Evening star., 1902-03-06
Lines to- Be Sharply Drawn
in Torkghts Conference.
FROM THE START
BEET suazn ln CONFIDENT OF
THEIR STRENGTH.
President Not to Be Drawn Into Con
test-Chairman Payne's = =.
Statement

Lines OF division are being sharply drawn
among the republicans Of the House for
ton1ghts contest over the Cuban relief bill.
The conference will begin at o'clock and
will be attended by probably every repub-
lican representative In the city and not de-
tanned by illness.
1t will be fight from the time the chair
mans gavel falls and may not end tonight.
On one side will be the defenders of the
beet sugar industry claiming that their
Industry is menaced by tariff reduction
bill. and on the other the recognized House
leaders. insisting that the ways and means
bill will not affect the beet industry IN
juriously. and claiming that bill to be the
only practicable solution Of the problem OF
Cuban relief.
President Not to Be Drawn In.
1t looks as if the President will not be
drawn into the controversy. The last word
from the White House was that he would
not dictate the measure of relief just so 1t
is forthcoming. and is of practicable and eff
ficient character. That has been the Presi-
dents attitude for some time past. Repre-
sentations to the contrary have done him
injustice
The beet sugar men said this afternoon
sure removed there was no likelihood of a
tariff reduction bill winning in tonight's
conference. They do fear a possible ap-
peal for support Of the House leadership
and for preservation of party discipline.
Chairman Payne's Statement.
Chairman Payne of the ways and means
committee today gave out the following
authorized statement:
Il think the large majority of the repub-
l1cans have made up their minds that We
must do something for Cuba. There are
three propositions presented, which have
this professed end in view. The proposition
of Mr.. Morris Of Minnesota provides for an
increase in the tariff On sugar to the outside
world and rebate sugar imported
from Cuba. It does not seem to me that
many republicans are willing to increase
the duty on sugar.
''Then there Is the proposition Of Mr.
Tawney to vote between $7.OOOOOO and
$SO0O.00 directly into the Cuban treasury,
and to ask the Cuban government to dis
tribute about 81 10000 according to his
figures, to native Cuban planters. This
first payment is to be paid without any
compensation from Cuba In any way. shape
ernment. It hardly needs the opinion of
lawyer to say that such a procedure would
be UNCONSTITUTIONAL
His proposition further is to pay a like
sum yearly, On the granting OF reciprocal
concessions and the passage Of our immi-
grafton and exclusion laws.
"Of course. no bounty OF this kind could
be distributed without sea andal and a
the Cuban laborers would still remain with
out work. It would be just easy for the
sugar trust to obtain concession on the
sugar they bought on account Of the
bounty. as to obtain a concession where the
planter knew. he was to have 20 per cent
concession In duty, SO that Mr.. Tawney's s
proposition has no advantages over that
for a 20 per Cent reduction and 1t has the
disadvantages named.
The 20 Per Cent Reduction.
''The third proposition is that for 20 per
cent reduction Of duties. This would injure
no home industry. Coupled with the pro-
vision to extend our exclusion laws to Cuba,
no one appearing before the committee on
ways and means contended that 1t would SO
injure home industries ALI agreed that the
price of sugar to the American consumer
would remain the same. Nor would 1t
cure to the benefit Of the sugar trust. The
witnesses before the committee united in
testifying-and the statistics SO prove-that
the trust has received no benefit In buying
sugar. either in Hawaii or Porto Rico, since
the duty was reduced or removed.
1.-The entire benefits have been reaped by
the planters in these islands. We have
every reason to believe the same would
prove true as to Cuba. Many misleading
statements as to the attitude of the Presi-
dent, the cabinet and the House repub-
licans are appearing in the newspapers.
cannot speak Of conferences with the Presi-
dent. But / have every assurance that the
cabinet Is not divided on this question, nor
has a majority OF the House republicans
committed themselves either to the Morris.
the TaWney or the do-nothing policy.
1.-THE proposition OF 20 per cent reduc-
ment the annexation of Cuba for many
years. She will not come in until her popu-
lation is Americanized from the states. 1t
will settle the question for generations to
come and give rest and tranquility to the
sugar business. If the reduction Is made
no further change will be made until we
have annexation and free trade To refuse
to do anything would put the House In a
position of hostility to the President, would
cause uncertainty and feeling Of appre-
hension to the producers Of sugar in the
states, and would be utterly demoraaizing. -
To Abolish Sugar Duties.
Mr. Colcock secretary of the Cane Grow
ers' Association, received cablegram from
Sir John Lubbock of London today giving
a list. of the countries which signed the
agreement to abolish sugar bounties and
impose a countervailing duty on the coun-
tries not coming into the same agreement
The list includes Great, Britain, Germany,
Austria. France. Belgium Holland, Italy
Roumania, Sweden and Spain. Russia did
not sign. -~ -..
For Benefit OF Creditors.