The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-18

from Washington, the vital
Il ty of the fight within Re-
publican ranks against the
nolicy-inausurated by Mckinley and
Loyalty seconded by his successor-of
reciprocity with Cuba has been amaz-
ing. Public opinion as indicated in
newspaper utterances, resolutions of
representative organizations and. more
recently by party platforms in Repub-
lican state conventions, Pennsylvania S
included. has throughout been unnis-
takably favorable to the executive rec
ommendation. Why, therefore, in the
face of this condition, persistent and
formidable revolt should exist within
Republican, legislative circles has not
been understood.
The mystery remains; but there is
partial elucidation. One of the oldest
and best-informed Washington corre-
spondents, the Washington editor of
the New York Tribune, analyzes the
situation by ascribing the opposition to
three factors principally-financia in
huence' disappointment over patronage
and resentment from western cattle
men at the administration efforts to
abolish the illegal appropriation of pub
lie lands for monopolistic grazing pur-
poses.
Financial influence is of yarious
kinds. First it was chiefly manifested
by the beet sugar interests. Later the
heet sugar and sugar refining interests
pooled: and they We're helped by the
big trust influences which the president
had offended by his railway merger and
beef trust litigation. In a general way
all the larger corporations which oc-
cupy shaky positions under the Sher-
man antitrust law are directly or in
directly fighting to defeat Cuban reci-
proclty because Theodore Roosevelt
wants 1t, and as notice to him that
they are supreme in the law-makins
branch.
disappointment over patronage al
ways exists, but it is especially keen
now because Roosevelt's way is not Nc
kinley's way. Mckinley had an ex-
ceptional knack of handling Jealous
senators so as not to ruffle their feath-
ers. Roosevelt, on the contrary, is i'm
petuous and pugnacious. He has main
tained his prerogative of appointment
sometimes assertively. Very frequently
he has talked to senator's as senators
do not like to be talked to by one whom
they derisively call an "accidental
president In other instances, he has
ofended without intent, due to deficit
or tact. To senators whose view of
public duty Is largely bounded by the
personal pronoun. this invites the ad-
ministration of senatorial discipline.
The third factor arises from Secre-
tary Hitchcock's determination, in
which ahe is heartily sustained by the
president that few rich owners of
western cattle. with railroads and big
packing interests at their back, shall
not fence in hundreds of thousands of
square miles cf h" public domain, With
-Rtiew to securing free grazing and TO
shutting smaller cattle growers out.
The position of the interior department
is that these fences shall be removed,
so that cattle OF all kinds and brands
may craze on public lands without dis
elimination. This threatens valuable
monopoly of many years growth and
n retaliation the monopolists are lining
np such SENATOR'S as they can influence
20 oppose Cuban reciprocity and, il
ppTtbte. put the president In Il hole.
2Eis likely that If Colonel Roosevelt
Nahted' to enter into dubious deal
with some of these antagonistic innu-
,snres, he, could carry the Cuban bill
-
orabie course of standing for what he
leens@ fight. 1t is to be seen which
course will win in the senate, We have
no doubt whatever as to which course
will win in the long run, among the
people.