The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-03
Which Is to Control on the
Cuban Question?
WHICH THE MIGHTIER?
Mr.. Roosevelt Insists Cuba Must
T.. . Have Concessions.
HENDERSON SAYS OTHERWISE
Affected Finally by the Prevails
, Ing Storm of Criticism.
Now York Sun !soseka1 se-v1os1

Now York Sum soscka1 Ssrv1ca1
Washington, Feb. SIS President
Roosevelt or Speaker Henderson the great
er power in the republican party? Which
is to dictate party policy on the Cuban
question?
This is the question of the hour in
Washington. AS matters stand to-day the
president and the speaker are engaged in
struggle for thea mastery. The presi-
dent insists that Cuba must be given a
tariff concession which will enable her
to live. The speaker insists that the
house must not grant such concessions,
because if it does the democrats will carry
the congressional elections next fall and
secure majority of the members of the
lower branch. One or the other must
give way, if peace is to prevail. Which
will it be-? All the indications to-day
are that it will be the speaker of the
house who yields and that in one way or
another the president will have his way
in the end.
1t is only justice to Speaker Henderson
to say that he denies there Is any such
SELF Mr.. Henderson makes it a rule never
to- be interviewed. According to his. the,
DRY, he ''speaks only through the house.
But | am able to say that the following
statements reflect the views of the
speaker: , .a
The house of representatives has not decided
to reject all propositions to grant Cuba some
concessions There is serious agreement
between the president and the organization of
the house. What is to be done for Cuba is
still an open question and cannot finally be
determined until the ways and means COM
mittee shall have finished it's Investigations.
Only one republican member of that COM
mittee has announced his views. Many lies
have been published IN the newspapers about
this whole matter. *r- g.
1t is authoritatively announced that the
ways and menas committee will soon re-
new it's Cuban Investigations. The mean
| ing Of this is that the storm of criticism
that has descended upon the heads OF the
| members of that committee has produced
an effect. This in connection with
| spirited interview which took place be-
tween the president and the speaker at
the White House Saturday, indicates: that
the leaders of the hoGesAsare preparing
| for reluctant retreat with as much dig
| nifty as possible. At Saturdays confer
| ence at the White House it is understood
| some progress was made toward an agree
| be content with rs per cent reduction,
| and Speaker Henderson and Mr.. Dalzell
were willing to take into consideration the
possibility of conceding Is or perhaps 20
| per cent. In the opinion of well informed
| observers some compromise will yet be
| reached.
| Cuba's Opponents Embarrassed.
! The ways and means committee is to
! make q report On the Cuban reciprocity
! hearing. The opponents of reciprocity will
! prepare that report and they will make it
! as strong protection as they can from the
| testimony presented. But they will not
! make a recommendation against Cuban
| reciprocity. They hesitate to make a
! recommendation directly contrary to that
| of the president. Messrs. Payne, Dalzell
! and Grosvenor are embarrassed. They
fear to do what they desire, and they are
not yet ready to do what the president
! recommends. They have found that their
plan of dropping the question will not
be accepted by the president or the senate.
They hesitate to let the question go to
the senate with the refusal Of the COM
| mittee to report on the question.
| They now offer the. excuse, for not re-
| porting a bill, that there is no bill be-
fore the committee. That excuse is not
| acceptable to the president or the senate.
| The ways and means committee has al
| right to frame all revenue bills. The
chairman regards this right as his own.
So particular are Mr.. Payne and his col
leagues on this point that they have re-
fused to even consider the bill offered by
Mr.. Babcock for placing certain steel
products on the free list Mr.. Babcock is a
member OF the committee, but he could
not secure consideration for his bill. Il
is therefore considered lame excuse for
| Payne Dalzell and Grosvenor to say that
there is no Cuban reciprocity bill be-
fore the committee. 1t is their duty to
frame the bill, and when they announced
that the committee would have hearings
on this question there was the implied
promise that bill would be reported to
the house.
COMMITTEE MOnopolizes Knowledge
1t is the purpose Of these men who con-
! troll the committee to prepare a report or
the hearings, and while making no rec.
| concentrations, try to analyze the testi
mony so as to make a case against Cuba
They claim that the president, Secretary
Root and Governor Wood made their rec.
concentrations without full information
and that the press Of the country ha
taken up the cry for Cuban reciprocit,
.. without knowing all the facts as to con
3 ditions in Cuba, and also at home, wher,
: it touches the beet sugar industry. The,
y hope to make it appear from their analy
9 sis of the hearings that this step in unnec
= essary and dangerous.
The committee is relying upon the testi
:, mony of Professor Wiley, chief chemist O
the agricultural department, for thi
showing. Professor Wiley was the strong
est witness against Cuban reciprocity
He made a strong argument against an
reduction of duty on sugar as injuriou
| to the beet sugar industry at home. TIL
=, ways and means committee is relying Of
his statements, but they are contradic
tory in many respects to his elaborat
: statement made to the Industrial com
d mission in 1900.
;. The beet sugar lobby has sought t
: create the impression that Secretary Will
d son is responsible for Professor Wiley
i position, and that the secretary Of agri
: culture is opposed to the president O
d Cuban reciprocity. This is not true. TIL
: presidents cabinet is united on this ques
q ton and Secretary Wilson is not an ex
ception.
Washington Small Talk.
S. Ref was to-day appointed postmaster a