Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-06-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, June 25, 1902.


WASHINGTON LETTER.
from our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, June %, 1902.
The inquiry into the connect ion of tie
Sugar Trust with the agitation in favor of
Cuban reciprosity, which was instituted by
Senator Teller's resolution, has produced
extensive and, to the Republicans, alarm
ing results. Mr. F. B. Thurber, of New
York, who had several times been called
before the Committee on relations with
Cuba, finally made his appearance and from
him was elected the statement that Mr..
Havemeyer, president of the American
Sugar Riining Company, bad contributed
So, 500 to fund used by Mr.. Thurber ito
educate American sentiment in favor of
reciprocity" and that General Wood, acting
for the Cuban government, had contributed
to the same fund the sum of 81, $50. Gen.
Wood was obliged to admit the payment
saving that he had made it in accordance
with the wishes of the Secretary OF War
and Mr.. Havemeyer has made no denial.
Acting upon the testimony of Mr. Thur
Der, eighteen Senators, of whom Mr.. Elk
ms is the leader, resolved to contest the
passage of the Cuban bill to the end, and
to notify the Democratic leaders that such
was their intention. The news OF Mr..
Thurber's disclosures was telegraphed to
the President, then at West Point, and he
abandoned his intention of spending day
L. md
to Washington Immediately, and on Friday
sent special message to Congress urging
that body to pass the Cuban reciprocity bill,
and incidentally mentioning that he could
not approve of the rebate scheme put forth
by the ''insurgent" Senators. While Mr..
Roosevelt's statement is very fair expos-
ton of his views, it does not appear to have
produced any marked impression upon his
opponents in the Senate, and the question
of Cuban reciprocity is as far from settle
ment as ever.
In this connection it should be borne in
mind that were the President or the Re
publican Senators who desire to befriend
Cuba, willing to take any action which
would tend to decrease the profits of the
Sugar Trust, the way to aiding Cuba would
be made clear The eighteen Republican
with Cuba on the ground that it would
result merely in augmenting the profits of
the Trust, would gladly vote for the reci-
procity bill as it passed the House, and
which removed the differential on refined
sugar, and then could count on the COM
bined support of the Democrats. The sup
port of the "insurgent" Republicans and
large number of the Democrats could also
be secured for the substitute bill of Senator
Dietrich, which would transfer the duty
now imposed as differential on refined
sugar to the raw product, and then grant
straight reciprocity to the extent of % per
cent to Cuba. The difficulty with which
Mr. Roosevelt and his supporters in the
Senate are contending, is their effort to
serve two masters, the Sugar Trust and
Cuba, and the indications are that they will
fall between the two. and that Republican
harmony in the Senate will suffer as
severly as it did in the House when the
same bill was considered there.
On Thursday the Senate will vote on the
Nicaraguan Canal bill, the concenus of
opinion being that the Spooner resolution
will be adopted But two appropriation
bills remain to be considered in the Senate,
and they will be disposed of with COM
paratively little debate, so that the Senate
will be face to face with the Cuban dilema,
and some action will have to be taken.
The President still insists that. if adjourn
ment is taken without action on the Cuban
matter, he will call Congress in special
session. All day Friday the Senate spent
in secret session, the supporters of the
President endeavoring to secure confirma-
ton of the nomination of General Crozier
as Chief of Ordinance, but without avail,
and the session adjourned without action.
On Saturday Senator Elkins introduced a
resolution providing for the annexation of
Cuba as State.
The House of Representatives has shown
unusual industry during the past week,
and number of important measures have
been disposed of. After passing the bill
for the protection of the President last
Monday, the Lacy bill was taken up
and defeated. The Pacific Cable bill,
introduced and advocated by Mr.. Corliss,
of Michigan, was defeated, and on Friday
the Observation-Disclosures irritation bill
was passed AS this bill had already passed
the Senate, and as such amendments as
were indicated to be essential by the Presi-
dent were adopted, there is reason to be-
lieve that the Secretary of the Interior will
soon be in position to commence an
extensive system of irritation in the arid
West
The defeat of the Lacey bill, which pro-
vided for the transfer of the care of the
Forest Reserves from the Department Of
the Interior to the Department of Agricul-
ture, calls for special comment because of
the causes which produced it, Representa-
tive Cannon, by an insincere and mislead-
ing speech, was responsible for the adverse
vote on the measure. Mr.. Cannon led the
members to believe that the administration
of the reserves by the Secretary of Agri-
culture would mean greatly increased ex-
pense to the government, an assumption
for which there was no ground. Mr.. Can
non did not mention, however, that under
the management of Secretary Hitchcock
there are employed several hundred rangers
who are nominated by members of Con-
gress and that of that number eight are
Mr.. Cannon's appointees. Neither did Mr..
Cannon remember to state that the rangers
nominated by Congressman are generally
broken-down politicians who are noto-
riously incompetent and that the earnest
ness with which President Roosevelt had
advocated the Lacey bill was due to his
belief that, under the Secretary OF Agrl
culture, a reform would be worked and the
incompetent Congressional nominees would
be replaced by men who would retain theil
positions only by the merit with which
they performed their duties. It is generally
admitted by Republicans as well as by
Democrats, that the Lacey bill was defeated
by the love of sspoils."
Saturday in the House was devoted tc
the pension calendar, to-day will be oc
cupied with the affairs of the District Of
Columbia, and tomorrow with miscellane-
GUS business. On Wednesday the Philip
pine bill will be taken up under rule
which limits the debate to one week. II
is believed that radical changes will be
made in the Lodge bill before it is passed
and it is possible that the House viii pass
;ts own measure and return it to tie Senate
as substitute for the Lodge bill