The motion to adjourn
was made by Speaker Hender-
son. and the opponents of rec
iprocity claimed after the ad
iournment that some of their friends
did not care to offend the Speaker by
declining to heed his appeal for fur
ther conference. Earlier in the even
ing the opponents of reciprocity had
insisted upon a vote tonight upon the
main proposition.
The session Tonight was a stormy
one. Mr.. Sibley of Pennsylvania Of
fersd compromise proposition for a
reciprocity arrangement to last until
Dee /, 1903, which he claimed had the
approval and Endorsement of Presi
dent Roosevelt. He also said he had
assurances that if the House granted
a % per cent. concession the Senate
would not increase it.
Washington, March 11.-About 1870
members were present tonight at the
fourth conference of House Republi-
cans, called to consider the question
of Cuban reciprocity. Representative
Long of Kansas, a member of the
Ways and Means Committee, opened
an exhaustive argument in favor of
the 20 per cent. concession advocated
by his colleagues of the Ways and
Means Committee. He argued that
the maintenance Of a protective tariff
was not involved in the proposition of
the Ways and Means Committee, but
that the policy of reciprocity was.
The defeat of this BILL" he said,
means that the Republican party has
refused to follow the leadership of
Blaine, of Mckinley, and of Roose-
welt, and it would mean that reciproc-
ity was no longer a part of the Repub-
lican faith
lie insisted that the hearings before
the Committee on Ways and Means
showed conclusively that concessions
made on Cuban sugar would not affect
the price of sugar in this country, and
that the beet sugar industry would rot
be injured. He espoused reciprocity
with Cuba, he said, not only because it
would be helpful to Cuba, but because
he believed we would get an adequate
return and in support of that belief he
instanced the result of the reciprocity
with Cuba under Mckinley law.
Mr.. Long contends that in addition
to self-interest there was a moral OBJ
legation upon the United States to
grant concessions. He declared that
when the commission from Cuba was
prevailed upon to accept the Platt
amendment, President Mckinley as
sured them that in consideration of its
acceptance he would do all in his pow
u " o6CUIG SCOHOIIllC' COliCeSSlOllS anu
said that the commission so reported
10 the Cuban convention.
In conclusion, Mr.. Long said:
Cannot Prevent Free Sugar.
IF this legislation fails, and no
concession be made to Cuba-if the
policy of President Mckinley and Pres1-
dent Roosevelt be defeated by this
House-it does not mean that the beet
I'D, =, 80 10
mouse, can prevent free sugar from
Cuba. After the establishment of the
republic of Cuba a treaty can be ne
gotiated with that country by the
resident. That treaty can provide for
the annexation of Cuba and that treaty
can be submitted to the Senate and
ratified. The moment that the ratifi-
cations are exchanged, under the de-
Glslon of the Supreme Court in the
Forto Rican case. we would have free
trade with Cuba on all products. The
It,"
A Protest Against the Plan
:, When Mr.. Long finished speaking
Ar' Iayler of Ohio, presented a protest
against the plan of the Ways and
Means Committee. 1t was in the ma
lure OF manifesto setting out the
BASED being largely an application
VI the contention that a reduction of
sle quty by Cuban reciprocity involved
ieIaXation of the protective princi-
pc in lieu of the Tawney proposition
tgr rebate, Mr.. Tayler offered a res
Vtiulon declaring for adequate protec-
uoh' to the cane and beet sugar indus
lies and the policy of reciprocity, fav-
ls commercial agreements with
rGpa IN harmony with our national
PoIcy OF protection and reciprocity,
ilu that no further action be taken
tsp5cung the proposition to reduce the
LIN on Cuban products coming into
ms country"
me me manifesto says in part:
me Republican platform of 1896
o4uemned the Democratic party for
keeping faith with the American
f1ser growers; we seek not to merit
ourselves the same condemnation.
the ne proposition to reduce the sugar
an constitutes in essence an aban-
Asusihent of the protective principle.
Nv, thls abandonment is most unhap-
~, because applied to the pursuit of
s.s'Iculture in the most conspicuous In
S.ahce in which specific and manifest
a. eGtlen is given to the farmer, and
beet ipdlIo4I1s When the sugar
fa,o. infancy, but in an in
~ so lusty and promising as
~ u5enonstrate the certainty of a
Az; and prodigious growth The
W. lcan market for over 100000 900
OF sugar annually is rightfully