The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1902-02-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.

w avs anu hO"ho SOLuiulICS
marked the first day of this wee
! IN the Capitol, during which Il
unexpected attack on the EXTERN
protectionist policy of the admin
istration, precipitated by Repre-
sentative Babcock, of Wisconsin
almost resulted In heart failure
metaphorically speaking-on tn
part of Chairman Payne, and Ief
the old gentleman in actual tears
The motion to favorably report tn
| bill providing for the abolition 0
the war taxes was before the com
mittee when Mr.. Babcock moved
to amend the bill by the addition
of his bill reducing the duties OF
the products of the steel trust. Will
the utmost confidence Mr.. Payne
called for the ayes and noes, anC
the result was vote of 6 to Z. Two
Republicans and two Democrat,
were unavoidably absent, but haC
the latter been present the com
mittee would have been committed
to a policy totally at variance with
the wishes of the leaders of the
party.
Hardly had the chairman recov
cred from his surprise at the close
ness of the vote when Representa-
tive Steele, of Indiana, moved to
amend the bill by the addition of 6
clause granting Is per cent reduc-
ton on Cuban sugar. With tears
in his eyes and voice, Mr.. Payne
begged him to withdraw his mo-
ton, which Mr. Steele frankly con
scented to do. The chairman then
delivered a homily to Mr.. Babcock
on the subject of protection, con-
GLIDING with a threat to remove
the tariff on lumber, it being sup
posed that Mr.. Babcock had large
lumber interests in Wisconsin. The
threat did not seem to produce
much effect on the member from
Wisconsin, and he declares that he
will present his amendment again
on the floor of the House. There is
every prospect of very interest
ing session when the report of the
committee is called up in the House
as Mr.. Newlands of Nevada will
also offer his amendment imposing
a tax of one tenth of one per cent
on the gross receipts of the indus
trial corporations in excess of 81,
100000 per annum with a clause
appended requiring the publicity
of the figures of such corporations;
provided the committee on rules
does not shut out all amendments,
as is now threatened.
Another very interesting feat
ure of the week has been the
quiet, but none the less in
tense, contest which is going on
between the President and the
extreme protectionists in regard to
reciprocal relations with Cuba. Mr..
Roosevelt maintains that the United
States is in honor bound to grant
the concessions because of the rep
reservations of President Mckinley
and Secretary Root, and that he is
personally bound, by his promise
to the people to carry into effect
the policy of the late President, to
do all in his power to secure the
reciprocity he is advocating.
Speaker Henderson, General Gros
venor and other Republican lead
ers are unalterably opposed to any
deviation from the highest protec
ton, and a serious break between
the Capitol and tie White House
is imminent at any moment.
President Roosevelt is about to
indulge his propensity for admin
istering reprimands once more.
This time the victim will be his
former colonel, Ger. LeonardW
General Wood has addressed to the
Senators a circular letter repre-
senting the sore need of Cuba of
liberal treatment by Congress, and
the President considers that his APP
peal should have been sent through
the War Department and that his
having addressed the Senators and
omitted to address the members of
the House was a serious error from
the standpoint of tact and diplo
macy. Accordingly, the General
is to be treated to IN expression of
executive wrath similar to that adj
ninistered to General Miles.
On last Monday evening the Re