The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-02-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., February 10th.

on amply demonstrating to the country
that with republican ma jority and the
Reed Rules it is 4 thoroughly impotcnt
and irresponsible body. Even the Pres:
dent has ceased to urge his wishes upon
the lower house and has concentrated his
efforts upon the Senate where there seems
| to be every reason to believe that they
have proved effective. The recent state
ments of Senator Platt, of Connecticut,
chairman of the Committee on Relations
with Cuba, and Senator Proctor of Yer
mont, are regarded, not only as indicative
of the attitude of the Senate on the ques-
ton of Cuban reciprocity, but as a threat
that if the House does not pursue re;
sonable course the Senate will disregard it
! and effect the desired reciprocal relations
| by means of treaty.
The excessive fear, inspired by the at
tack of Representative Babccck upon that
portion of the Dingley tariff bill which
serves to augment the immense profits of
the Steel Trust. seems to have paralyZ:d
the Ways and Means Committee and that
| body is afraid to report any measure grant
| ing reciprocity to Cuba because of Mr..
Babcock's announced intention to move
the amendment of the bill to secure mo-
dicum of tariff reform. While the Ways
and Means Committee is dominated by
the extreme protectionst view slch is
not true of the entire House and repub-
| lican member who would not permit me
to use his name, said yesterday: The sit
uation is mos. diStrt ssing To the more pro-
gress;ve republicans They appreciate
the truth If Senator Platt's statement that
protection is likely to suffer most in the
house of its friends and they realize that,
if the Democrats have the foresight to
drop their anti expansion theories and go
before the country ON straight tariff re
form platform they will make serious in
roads in our ranks. Our only hope is that
the Democratic propensity to b'under will
lead them to adopt anti expansion as
their slogan rather than tariff REFORM
The speaker was an astute Western re-
publican who may lie counted upon to
know the stu ,ton in his own section, at
least
The republicans are holding perfect
love feast in the Senate Committee on the
PHILIPPINES over the testimony of Judge
Taft in regard to conditions in the Islands.
1t never seems to occur to them that
| gentleman who is drawing salary of
$4,000 per annum for governing the "col-
ony" is most likely to see the rosy side of
the situation. Without impungning Judge
Taft's sincerity, it is reasonable to assume
that from his significantly furnished Off
ces in Manila, surrounded by the members
of commission all handsomely reconpen
sed for their services, things may look vor
bright in the Philippines. AS matter OF
fact, however, there are others, perhaps
equally competent to testify, many Of
them officers who have penetrated into
the strongholds of the lnsurrection, who
do not regard the situation from the same
hopeful and complacent standpoint as
does Governor Taft.
The Philippine tariff bill continues to
occupy the attention of the Senate and
drastic censure of the course of the adj
ministration has been the usual order of
the day on the democl attic side. Senator
Lodge has, however, stated that the Sen
ate proposes to pass the measure
regardless of the opinion of the majority :;
and his position, that he and his col
legues are not open to reason or convlc-
ton, may serve to precipitate the passage
of the bill, in view of the large amount of
business which the Senate still has to con
slider.
Representative Newland>, of Nevada.
has introduced resolution in the House
providing for the election of three
fou.ths of the Ding,ey rates on Cuban SUI
gar and tobacco in cunsderatipn of recip-
rocal concessions from Cuba aud con-
cludes with an invitation to Cuba to come
into the United States under territorial
form of government and with the proviso
that statehood will be granted when, in
the Judgment of Congress, it seems advi-
sable Mr.. Newlands deems such a course
the most expedient solution of the Cuban
problem. Speaking of the matter he told
me that he had no reason for waiting un-
til the Cubans had formed powerful po-
litical organizations, the members of
which would expect to derive their liveli-
hood from politics and would therefore
oppose annexation, before inviting the
island to come into the United States.
Under annexation" said Mr.. Newlands,
1.-The beet sugar men believe they would
be better protected than with "A reduction
of the tariff, and am inclined t.. think
they are right The Cubans have admit
ted before this Committee (the Ways and
Means) that they now have employed in
the production of sugar all the labor in
the islands and they have tacitly ii limited
that the extension of the industry must
come from the importatiol of cheap
Chinese and other labor. Ii the island
was annexed IT, the United States our i'm
migration laws would apply, the rate of
wages would be gradually raised t. the
same level and their sugar would be pro-
duced under conditions So similar to our
own that the competition would be by
no means as severe" The introduction
of the Newlands resolution caused a SEN
sation in the House aud it was every
where actively discussed. Had it come
from republican source it seems most
likely that it would have been adopted.
Under the circumstances its seems most
predetermined
Representative o. Car W. Tn lerwood,
of Alabama, ex pressed himself to your
correspondent, yesterday in go uncertain
terms upon the question of our relations
with Cuba. He said that he was in favor
of relations as near free trade as could be
secured. There are immense markets in
Cuba for American products which would
more than make up any possible loss which
mi 5ht be sustained by the sugar interests.
Every increase in the manufacture Of
Cuban sugar will be attended with a de-