The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-12
BEET. suGARITEs CONFIDENT.
Say Thurber's Testimony Has Killed
 Reciprocity Bill.

Washington. June 1f.-The testimony given today before the Committee on Gu ban Relations by F. B. Thurber. showing that between $500 and 5000 had been paid out of the Cuban treasury under the
 direction of Governor General Wood for the promotion of the effort to secure reel procity between the United States and Cu- ba. caused sensation In the Senate to- day.
 The news of MT. Thurber's statement reached the Senate chamber about the time that body convened and when Sem ator Teller whose examination had de- veloped the facts. made his appearance
 on the floor. he was immediately sur rounded by Senators from both sides of the chamber, who professed great anxiety to know all that had occurred. Copies of one voucher produced were eagerly sought. Some of the beet sugar advocates | in the House pointed out that MT. Thur. ber had not in his testimony before the Ways and Means Committee indicated connection with the Cuban government ir his effort to create sentiment in this coun- | try favorable to concessions to Cuba. Opinions as to the ultimate effect oi | the testimony are varied. but the imme | diate results are seen in the decision lreaehed during the afternoon to have two | caucuses in the early future. the nrs | by the beet sugar Republican Senators | tomorrow and the second by all the Re publican Senators Friday and Saturday The purpose of the meeting of the bee sugar men is Is to consider the situation | as affected by today's developments ant l also to receive a. report from the commit | tee consisting of Senators Elkns, Bur rows and Jones (Nev) appointed to con fer with the Republicans members of th' l Cuban Committee. This committee will
 state that the Cuban Committee has de | clined to consider all the propositions | looking to d compromise which have beer
 made. and it probably will ask to be dis | charged.
 The propositions that have been mad' | are two--the first for a. rebate and th' | second for a commercial treaty with Gu | ba.
 The committee will say that both plans | were rejected and that the members oi | the Cuban Committe would not change | their position that there must be . | straight reduction of 20 per cent. without | any conditions except that the President | might have power to remove the con sessions in case he found that the Cubar
 planters were not getting the benefit ol | it.
 1 The full conference will be in the na l ture of a caucus and some of the bee
 sugar men say they will enter 1t only
 with the understanding that they shal
 not be bound by any conclusion that may | be reached.
 l Senator Aidrich expresses confidence 1T
 being able to secure fully forty-five Re
 publican votes in favor of any bill tha
 may be reported by the Cuban Commit
 tee. This is a majority of the Senate | and the friends of reduction express
 themselves as hopeful of passing bil | satisfactory to them.
 They say the testimony of MT. Thurbei
 does not affect the merits of the question
 fin the least. The beet sugar Senators un
 deniably are more hopeful than they hav' | been heretofore. Some of them go so fa
 a sto claim that there will he no reciproc
 ity legislation at least during the presen I session.