The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-12
LONG CRACKS
PARTY WHIP.
Kansas Congressman Argues,
COaxes and Threatens
His Associates on the Ways and
Means Committee.
TEMPORARY VICTORY.
Obtains Adjournment Until
Tuesday Without Action.
Tells Them They May Go Far
ther and Fare Worse.
TEMPORARY VICTORY.

Washington, March 1.-THE fourth
conference of the house Republicans on
the reciprocity question was fruitless,
like those that preceded it, the confer
ence adjourning at midnight until next
Tuesday. The victory was with the ad-
Vocates of reciprocity, as the motion to
adjourn was carried, 72 to "a, after a
motion to amend the motion to make
it a sine die adjournment, offered by
Mr.. Littlefield, of Maine, one of the
leaders of the opposition, had been vo-
ted down, 81 to 79
The motion to adjourn was made by
Speaker Henderson and the opponents
of reciprocity claimed after the ad-
journnfent that some of their friends
did not care to offend the speaker by
declining to heed his appeal for fur
ther conference. Earlier in the evening
the opponents of reciprocity had insist
ed on a vote upon the main PROPOSE
ton.
The session was a stormy one. Mr..
Sibley, of Pennsylvania, offered a COM
promise proposition for reciprocity ar
rangement to last until December 1,
1908, which he claim ed had the approval
and Endorsement of President Roosevelt.
He also said he had assurances that if
the house granted a 20 per cent conces-
sion, the senate would not increase it,
About 130 members were present.
Speaker Henderson and the leaders on
both sides of the controversy were in
attendance. Representative Cannon, of
Illinois, presided, and an arrangement
was made for a division of the time
between the advocates and opponents Of
reciprocity.
Representative Long, of Kansas, a
member of the ways and means COM
mittee, opened with an exhaustive argu-
ment in favor of the 20 per cent conceS-
sion advocated by his colleagues of the
ways and means committee
He argued that the maintenance of
protective tariff was not involved in the
proposition of the Ways z sand means.
committee, but that the policy of re-
ciprocity was. ''The defeat of this BILL"
said he IN cans that the Republican
party has refused to follow the leader
ship of Blaine, of Mckinley and of
Roosevelt, and it would mean that re-
ciprocity was no longer part of the
Republican faith
He pointed out that the Republican
platform of 1886 referred to the repeal
of the reciprocity agreements under the
Mckinley law as a national calamity,
and demanded their renewal and extern
sion. The original section of the Ding
ley bill authorizing reciprocity agree
ments he recalled, named sugar as one
of the articles on which the president
was authorized to reduce the duties, but
the section was changed in the senate
and sugar was stricken out.
The Dingley law authorized the presi-
articles produced in this country. and
President Mckinley made agreements
with France, Germany, Italy and Por-
tugal that were now in force; so he
maintained that those who favored reci-
procity with Cuba were not untrue to
the doctrines of the Republican party,
because tobacco and sugar produced in
this country, were included. Moreover,
he insisted that the hearings before the
committee on ways and means showed
concluSively that concessions made on
Cuban sugar would not affect the price
of sugar in this country, and that the
beet sugar industry would not be in
jured. A reduction of 20 per cent. on
Cuban sugar, leaving the duty on such
sugar at S1.34 per 100 pounds, would not
enable the Cuban, after paying freight
rates and cost of refining, to compete
with the beet sugar in Chicago, Kansas
City or Denver, which are the principal
markets for beet sugar.
He eSpouSed reciprocity with Cuba
he said, not only because it would be
helpful to Cuba, but because he be-
heved we would get an adequate ree
turn. and in support of that belief he
instanced the result of the reciprocity
with Cuba under the Mckinley law,
from September l. 1891, to August 27.
1894. Under that law, sugar, molasses,
coffee and hides were admitted free,
and in return Spain made concessions
on our products entering Cuba. The
results were demonstra ted in the fact
that our exports to Cuba increased
1898. In 1896, after the agreement was
abrogated, they had fallen to 81, $50, $50
Our exports to Cuba were now only
SIS, CTS. 702 out of total of $65, ,050, 141.
The witnesses before the committee on
ways and means, he said, stated that,
with prosperity in Cuba, the importa-
tionS of that island would amount to
$3.50 0GO, COO to 100000 coo annually. This,
he argued, was the trade that Cuba Of
fered us in return for concessions on
sugar and tobacco.
This was not charity. 1t was a good
bargain. Mr.. Long contended that, in
addition to self-interest, there was a
moral obligation upon the United States
to grant concessions. He declared that
when the commission from Cuba was
prevailed upon to accept the Platt
amendment. President Mckinley aSSur-
ed them that in consideration of its
acceptance, he would do all in his pow
er to secure economic conditions, and
said that the commission SO reported to
the Cuban convention. He presented
detailed figures to show that the Porto
Rican sugar growers had received the
full benefit of the free admission of Su-
gar from that island, from which he
argued that the Cubans, not the sugar
trust. would get the beneflt-and all the
benefit-of any reduction congress
might make. In conclusion, Mr.. Long
said:
IF this legislation fail, and no con-
cession be made to Cuba-if the policy
of President Mckinley and President
does not mean that the beet sugar in
dustry, by the control of this house, can
prevent free sugar from Cuba. After the
establishment of the republic of Cuba,
a treaty can be negotiated with that
country by the president