The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-06-20
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., June 10th.

nCction of the Sugar Trust with the aglta-
ton in favor of Cuban reciprocity, which
was Instituted by Senator Telcr's rcsnlu-
tion, has produced extensive and, to the
republicans, alarming results. Mr.. f. Is.
Thurhcr, of New York. who had several
times been called before the Committee
on Relations with Cuba, finally made his
appcarauce and from him was elected
the statement that Mr.. Havcmeyer, prcsi-
dent Of the American Sugar Refining
Company. had contributed 1850 t. fund
used by Mr. Thurhc1 ito e1ucate Amcri-
can sentiment in favor of reciprocity" and
that General Wood, acting for the Cuban
government, had contributed to the same
fund the sum of 50 1850. General Wood
was obliged.to admit the payment, saying
that he had made it in accordance with
the wishes of the Secretary of War and
Mr.. Havemeycr has made no denial
Acting upon the testimony of Mr. Thur
Der, eighteen Senators, of whom Mr..
Elkins is tie 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 a
day with his family at Oyster Bay and re-
turned to Washing ton Immediately and
on Friday sent special message to Con-
eress urging that body to pass the Cuban
reciprocity bill and incidentally mention
ing that he could not approve of the re-
bate scheme put forth by the ''insurgenl'
Senators. While Mr.. Roosevell's state
ment is very fair exposition 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 settlement as
ever
In this connection it should be borne in
mind that were the President or the re-
publican Senators who desire to befricnd
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
Senators, who oppose straight reciprocity
with Cuba on the ground that it would
result merely in augmenting the profits of
the Trust, would gladly vote for the reel
procity bill as it passed the House and
which removed the dfferential on refined
sugar and they could count on the com
bined support of the democrats. The sup
port of the "insurgent" republicans and a
large number of the democrats could also
be secured for the substitute bill of Sena-
tor Dietrich, which would transfer the
duty now imposed as differential on re-
fined sugar to the raw product and then
grant straight reciprocity to the extent of
20 per cent to Cuba. The difficulty with
| which Mr.. Roosevelt and his supporters
| in the Senate are contendine 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 repub-
ican harmony in the Senate will suffer as
severely as it did in the House when the
| same bill was considered there.
On Thursday the Senate will vote or
the Nicaraguan Canal bill, the concensus
| of opinion being that the Spooner resolu-
ton will be adopted. But two appropria-
| ton bills remain to be considered in the
Senate and they will be disposed of with
comparatively little debate SO that the
Senate will be face to face with the Cuban
dilemma and some action will have to be
taken. The President still Insists that if
| adjournment is taken without action on
the Cuban matter he will call Congress in
| special session. All day Friday the Sen
ate spent in secret session, the supporters
of the President endeavoring to secure
| confirmation Of the nomination of General
! Crozier as Chief of Ordnance, but without
avail, and the session adjourned without
| action. On Saturday Senator E!kins in
troduced resolution providing for the
| anne xation of Cuba as q State
The House of Representatives has
shown unusual industry during the past
| week and a number Of important measures
have been disposed of. After passing the
| bill for the protection of the President
| last Monday, the Lacey bill was taken up
and defeated. The Pacific Cable bill, in
| troduced and advocated by Mr.. Corliss,
of Michigan, was defeated and on Friday
| the Hansbrough- Newlands irrigation bill
was passed. AS this bill had already
passed the Senate and as such amend
| ments as were indicated to be essential by
| the President ere.adopted, there is rea-
son to believe that the Secretary OF the
Interior will soon be in position to com
mence an extensive system Of irrigation
| in the arid West.
The defeat of the Lacey bill, which pro-
viGed for the transfer of the care of the
| Forest Reserves from the Department of
| the Interior to the Department of Agri-
culture, calls for special comment because
of the causes which produced it, Repre-.
sentative Cannon, by an insiucere and
misleading 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 Agriculture would mean
| greatly increased cxHense to the govtrn-
ment, an mption for which there was
TO ground. Mr.. Cannon did not mention,
| however, that under the management of
Secretary Hitchcock there are employed
several hundred rangers who are nomi-
mated by members of Congress and that
of that number eight are Mr. Cannons
appontees. Neither did Mr. Cannon re-
member to state that the rangers romi-
mated by Congressman are generally
broken down politicians who are notori,
ously 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 Aeri
culture, 4 reform would be worked and
| the incompetent Congressional nominees
would be replaced by men who would
| retain their positions only 10y the merit
with which they performed their duties