The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-12
CUBAN TREATY READY.
An Extra Session of the Senate
Now Seems Assured.

Washington, Aug. 1.-THE staten ent
IS made, with claim Of being at least
semi-ofhcial. that the president will
call the senate in special session Inn
Der for the purpose of considering a
reciprocity treaty with Cuba 1t Is hiA
purpose. it is asserted, to allow the SEN
ators nearly q month in which to con-
the regular session in December. The
same authority claims that the treaty
has been prepared and is IN form that Is
fully approved by the president.
President Roosevelt has taken no one
into the confidence of his plans concern
ing cuban reciprocity legislation at the
snort session of congress, It is known
tnat Just before congress adjourned he
seriously considered the advisability OF
caillng the senate in extra session in
July to consider reciprocity treaty.
Inc announcement was made one night
after q conference at the White House.
apparently with the sanction of the
president, that an extra session would
be called on the reciprocity treaty. and
1t was generally understood at the time
that treaty had been prepared. About
that time the president secured positive
proof that some of the lost influential
Republicans in the senate. ostensibly in
favor of Cuban reciprocity legislation,
were IN reality opposing action and en-
couraging the beet sugar senators to
stand fast and continue their fight. The
discussion of the question had aroused
so much feeling in the senate that the
Republican leaders considered it unwise
TO attempt to secure action until after
the November elections.
President Roosevelt made no declara-
ton which would indicate that he had
been party to any of the conferences.
or that he was in any manner Influenced
by the results of such conferences. He
ended all gossip about an extra session
by announcing that he was going to
Oyster Bay about July 9 and would not
return to Washington until October. His
nearest announcement as to his Cuban
reciprocity treaty plans was his state
ment to Senator Heitfeld of Idaho that
the Democratic senators would probably
be willing after election to aid in the
adoption of reciprocity treaty with
Cuba After the first week in NOvem-
Der, the president said, the necessity for
the Democrats to unite in embarrassing
the administration would be over, and
the minority senators could then vote
according to their Judgment, laying
partisanship aside. Since then the pres
ident has given no intimation of his
intention concerning an extra session
of the senate. The report today was
given currency by a Republican con-
gresham who has just returned from
Oyster Bay.
1t is not by any means certain that a
Cuban reciprocity treaty. If submitted
to the senate at regular or extra ses-
sion, would be ADOPTED. There is no
jority of the Republican senators differ
on this question. Something like 20 Re-
publican senators are radically opposed
to the adoption of a Cuban reciprocity
treaty. The number of those who are
honestly and enthusiastically in favor
Of such a treaty is really very small.
Senators Platt of Connecticut, Hanna of
Ohio and Cullom of Illinois are prac-
tically all of the senators who were
ready to go on the floor and fight for a
E1111 orif Ix;11
passage even by the aid of Democratic
votes. Senator Spooner was ready to
aid in this fight, not because he is ard
emily in favor of Cuban reciprocity, but
because he was anxious to aid the pres
ident and Senators Platt and Hanna
and because he believed it would be
good LEGISLATION from a party stand
point. Nearly all of the other Republi-
can senators were either lukewarm or
Indifferent. While it is now generally
admitted a bill granting tariff cOnceS-
sions to Cuba would have been passed
had it been reported by the COMMITTEES,
the fact remains that it would have
been passed because the majority of the
Republican senators would have sup
ported 1T for party reasons, although
being actually opposed. or at least in
different to the measure.
Since the adjournment of congress the
politicians have been watching the de-
velopment of the Cuban situation with
deep interest. The best opinion here is
that the people have not shown any in
terest in the question that would lead
to a radical change one way or the
other in the senate or in the house.
The situation is best indicated by the
expressions of the Republicans of Cali
fornia, Nebraska and Kansas in the
declarations that 1--WE are for Roosevelt,
reciprocity or no reciprocity The ques-
ton is not to be allowed to cut any fig
ure in the attitude of the Republicans
toward the president or his candidacy
for the nomination in 1904.
LABOR DAY PROCLAMATION