New-York tribune., 1902-03-14
THE FIGHT OVER CUBA.
RFET SUGAR FORCES STILL
HOLDING OUT.
COMMITTEES FROM BOTH SIDES EN-
nEAyORING TO REACH AN AGREE
MENT-THREATS OF THE
OPPOSITION.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. ]

,stuse as yet TO acknowledge defeat. Their
leaders with the notable exception of Mr.
Tawney of Minnesota. worked as hard to-day
~ rally their demoralzed and rapidly decimat-
,ng ranks as they did at the conference Tues
Sav night What they now hope to accomplish
cannot be surmised. their preposterous propo-
sttjon to exempt beet root whiskey from the In
ternaI revenue tax Of 81 10 has met with no
favor in any quarter. It is understood, how
ever that they intend TO contend for this con-
session which would amount TO a bounty to the
beet sugar industry, and result in driving other
distillers out Of business, until they are voted
down at the next conference of House Republi-
cans As said in The Tribunes dispatches
last night nearly all the beet sugar people are
willing TO support the administrations reciproc-
ttv bill as proposed to be amended by the Sibley
plsn TO limit the time to December 1903. but
some Of the irreconclables still threaten to con-
tinue 10 make all the trouble possible With
This object IN view. they held q meeting to-day
in the committee room Of William Alden Smith
of Michigan and appointed a committee TO con-
fer with similar committee representing the
majority. Their committee is composed Of Mr..
Fordney, Of Michigan; Mr.. Dick. of Ohio; Mr..
Metcalf. OF California; Mr. Morris. of Mime
sofa and Mr.. Tayler OF Ohio. The committee
representing the administrat ton is composed Of
Chairman Payne, of the Ways and Means Com
rnittee; Mr.. Dalzen Of Pennsylvania, and Mr..
Cannon, Of Illinois.
MAY CARRY THE FIGHT TO THE HOUSE.
A meeting of these conferrees was held late
tbis afternoon and the whole question in dis
pute was gone over informally with the view
Of laying g groundwork for future action. 1t
was developed at the conference that the I'm
surgent' committeeman are still determined TO
tight and that when beaten in the next con-
ference of House Republicans they will declare
their purpose to carry the fight to the floor of
tie House, in the expectation that with the aid
Of the free trade Democrats they can delay
definite action the reciprocity bill several
weeks by defeating special rule for the pas
sage of the measure, if that method is decided
UPON by the Ways and Means Committee.
Then. If it IS decided, as now contended by
Speaker Henderson, Chairman Payne and other
House leaders, that special rule will be
needed to limit debate and prevent the intro
duction of tariff revision amendments on the
well established ground that amendments of
that kind to a bill of such nature are not
gernane. the irreconcilables viii vote with the
Democrats on appeals from the Speakers rul-
ing What their strength would be in such
fihbustering movement cannot now be estimated
accurately, although it IS generally believed
that Il viii not be strong enough to-aceomplish
the purpose in view.
At the present moment however, this is their
programme. and II IS known that it has the
hearty support of the Democratic leaders whose
main purpose is TO propose amendments for
general tariff revision, and from this vantage
point prepare for the Congress campaign next
summer. still. It is pointed out that certainly
the beet sugar forces will not thus contribute
TO the making of Democratic thunder purely in
. spirit Of pique and retaliation for defeat. At
the same tine it cannot be denied that they are
talking IN this way at present, though It is not
believed they are in earnest. Mr.. Metcalf one
Of the @'insurgent'' conferrees is q member Of
the Ways and Means Committee. He is thus
placed in the anomalous position of antagoniz-
ing useiessly the most powerful organization in
the House, membership in which is more ear
nesrIy sought than in any other committee, and
it is suggested that since the Californian has
seen fit 10 take this the House leaders
in the next Congress may see to it that his am
bition to retain a place on the Ways and Means
Committee is not gratifed.
POSSIBLE ACTION OF THE SENATE.
A point on which the irreconcilables are now
insisting is that before they yield to the ma
jority and permit the reciprocity bill to go
through in the regular way, the Republican
leaders Of the Senate be pledged not to alter
Lle Dill IN any mat ple1ge mas not
been secured yet, nor is It believed that it will
be made The fact is that the Senate leaders
are now growing tired of the irritation among
House Republicans and are almost ready 10 take
the initiative in providing for reciprocity with
Cuba. If they do not do this there is scarcely
any doubt that the House bill will be amended
IN the Senate in at least one important particu-
lar. That IS that the tariff reduction be made
p instead Of 20 per cent. 1t is possible that in
the interest Of harmony and good feeling all
around the Senate Will agree to the Limitation
proposed by Mr.. Sibley. but this is by means
certain. In point Of fact. the Senate may amend
the bill in accordance with the original idea of
the President and Senator Platt. of Connecti-
rangenent with Cuba on a basis of % per cent
tariff concessions.
II is generally conceded by the best informed
opinion in Washington that If this kind Of
arrangement is not made the day Of Cuban
annexation viii be materially fastened. A hmi-
tation reciprocity. II is contended, VIII bring
no solid contentment or enduring economic
benefits to Cuba, and IT is greatly feared that at
the expiration OF the period Of reciprocity as
proposed by the Sibley amendment the situation
in the island will be even worse than 1t Is to-
day. This would produce such condition OF
Industrial Generalization and social disorder
that il is believed the mass Of Cubans would
plead for annexation in such a way that no
party in the United States could refuse 10 grant
II. From this point of view it is seen how short
sighted the beet root magnates are IN opposing
the reasonable reciprocity arrangement Tor
which the administration and the Republican
leaders IN both branches Of Congress are so
earnestly working. For IL cannot pe doubted
that II Cuba is annexed because the island can
not prosper under the tariff restrictions i'm
posed by the United States. free trade in most