New-York tribune., 1902-05-22
AT WORK FOR RECIPROCITY
REPORTS OF REPUBLICAN DIFFER
ENCES EXAGGERATED.
MEMBERS OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE IN
HARMONY ON ESSENTIAL POINTS
MR. SPOONER MAY FRAME
THE CUBAN BILL.
IRY TELEGRAPH To THE rR1BuNE.I

NH oTOONtR MAI
THE CUBAN BILL
Try TELEGRAPH To THE rRIBUNE.I
Washington, May 21.-FOrmal conferences of
the Republican members of the Committee
Relations with Cuba have been temporarily sus-
pended. and perhaps permanently abandoned.
The reason for this is obvious. The conference
held yesterday to consider the framing of a SEN
ate substitute bill for reciprocity with Cuba
has given rise 10 so much wild and irresponsible
newspaper speculation concerning the diversity
OF opinion among the Republican members of
the committee that in order TO stop all this IL
has been decided to hold more regular meet
ings until the majority agree upon a bill, when
a full meeting of the committee will be called
by Chairman Platt. and the measure agreed
upon by the Republicans will he reported to the
Senate the matured expression Of the party
will
Since Yesterday it has been learned that the
reports of disagreement and discord among the
seven Republican members of he committee
have been greatly exaggerated. The fact Is that
on all the essential points involved there is
perfect unanimity and harmony Of view. Mr..
Mcmillan. OF Michigan. seems TO be the only
member who is at all inclined TO hold out strong
ly for any Of the contentious of the beet
sugar people, against the most liberal form Of
reciprocity with Cuba practicable AT this time
anu, as peloIt SdlO II IS DeleNeO tndt MT NC
Millan's attitude is dictated more by Difference
the wishes of his colleague Mr. Burrows
who still talks II he is uncompromisingy
opposed TO granting tariff concessions than to
any desire on the part of Mr. Mcmillan to OBJ
struct an agreement on straight reciprocity
bill
MIR. sPOONER's SUPPORT ASSURED.
It is known that Senator Spooner is III
thorough accord with Senator Platt and the
other avowed supporters of the Administrations
Cuban policy. and with the assurance of his sup
port the confidence OF the friends of Cuba has
been noticeably strengthened. With three such
Senate leaders Messrs. Spooner. Aldrich and
Platt, of Connecticut. fighting together all
doubts to the of the reciprocity
movement should disappear. r Spooner II Is
thought will frame the bill that finally will be
agreed upon, and this is accepted here
guarantee that 1t will be acceptable alike to the
timid friends Of protection and the rational ele-
ment Of the beet sugar Republicans.
A bill so framed will Of course not meet the
approval Of any considerable number of Demo
Gratis. but Senator Platt, the recognized leader
Of all legislation pertaining to Cuba, all along
has aimed shape the reciprocity movement
al To make il a strictly Republican affair. The
goal he has aimed at now seems TO be in sight.
and when the bill is brought forward there will
be in IT nothing to which Republicans in the end
can object. and nothing to which the free trade
Democrats agree.
THE HOUSE HEARS FROM THE COUNTRY.
Little difficulty will be encountered by the
Senate substitute bill when that measure
reaches the House. Since the House passed its
patchwork bill the Republicans of that body
have heard from the country in no uncertain
way. Scores of Republican Congress conven-
tions have declared for straight reciprocity with
Cuba, and on" of the strongest planks in the
platform adopted by the Indiana State Con-
vention deals with the reciprocity question
in a plain and unmstakable way. At the
Republican State Convention in Kansas this
week II is confidently expected that plank
reciprocity strong that in the Indiana
platform will be adopted practically without
struggle. This. presumab bly,. will deprive the
beet sugar obstructionists of the support of
Senator Burton. of Kansas. who has been en-
couraGing them for several weeks. and IL is also
expected to have a similar effect the attitude
of some other Western Republican Senators
notably Messrs Millard and Dietrich. of Ne
braska. in whose State the Beet Sugar Trust
has its main stronghold. The action of the
Kansas convention. taken In connection with
that of Indiana and various Congress conven-
tions all over the West. will encourage the
President to exert his influence still more
lively on an element Of Republican Senators
who are threatening to join the beet sugar
forces in an attack upon his administration.
FIGHT IN CONGRESS MAY BE LONG.
With all these influences combined in favor
Of straight reciprocity, combination of forces
secretly or avowedly opposed will inevitably fol-
low and eventually the opposition thus will be
reduced virtually TO the free trade Democrats,
whose efforts will be directed toward engraft-
ing upon the reciprocity movement various tariff
revision features Political lines being thus
rigidlv drawn the only issue which has
proved profitable to the Democrats In more than
a half century, it is thought they will endeavor
to utilize il to good effect in the forthcoming
Congress campaign. With this object in view, ii
will be possible for them to prolOng the session
of Congress indefinitely by Organiztng filibus-
tering movement similar to that which has been
carried on for nearly two months against the
Lodge Philippine Civil Government bill.
The Republican leaders are fully prepared to
meet the Democrats squarely on this issue and
fight them at every turn. F'oreSeeing the pos
sible results of such a movement, Senator Platt
said tonight that he would not he surprised If
Congress were kept here until October. By this
he means that the supporters of Cuban reCi-
procity will not he diverted from their purpose
by Democratic efforts TO burden the measure
with tariff revision amendments and that every
move to that end will he fought TO the finish,
even If in doing Congress is kept in session
until next fall