Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-21
DAaS 0F COMPROMISE
Republican Members OF Senate
Committee Have Compromise
Plan on Cuban Bill.
The Basis on Which an Agree
ment Can Be Reached is
Outlined.
House Bill and Retention Of the
Tariff on Refined Sugar
Favored.

meeting of the republican members o
the senate committee on Cuba yester
day, at which, altho no actual agree
{ 1nent was reached, a basis of conpro
mise was plainly in sight, and it is thu
belief of the republican leaders tina
they can report a bill whenever it be,
comes necessary and pass it wi.hou
difficulty.
The present indications are that i
will be the house bill, providing for {
reduction of 20 per cent of the tariff
dues in both directions, limited to Dec
d, 1903, and without any reference t.
labor or immigration laws, retaining
the tariff on refined sugar exactly as a,
present. Seventy-five per cent of the
republican senators believe the reduc-
ton should be much greater than thai
passed by the house, but they realize
the necessity Of compromise, and {
spirit of concession was manifested al
-s1he meeting of the republicans today
(which indicates good deal to those
sfamliar with the inside machinery OF
eHhe senate.
Senator Mcmillan proposed the ia
dnliliar old rebate system, which pro-
opposes to pay back to the planters a
hef1nite sum of money, to be take, OF
States, from the treasury of the United
States. This rebate scheme was thor
.pughly exploited in the house and con-
sdemned by every tariff expert to whom
1t was submitted. The senate republic
cans today We're unwilling to accept
THE rebate idea. They took the ground
that the president, who manifestly
knew more about the situation than any
one else, had committed the party to
the policy OF reciprocity with Cuba, and
hence republicans were bound to fol-
dow ont that pollc5 AMI not run off at a
tangent.
Senator Spooner, of Wisconsin, who
represents the conservative beet sugar
idea. suggested as basis of compro-
mise that if2the senate would not insist
upon any larger reduction the beet SUI
gar men probably would agree to the
house bill TO: 20 per cent cut with
out cutting off the differential OH re-
fined sugar and without imposing upon
Cuba the unusual condition for a SOW
ereign nation of being obliged to enact
verbatim the labor and immigration
laws of another country.
Senator Mcmillan, it is understood,
has not entirely acceded to this COM
promise, and some of the republican
senators are still holding out for a lar
ger reduction, but it is believed the
Spooner proposition will be adopted
and ultimately will be accepted by the
house.
1t is said by both state department
officials and by those in congress who
have studied the situation that the Gu
ban problem is radically different from
the one presented at the beginning OF
the year. From this time on Cuba must
be treated with, not as vassal state.
but as an independent nation. The ire
sistible logicIof the commercial situa-
ton probably will require Cuba to ac-
lcept any tariff reductions OH sugarSand
tobacco offered by the United States.
but there Is no political necessity for
any such subservience on the part of
Cuba.
There is an entirely mistaken idea
that Cuba cannot make any treaty
without the. consent of the United
States. There is nothing OF this kind
in the Plat amendment. The govern
q treaty which will impair the indepen
dence of Cuba, but in other respects
the republic of Cuba Is as independent
of the United States as any other for
eign country. It can make q treaty of
reciprocity with Canada, or Mexico, or
Brazil, or any other country, and leave
the United States out in the cold. altho
to do so would require Cuba to bite off
Its nose to spite its face.
The situation which now confronts
The senate, however. is that If some
kind of genuine reciprocity is not Of
fered there is no way of forcing Cuba
ito make any tariff concessions to the
limited States, but, on the contrary.
dt is within the power Of the Republic
,pf Cuba, to make special concessions to
Eanadian flour. to German machinery,
ito French wines, and to English cut
uery without asking the consent of the
united Staes. It is evident, therefore,
that IL reciprocity with Cuba should be
refused this country would inmedia-
ntely lose q trade with the island worth
ten times the amount of the conces-
sion proposed to be granted on sugar
and tobacco.
It is the purpose of the republicans
in the senate to steer clear of the ne
cessity of making any reciprocity
treaty with Cuba. They wish to make
q law of the United States only, so that
the president will be authorized to re-
duce the tariff rates on articles coming
from Cuba whenever that country shall
make an exclusive concession to- the
United States. This avoids all dip
1omatic negotiations. and wisely so,
because reciprocity treaty with Cuba
would have to be ratified by a two
thirds vote of the senate, which WOULD
be quite impossible to secure in the
senate.
The present plan is, therefore, to
agree upon fiat 20 per cent reduction
without any reference to a treaty and
without attempting to require Cuba to
pass our labor and immigration laws.
especially as they are now in force
there thru the executive order of Gov
ernor General Wood, which stands un-
til repealed by the Cuban Congress.