The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-18
NO ACTION ON
 RECIPROCITY Congress Will DO Nothing
 for Cuba. MIR. ROOSEVELT IS SILENT Has Had His Say and is Now
 a Listener. Beet Sugar Republicans Unite With Democrats in Favorably Report. ing Bartlett's Resolution to
 Investigate Wood and
 Thurber.

erybody except the Senators who have been leading the administration side of the fight now admit that the present ses- sion of Congress will adjourn without any Cuban reciprocity bill being passed. There is no doubt. as was stated in the dispatches las. night, that the President has decided to do nothing more in the matter. and his followers seem to be very generally of the opinion that the least of the several evils which the domi- nant party is- now calling on to choose from win be secured by simply letting the matter drop.
 The Republicans on the Senate Con- mttee on Relations with Cuba agreed on a bill today, as was expected. but con- trary to the general belief this bin will be submitted to the conference to be held tomorrow night instead of being report ed to the Senate.
 The bill in question is the Spooner sub stitute, which provides for a reduction of 20 per cent. on the tariff on Cuban su- gar and contains provisions which in the opinion of the author are such as to pre- vent the benefit going to any one but the Cuban planters, The general impression is that the conference of Republicans to be held tomorrow night will simply discuss the measure and adjourn without taking action. This would mean that nothing more would be done during this session.
 Will Investigate Wood.
 Something of stir was created today when it was learned that the House Con- mttee on Military Affairs had ordered a favorable report on Representatives Bart lett's resolution calling on the Secretary of War for statement as to the amounts paid by General Wood. acting in his ca pacity as Governor of Cuba, to F. B. Thurber and others for the purpose of advancing the intcTe est of the Cuban roci- procity plan.
 number of resolutions introduced by other Democrats in an effort to get at the facts regarding Cuban expenditures have been voted down by the Republican ma jority, but MT. Bartlett cleverly worded his resolution in such way as to make 1t to the interest of the beet sugar men to favor it. Consequently. when it came up before the Military Affairs Committee this morning, the beet sugar advocates thereon voted with the Democrats, over ruled the Republican majority and or dered the resolution reported favorably. It remains to be seen what the House will do with, the resolution.
 If the beet sugar men and the Demo- crats act in unison the committe report will be adopted. It is possible that Charles M. Dobson, the correspondent who charges that bribe money was paid General Gomez by Governor General Wood, may be called to testify before the Senate Committee on Relations with Cuba
 Senators ElkinS, Burrows, Dietrich and Foraker called at the White House today and discussed Cuban reciprocity with the President. The President now is re- gsrded more of a listener than an ad- wiser, he having expressed himself in his special message as to the duty of Con- gress toward Cuba.
 Senator Elkins remarked at the White House today that Congress would ad- JCrrn without action of any kind on Cuban reciprocity.
 Foraker Pretends Confidence.
 Senator Foraker. on the other hand, predicted that some sort of an agree ment would be reached before long.
 Interest in the question of Cuban reel prt city was centered today in the con- ference of Republican Senators tc be held tomorrow night at the request of the Republican members of the Commit tee cn Cuban Relations.
 With the determination to hold a con- ference, Senators appear to have largely
 
 and most of them have turned their at- tention to other questions. The beet sugar men have been so much encour- aged by recent occurrences that many of them claim that the conference de- cision will be adverse to any legislation whatever in the interest of Cuba.
 They still claim twenty Republicans who will oppose any efforts at legisla- ton on the floor of the Senate, and they assert that there are many others of their colleagues who are in sympathy with them, and so express themselves in the privacy of the committee room. This showing they believe. will be such as to convince the advocates of reciprocity of the futility of their move and cause them to abandon the effort without talk ing the question to the Senate.
 The friends of the measure, however, say there can be no doubt that the con- ference will pronounce for the Spooner bill. and that it will be reported to the Senate by the committee having it in charge.
 There was some renewal today of the talk of a treaty with Cuba and that it was stated that 1t was quite probable that it would be sent to the Senate be- fore the adjournment of the present con- ference The impression is strong that legislation either in the form of an act or A treaty is quite out of the question for this session. Some of the reciprocity leaders freely admit this, and while oth- ers more hopeful do not go so far even to admit that the chances are doubtful. 
 Heavy Snow in France.