West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-06-26
wAsHiNoToNLETTER.
CUBAN RECIPROCITY DEFEATED AND
THE PRESIDENT KNOCKED OUT.
Some OF the Republican Senator's
Consider Roosevelt senselessly
Honest.
Capt. Clark OF the Oregon. appointed
and Confirmed q Rear Admiral.

WAsHiNcToN June n, Iooz.--
Cuban reciprocity is defeated,
President Roosevelt is Inundated
and The republican party is split in
twain. Such is the practical result
Of the conference of republican
senators held last evening. ALTHOUGH
the session adjourned without action,
seventeen republican senators ex-
pressed unqualified opposition 20
Cuban reciprocity. An adjourned
session will be held tomorrow but
no results are expected. All this
might have been avoided had the
President or his supporters, known
as the administration senator's"
been willing to sacrifice, even to
moderate degree, the interests of the
Sugar Trust, for the democrats
would gladly have assisted them in
passing the reciprocity law as it
came from the House and, as then
no conference would have been
possible, no trouble would have
been experienced with those republi-
cans in the lower chamber who voted
to remove the differential duty on
refined sugar with a view to defeat
ing reciprocal legislation. What
the result to Cuba of the defeat Of
this legislation will prove no one
can foretell, but it is evident that
Senator Elkins, who on last Satur-
day introduced resolution provid.
ing for the annexation of Cuba as
state of the Union, anticipates that
annexation will follow and that the
capitalists, who are the main sup
port of the republican party, will
have an opportunity to exploit the
island as they now propose to do
the Philippines.
I I I
Throughout the Cuban fight there
has been evident to the close
observer an underlying desire to
humiliate the President He is no
more acceptable to the politicians
Of the party to day than he was
when he was 'Iaii on the shelf" by
his nomination as Vice President
and if the people can be made to
believe that he is incompetent, as a
party leader he will be more
efectually retired at the next nation
al convention. A serious grievance
which certain class of senators
have had against him has been his
support of the Secretary of the
Interior in a policy which has
operated 10 curtail the special
privileges of the cattle barons who
have foi years regarded the public
domain in the far west az theirs by
special grant of the republican
party. In the eyes of the typical
republican politicians, Mr.. Roose-
welt has been senselcssly honest,
hence their efforts at his defeat.
On Tuesday the Committee on
Relations with Cuba brought in the
Spooner substitute for the reciprocity
bill passed in the House and.which
reduced the concession. which it
authorized the President to make to
Cuba, to 40 per cent. To day the
Sen ate will vote on the Nicaraguan
Canal bill and then there will remain
only the general deficiency bill to
consider. Senator Quay has given
notice that he will make an attempt
to annul the action of Senator
Beveridge's committee in postpon-
ing action on the Omnibus territofi-
al bill, as soon as the vote on the can
al bill is concluded and it is possible
that some time will be devoted to
that measure before adjournment.
7 I I
Last Friday the House passed the
Hansbrough Newlands Irrigation
bill and the Senate has agreed to
the House amendments so that it
requires only the signature of the
President to become law. Practi
cally all the public land open 10
settlement and capable e improve
ment has been exhausted and by the
provisions of this bill many more
acres will be opened up. No funds
will be taken directly from the
Treasury for irrigation purposes
but the proceeds from the sale Of
public lands in sixteen states will be
set aside as a fund to extend irriga.
ton of the arid lands.
TT
Since the passage Of the irrigation
bill, the House has devoted itself
to the consideration OF various
minor laws and amendments OF the
statutes, including some changes in
the pension law which it is minated