The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1902-06-26
WASHINGTON.

W AAeD n n ~ = - - "
From our Regular Correspondent
Washington, June a3, 1902.
Cuban reciprocity is defeated, Pres
ident Roosevelt is humliated and the
republican party is split in twain.
Such is the practical result of the con-
ference of republican senators held
last week. Although the session adj
journed without action, seventeen re-
publican senators expressed unquali-
fed opposition to Cuban reciprocity.
An adjourned session was held Friday
but without results. All this might
have been avoided had the President
or his supporters, known as the sad
ministration senator's" been willing to
sacrifice, even to a moderate degree,
the interests of the Sugar Trust, for
the democrats would gladly have as
sisted them IN passing the reciprocity
law as it came from the House and,
as then no conference would have been
possible, no trouble would have been
experienced with those republicans in
the lower chamber who voted to re-
move the differential duty on refined
sugar with view to defeating recip-
rocal legislation. What the result to
Cuba of the defeat Of this legislation
will prove no one can foretell, but 1t
is evident that Senator Elkins, who on
last Saturday introduced resolution
providing for the annexation Of Cuba
as a state of the Union,. anticipates
that annexation will follow and that
the capitalists, who are the main sup.
port of the republican party, will have
an opportunity to exploit the island as
they now propose to do the Philip
pines.
Throughout the Cuban fight there
has been evident 10 the close observ-
er an underlying desire to humiliate
the President. He is no more accept
able 10 the politicians of the party to-
day than he was when me was '1aid
on the shelf" by his nomination as
Vice President and if the people can
be made to believe that he is incom-
petent as party leader he will be
more effectually retired at the next
national convention. A serious grew
ancs which a certain class of senators
have had against him has been his
support of the Secretary of the Interi-
or in policy which has operated to
curtail the special privileges of the
cattle barons who have for years re-
garded the public domain in the far
west as theirs by special grant of the
republican party In the eyes of the
e typical republican politicians, Mr.
Roosevelt has been senselessly honest
+, hence their efforts at his defeat
\ -
, On Tuesday last week the Commit
: tee on Relations with Cuba brought
!. in the Spooner substitute for the reci
r procity bill passed in the House anc
e which reduced the concession, which
i It authorized the President to make tC
Cuba, to 20 per cent. Thursday the
Senate voted on the Nicaraguan Ca
nal bill and then there will remain on
ly the general deficiency bill to con
slder. Senator Quay has gwen notice
that he will make an attempt to annu
the action of Senator Beverldge's com
mittee in postponing action on The
Omnibus territorial bill, as soon a
the vote on the canal bill is conclud
ed and it is possible that some tim,
will be devoted to that measure be
fore adjournment.
Last Friday the House passed tn
Observation-Disclosures Irrigation bill
and the Senate has agreed to tn
House amendments SO that it require
only the signature of the President t.
become a law. Practically all tn
public land open to settlement an
lie capable of improvement has been eS
hausted and by the provisions of thi
" bill many more acres will be opene
III up. No funds will be taken dlrectl
from the Treasury for irrigation pu1
&c poses but the proceeds from the sal
~ of public lands in sixteen states wi
=, - be set aside as fund to extend irr
" CATION of the arid lands.
I'd Since the passage of rhe irrigatlo
d. bill, the House has devoted itself
u !, the consideration of various minor law
= and amendments to the statutes, II
Of Guiding some changes in the pensio
er law-which it is intimated were mad
is for the purpose of securing votes
h. the fall elections and without any e
e- pectation that the Senate would rat
10 fly them,-and also some amen
aa 5o ments to the bankruptcy act. We
W ~ nesday of last week the General ID
IS fciency bill was passed, which cor
90 | Dlated the aDnroDriatiOn hills to