New-York tribune., 1902-05-13
THE SENATE PROGRAMME.
PINE AND CUBAN RECIPROC-
ITY BILLS.
IRr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

THE TRIBUNE
Washington Nav 12.-Senator Lodge chair
man of the Philippine Committee. is still hope
full of getting vote a an early date on his civil
government bill 1t is evident. however, that his
confidence is not shared by a great many Sen
ators on his side of the chamber. while the
Democratic members of the committee con-
tinue to assert that they will keep up the de
bate on the bill to the limit Of what they call
Legitimate exhaustion" BY this they mean
that they propose to take full advantage Of the
Senates loose rules. and speak on the bill until
every member of their side OF the chamber who
wishes to talk is heard at least once. They now
say that they do not intend to filibuster. A
week ago the five minority members of Senator
Lodges committee held conference and de-
cded to start fierce flibuster against the bill
as soon as all the regular processes of delay
had been exhausted. But ii appears that there
is a contingent on their side too anxious to get
action at this session on the River and Harbor
bill TO join in flibuster that might hold Con-
gress here until hot weather to no purpose, and
then after the appropriation bills are all dis
posed of the session would be certain to be
brought TO a close, leaving the River and Har-
Dor bill high in the air, it left at the
close Of last Congress. Although that bill now
is in conference there is a manifest disposition
among a powerful element of Senators to post
pone the conference report until the last min
ute in the hope that 1t will then be too late
in the session to pass it. This. and mainly this,
is what has induced a large element of Demo-
Gratis to serve notice their members OF the
Philippine Committee that there must be
f1libustering against the Lodge bill. At the same
time this will not prevent continuation Of the
debate the Lodge bill TO about the last week
in May and probably even the first week in
June. Senator Lodge tomorrow will withdraw
the notice he gave last week of his intention to
insist the Senate meeting every day hour
earlier until his bill is disposed of. This deter
mnation is the result Of an executive meeting
OF the committee this morning, at which the
subject OF longer hours Of work for the Senate
freely discussed. Messrs. Allison, Hale and
Burrows Joined the protest of the Democrats
against Mr. Lodges proposition for longer hours,
and the Massachusetts, Senator, saying he had
no desire TO press the Senate, agreed to with
draw his motion for the sessions beginning on
Wednesday, to open at j instead OF l. O'clock.
An interesting point has arisen TO what
bill now on the calendar will follow the Philip
pine bill AS arranged a month ago by the
Republican steering committee the Hepburn
Nicaragua Canal bill comes after the Philippine
bill, and following this comes the Cuban reCi-
procity proposition 1t is proposed to dis
place the Canal bill with the Cuban bill, and as
the for doing this are obvious 1t is
likely that 1t will be done. 1t is understood
that the Committee on Relations with Cuba. Of
which Senator Platt of Connecticut is cha
Will hold a full meeting this week to discuss
formally for the first time the proposed Senate
substitute for the House bill. The Connecticut
Senator is too cautious 10 call the committee
together TO consider a bill until he is certain
Of his ground, and it is therefore safe to pre-
dict that result of the meeting this week
straight reciprocity bill will be agreed upon
which will enlist virtually every Republican
vote in the Senate. The opposition to Cuban
reciprocity then will be confined almost wholly
to the Democratic side Of the Senate, with Mr.
Teller, Of Colorado, leading the fight against
Cuba in the interest Of the beet sugar industry
of his State.