The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-18
Senate Committee Agrees on SpOOner Bill But Its
 Fate is Doubtful
CALL CONFERENCE ID
 SHOW ENEMYS HAND
Senator EI<ins, Leader of Insurgents, Claims Nineteen Votes, But This Ia Doubted-Administ
 However, Fears Test.
BY WATTERsoN sTEALEY.

BY PATTERSON STEALEY.
 Washington, June T-(SpeciaD-The Re- publican members of the Senate commit tee on Cuban relations today finally agreed to the acceptance of the Spooner bill providing for reciprocity with Cuba and decided to ask that conference of Republican Senators be called for tomor- row night to consider its terms.
 The main object of the conference is to find cut exactly how many votes the beet sugar insurgents muster. Senator Elkins, the leader of the insurgents, said this morning that he had nineteen votes. This Is doubted in administration circles. Even if nineteen votes were cast in the conference tomorrow night 1t would hard ly be fair count of the number who would bolt the party when the bill Is voted upon in the Senate Twelve Repub- lican votes would defeat Cuban reciproci- ty providing the Senate Democrats vote as a body against the Spooner bill This they are not likely to do. It is known that several Democrats will vote for any bill, differential amendment or not, which seems to hold out some concessions to the Cubans The idea of the administration
 
 Democrats. They are making every effort 10 command forty-five votes which will give them a clear majority.
 May Drop Question.
 A report has been generally circulated today to the effect that if the adminis- tration could not get forty-flve Repub- lican votes it would drop Cuban reciprocal ty. That, however, will be 9 matter for the conference to determine. The admin tstration people believe that if the Spoon CT bill is reported to the Senate and a vote Is hEd, the bill will pass. One of the greate est dangers is tha 9Rss&fg arr9f5ga3 number of Republicans. tfiaI a nght in open session, while probarIy victorious fo; the administration in the long run, would split Up the party and air Re- publican differences that the Democrats would make much political capital out of the debate. These men are therefore for postponemeDt to the next session, wbich Is virtually what the beet sugar men prefer above all else In the con- ference tomorrow night the adIninistra- ton, it Is believed, will not muster forty five votes Then they must either decide to drop the whole business or fight 1t out
 cowardIy to Drop K.
 The former course Is cowardly and wholly at variance with the Presidents IL lcng long fight, with the chances favor ing the passs SC Of the Spooner bill through the Senate. with the oonsur- renee of the House a matter of extreme doubt, and therefore defeat in the long run anyway a possibility by no means remote. h Is hard nut for the Senate Republicans to crack.
 At @ late hour tonight the beet sugar Republicans met fn conference end de- cided to remain united against any proposition the administration might ad- vance for reciprocity with Cuba at this session. They will insist that # any thing Is to be dons the President should during the recess negotiate a treaty with Cuba That, they declare, is the limit they are willing to concede.
 The administration forces are decidedly rattled over the situation and 1t Is freely I1edicted tonight that the administration is beaten and the caucus tomorrow night will result in a surrender to the beet sugar Republicans rather than continue to fight for the pledges made to Cuba in return for the adoption of the Platt amendment.
 President a Listener.
 Senators Ell1ns, Burrows, Dietrich and Foraker called at the White House to- day and discussed Cuban reciprocity with the President. The President now is re- garded more of a listener than an advis- CT, he having expressed himself regard in the duty of congress to Cuba in his snecial message. Senator Elkins remark ed at the White House today that con- gress would adjourn without action of any kind on Cuban reciprocity. Senator Foraker, on the other hand, predicted that some sort of an agreement would be reached before long.
 The beet sugar men have been so much encouraged by recent occurrences that many of them claim that the conference will be averse to any legislation what ever in the interest of Cuba They still claim twenty Republicans who will op- pose any efforts at legislation on the floor of the senate and they assert that there are many others of their colleagues woh are in sympathy with them and will aoon express themselves in the privacy of the conference room.
 This showing, they believe, will be such as to convince the advocates of reciproci- ty of the futility of their move and cause them to abandon the effort without talk ing the question to the Senate. The friends of the measure, however, say there can he no doubt that the conference will pro- nounce for the Spooner bill and that 1t will be reported to the Senate by the committee having 1t in charge.
 May Arrange Treaty.
 There was some renewal today of the +alk of A treaty with Cuba and it was stated that 1t was quite probable that 1t would be sent to the Senate before the adjournment of the present session. It Ia therefore, probable that at tomor- row nights conference, the beet sugar Republicans will be asked to say whether they would support a treaty on the lines of the Spooner bill. While they do not feti called on yet to define their position on this point. they say that once earlier in the negotiations they suggested treaty as a compromise and that 1t was then rejected; hence, that they do not now feel under obligations to bind them selves to accept anything. The impress sion is strong that legislation either in tba form of an act or a treaty Is quite out of the question for this session. Some of the reciprocity leaders freely admit this and while others more hopeful do not go so far even to admit that the chances are doubtful