The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-16
RESPONSIBILITY FOR HOSTILITY TO
RECIPROCITY.

The News declares that the Republican
party will have to answer for its failure to
do it's plain duty in regard TO Cuba, which
two Republican Presidents have urged,
thus giving its readers 10 understand that
a majority OF the Republicans In both
branches OF Congress are opposed TO ex-
tending reciprocity to Cuba. On the cen
trary the Republican leaders in the House
did all they could TO sustain the two Pres
idents. Several caucuses were held and at
the last 1t was voted TO report a reciprocal
bill. The Republicans have about fifty
ma ority In the House The Democrats
made overtures to the beet-sugar represent
atives not to support the result of the
caucus, and those overtures were accepted.
So thirty-six of the 2O2 Republican mem
bers OF the House. violating the decision
of a caucus, which is usually considered
binding, became the allies Of the Demo-
Gratis TO defeat the caucus reciprocity bill.
The addition of the thirty-six beet-sugar
Republican votes to the $50 Democratic
votes then constituting the beet-sugar
party defeated the Republican bill provid-
ing for a reciprocal treaty with Cuba. 1t
was a Republican failure because less than
a fifth of the Republicans for the time be-
time being. furnished four-hfths of the
beet-sugar party as opposed to the Repub-
lican party.
The contest was transferred to the Sen
ate. In that body ffty-two members are
classed as Republicans and thirty-four
Democrats. 1t is asserted that at least
forty Republican senators are in favor of
reciprocity. Sixteen senators participated
in the anti-reciprocity conferences, but a
dozen have been counted as the largest
number who will vote against reciprocity.
That is, one-fourth Of the Republicans can
not be counted on to sustain reciprocity.
while three-fourths can. Is it fair to de-
clare that when three-fourths of the Re
publican sens tors are in accord with the
President the whole party I'm the Senate
is responsible? In the Senate. as in the
House, the Democrats have given intima-
ton that they will vote one man with
the few Republicans 10 carry out the policy
of the beet-sugar men. But for the united
opposition OF the free-trade protesting
Democrats in the Senate the Republican
plan OF reciprocity would be adopted in
the Senate, as it would have been in the
House. 1t is submitted that it is not fair
TO hold the Republican party responsible
for what one-ffth of them do by bargain
ing with the Democrats.
Again. both parties have held conventions
in several States In this State the Re-
pubicans declared Cor a reciprocal treaty
with Cuba. and the convention voiced its
belief in that declaration by hearty ap-
plause In Ohio. Pennsylvania, Kansas and
Maine resolutions were adopted approving
the Presidents policy in regard to Cuba.
The Indiana Democratic convention has
been held; does any one remember that it
demanded a reciprocal treaty with Cuba +?
It was silent on the subject. At first sew
eral Democratic papers urged reciprocity
with Cuba. but in the West all of them
have been silent for several weeks on this
subject.
But the independent papers will say that
the majority should put forth it's influence
to coerce the beet-sugar senators into sup
port OF the Mckinley Roosevelt policy.
They say this because the reciprocity
proposition is one that most of them hap
pen to favor just now. If the pending
measure were one that they did not favor
the caucus would be denounced and those
who yielded their views to the judgment
of the majority would be denounced as
towards who fell into line under the lash
Of the party whip. AS for popular senti-
ment. there is not the least doubt that four
flfths of the Republican party is in favor
Of Cuban reciprocity. 1t is also probable
that large part of the Democratic party
is in favor of so sensible and just a meas
ure, but the party expression in Congress
is hostile to it almost to a man. Such are
the facts.