The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-07
EXPLAINED BY PAYNE
prrrERENr PROPOSITIONS BE-
 FORE THE COMMITTEE.
Believes That Mr. Tawney's Scheme is observation-disclosures 20 Per Cent Reduction on Tariff
 Rates is Preferable.

Washington. March 6.-Chairman Payne of the Ways and Means Committee today gave out the following authorized state ment in connection with the discussion of Cuban reciprocity:
 T think the large majority of the Re- publicans have made up their minds that we must do something for Cuba There are three propositions presented which have this professed end in view. The proposition of MT. Morris of Minnesota provides for an increase In the tarin on sugar to the outside world and re- bate on sugar imported from Cuba. It does not seem to me that many Repub- licans are willing to increase the duty on sugar.
 .sThen there is the proposition of MT Tawney to vote between $7.oOo. 900 and $S,- 100000 directly into the Cuban treasury and ask the Cuban Government to dis tribute about $1.0 .0Oo.ooo accordinging to his figures to native Cuban planters. This first payment Is to be paid without any compensation from Cuba in any way or manner-a pure gift to the Cuban Gov
 ernment. It hardly needs the opinion of a lawyer to say that the procedure would be unconstitutional. Ills proposi- ton further is to pay like sum yearly on the granting of reciprocal concessions and the passage of our immigration and exclusion laws.
 "Of course no bounty of this kind could be distributed without a scandal and a fraud In the next place seven- eighths of the Cuban laborers would still remain without work. It would be just as easy for the sugar trust to obtain concession on the sugar they bought on account of the bounty as to obtain con- cession where the planters knew he was
 to have a twenty per cent concession Tn duty. So that Mir. Tawney's proposition has no advantage over that for 20 per cent reduction and it has the disad- vantages named. .....
 ''The third proposition is that for . 20 per cent reduction on duties. This would injure no home industry. Coupled with the provision to extend our exclusion laws to Cuba no one appearing before the Committee on Ways and Means con- tended that it would so injure home in dustries All agreed that the price of sugar to the American consumer would remain the same. Nor would 1t inure to the benefit of the sugar trust
 "The witnesses before the committed united in testifying-and the statistics prove-that the trust has received no ben- eft in buying sugar. either in Hawaii or Porto Rico, since the duty was reduced or removed. The entire benefits have
 been reaped by tine planters in these isl- ands. We have every reason to believe the same would prove true as to Cuba Many misleading statements as to the attitude of the President the Cabinet and the House Republicans are appear ing in the newspapers. I cannot speak of conferences with the President. But have every assurance that the Cabinet is not divided on these questions, nor has g majority of the House Republicans com. | mitted themselves either to the Morris | or the Tawney do-nothing policy. The | proposition of a 20 per cent reduction | if adopted will put off, in my judgment | the annexation of Cuba for many years | She will not come in until her population
 is Americanized from the States.
 "It will settle the question for genera tiofis to come and rest and tranquilit,
 of the sugar business. If the reduction ] is made no further change will be mad, until we have annexation and free trade l To refuse to do anything would put tn, public in a position hostile to the Presi