The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-12
March H.

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UASHINGTON, March 1.-About
w 100 members were present to-
night at the fourth conference of
house Republicans called TO consider
the question Of Cuban reciprocity.
Speaker Henderson and the leaders Of
both sides of the controversy were in
attendance. Representative Cannon of
Illinois presided, and an arrangement
was made for a division of tims be-
tween the advocates and opponents Of
reciprocity.
Representative Long Of Kansas, a
member of the ways and means COM
mittee. opened with an exhaustive ar
gument in favor of the 70 per cent con-
cessiOn advocated by his colleagues Of
the ways and means committee. He
argued that the maintenance Of pro-
tective tariff was not involved in the
proposition Of the ways and means
committee. bu< that the policy Of reel
procity was. THE defeat of this bill
said he. means that the Republican
party has refused to follow the leader
ship of Blaine, of Mckinley and Of
Roosevelt. and it would mean that reel
procity was no longer a part Of the
Republican faith He pointed out that
the Republican platform OF 1885 re-
ferred to the repeal OF the reciprocity
agreements and the Mckinley law as
national calamity and demanded their
renewal and extension.
Dingley Bill Provision.
r. aTssssGl fiaH lT-aT
OH authorizing reciprocity agreements,
he recalled, named sugar as one Of the
articles on which the president was
authorized to change the duties. but
the section was changed in the senate
and sugar was stricken out.
The Dingley Law authorized the pres
ident to make reciprocal agreement
on articles produced in this country
and President Mckinley made agree
mentS with France, Germany lIdly
and Portugal that were now in force
so he maintained that those who Ia
vored reciprocity with Cuba were not
untrue to the doctrines Of the Rep|o-
lican party because tobacco and sugar
produced in this country were lnciud-
ed Moreover. he insisted that the
hearings before the committee on ways
and means showed c0nclusively thai
/ the concessions made on Cuban sugar
would not affect the price OF sugar III
| this country. and that the beet sugar
/ Industry would not be injured.
A reduction Of 20 per cent on Cuban
1 sugar. leaving the duty on such sugar
/ AT 81 "a per 100 pounds, would not en-
! able the Cuban. after paying freight
rates and cost of refining. "a compete
with the beet sugar in Chicago, Kan
sas CITY or Denver, which are the prln'
/ Gina! markets for beet sugar He es
/ housed reciprocity with Cuba ne sara
not only because it would be heipIu
/ tn Cuba. but because he believed Id
would get an adequate return. and u
/ support of that belief he instanced th'
result of the reciprocity with tuGi
uad-r the Mckinley law from sept ]
/ 1881. to Aug. p. 1894.
Concessions Of Spain.
Under that law sugar. molasses, cof
fee and hides were admitted tree an.
in return Spain made concessions 90
/ our products entering cuba me re
/ suits were demonstrated i'm the fac
mai orr exports to Cuba increased
from s12. .SSS in 1891 to s2t.l5t59o u
1888 In 1896. after the agreement wa
abrogated. they had fallen to $1,000 s6t
4 orr exports to Cuba were now onI
SOS. O-S. 702. out Of q total Ct s65-050lfl
Tho witnesses before the committee OF
WAYS and means. he said, stated tina
with prosperity in cuba. the ImpOrla
+ions of hat island would amour
from $4,000 600 to S200,9)0o0o annually
This. he argued. was the trade ina
cuba offered in return her concession
on sugar and tobacco,
This was not charity. II WAS goo
bargain. Mr.. Long cCntended that j
addition to self-interest there was
neral obligation upon the Unite
states to grant concessions to CUBA
He declared that when the c0mmlssio
from Cuba was prevailed upon 20 arc
cent the Piatt amendment, Presiden
Mckinley assured that in considerable
/ Df its acceptance ne would do all posi-
bic to effect economic concessions. am
the commission so reported To the ca
ban convention. in conclusion, 81
LCrg said.
IF this legislation fail, and no con
cess;on be made To Cuba-if the rnHe
Of President Mckinley and Presiden
Roosevelt be defeated by this nous
does not mean that the beet sugar in
5ustrv. bv the control of this mouse
cau prevent free sugar from cuba AT
fer the adjustment Of the republic q
/ Cuta. a treaty caH be negotiated VII
that country by the president.
Fears Free Trade.
E aThat treaty can provide for the an
, nexation Of Cuba. as the recent treat
! aid for the annexation Of the DAMS
West Indies. and the treaty can ne sur
mitted TO the senate and ratified. Ih
moment that the ratifications are ez
changed, under the decision Of the 81
preme court in the Porto Rican cas-
we would have free trade with Cuba :
all products. The house would 3
pou erless to prevent it,
so this house is not supreme, an
; II does not control or dominate this sit
nation. 1t would be the part Of WisdOi
for the beet sugar interests I'd agree
, / a reasonable concession that would M
injure their industry IN the remole'
degree. rather than be compelled 70 az
cept possible annexation ID the imm'
date future. Annexation would con