The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-23
TO FIX UP NEW BILL
REPUBLICAN SENATORS DISCUSS
CUBAN NATTER.
FAVORABLE TO RECIPROCITY.
REBATE MAY BE RAISED TO %
PER CENT. ~

Republicans i'm the senate Do Not
want Any Such Game Played ON
Them as the Democrats Worked
on Their Confreres in the House.
VIII submit Their Bill to a Caucus
and Make 1t Party Measure.
House Provision striking Out the
Tariff DiGerentinI ON Refined SUI
gar VIII BE ELIMINATED.
Washington, April 22.-The question
of reciprocity with Cuba formed the
subject of an important preliminary
conference on the part of majority
of the Republican senators to-day
This conference was held in the room
of the Senate Committee on Finance
during the afternoon sitting of the
Senate. and was extended for some
time after the adjournment. Senator
Hale presided. The result of the meet
ing may be summed up as follows:
There win be an early meeting of
the Senate Committee en- Re-
lations with Cuba 10 take
UP the question On the basis of
the House bill. which is now before
that committee; the Republican mem-
bers of the committee will act together
in formulating substitute for the
House bill, and none of them are to
cooperate with the Democratic MEM
bers of the committee; the bill thus
agreed upon by the Republican mem
| bers to be submitted to a Republican
caucus of the Senate and made a par
ty measure. The leaders of the move
ment express confidence that it will be
possible to report a bill out of the
committee, and say their confidence
also extends to the point of the pas
sage of the bill by the Senate.
There were no set speeches at the
meeting to-day, senators talking back
and forth with great freedom and in
| formality. Senators .Aldrich, Hale,
Piatt of Connecticut and Hanna were
most outspoken in their expression of
opinion that reciprocity legislation is
demanded by the exigencies of the oc-
| casion. Senator Aldrieh expressed the
belief that international complications
in Cuba might result in case no relief
should be given to the planters of the
| island. One or two other senators sug-
rate and a few expressed the opinion
that there should be no reduction
whatever, saying that they felt that
the United States had already done
enough for Cuba and that our own SUI
gar interests deserved all the protection
that the existing law gives it. IA
1t was stated that quite a number of
the Democrats were favorable to the
proposed reciprocat3arrangem and
the opinion was vouchsafed that in the
end all the Republicans could be
brought into line opsa fair bill.
Some RepubIicans Are Opposed.
It was generally agreed that most of
| the opposing Republican senators were
| from sugar beet growing states, but
| the fact was .broughtout that there are
some' Republican senators who are in
clined TO oppose the legislation for 9TH
| er reasons. The consensus of opinion
| seemed to be that a bill granting not
to exceed 70 per cent. reduction should
be reported by the committee, and
there was general unaninnity as to the
advisability of eliminating the House
provision striking out the dffferentiaI
duty on refined sugar f
| The Democratic senators were also
more or less engaged to- day with the
sugar question. The Democratic con-
| situations generally had reference to
Senator Teller'S resolution providing
for an inquiry as to the holdings OF, the
present stock of sugar and there was
at one time a practical assurance that
sufficient votes could be secured to
pass the resolution, 1t would seem
probable, however, that the result of
the Republican conference may change
the situation in that respect