New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-03-28
A STRICT PARTY MEASURE.
MR.. BABCOCK TO VOTE FOR A FAVOR
ABLE REPORT on THE CUBAN
RECIPROCITY BILL.
LBY TELEGRAPH TO THE -n1BrNE.l

IBT TELEGRAPH TO THE -R1RVNE.J
Washington, March 27.-The fight for Cuban
reciprocity in the House is virtually over Chair
man Payne of the Ways and Means Committee
will probably report his bill early next week.
having to-day received assurances that Mr.
Babcock. of Wisconsin, is willing 10 vote for
favorable report. This gives the necessary num-
Der of Republican votes to bring the bill out or
the committee as a strict party measure. and
leaves only Mr.. Tawney. of Minnesota, and Mr.
Metcaf of California, the only irreconcnable
beet sugar supporters among the Ways and
Means Committee Republicans 1t is under
stood that Mr.. Tawney would finally have
agreed to vote with the majority of the COM
mittee if Mr.. Babcock had not consented so
early to do So Mr.. Babcock has been confined
to his room by sickness for the greater time OF
the last month. and has not been able to at
tend many of the committee meetings and take
part in the reciprocity discussion. Had he not
been kept away by illness it is considered prob
able that he would have deserted the "insur-
gents" Immediately after the Payne bill was
adopted by the Republican caucus, and thus the
bill would have been out of the committee more
than week ago. Mr.. Babcock visited the
White House to-day at the Presidents request,
and had long conference reciprocity. He
told the President that he would not aid any
effort to embarrass the administration in its
matured Cuban policy, and would not even join
Messrs. Tawney and Metcalf in their scheme to
delay final action on the Payne bill by attempt
ing to force consideration at this time of the
proposition to remove the differential on refined
sugar from Cuba, suggestion made by the beet
sugar people in the hope of INJECTING harm on
the Sugar Trust.
THE PROSPECT IN THE SENATE.
II the Payne bill gets before the House next
week it Is generally believed that it will get
through that body by April 10. and will reach
will encounter a good deal of stubborn oppo-
that il Will pass by substantial majority and
with an amendment increasing the tarln reduc-
ton to % per cent, and possibly without the
SIhley limitation to the period OF reciprocity.
This ar any rate is the present plan of the adj
ministrations supporters. They Will be an
tagOniZed by a small but strong group of West
ern Republicans. led by Messrs. Burrows and
Mcmillan, of Michigan. and supported oy
Messrs. Jones and Stewart of Nevada; Bard
and Perkins, of California. and Elkins and Scott,
of West Virginia. The latest recruit 10 the
ranks of the beet root forces is Senator Clark,
Of Montana. Mr.. Clark is largely interested
in the beet sugar industry in California, and has
been quietly aiding the beet sugar representa-
tiVeS in their efforts To head off Cuban reel
that h. and not Mr. OXnaTd has been the real
power behind the throne all through the night.
While he has not yet publicly announced his at
titude, II IS known that he has been eNeTtlnS
his full influence on the Democrats in both
House and Senate 10 defeat the administrations
Cuban reciprocity policy 1t is said that he has
succeeded in winning two three Western
Democrats i'm the Senate. and in view OF his ac
tivIty on thu Democratic side Of the chamber
It is believed that the Republican leaders in
the Senate VIII md II advisable 70 make the
reciprocity hill a strict party measure, in order
10 assure its passage without a long and danger
Gus struggle.