The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-04
WORK OF THREE
CLEVER MEN
How DiferentiaI on Refined
Sugar Was Knocked Off.
uTTLEFIELD OF MAINE
BY Nature of a Knocker and
Wins But Few Victories.
Special correspondence Of the Eagle.

Speclal correspondence OF the Eagle.
Washington, May at is rather d nota-
elb fact that in the recent temporary
overturn Of the house majority organiza-
ton, the victory was gained not by the
leadership or able defenders OF the beet
industry. but by little coterie Of knock
ers. hckers and insurrectionists.
1t was not the skill Of the beet defend
ers and high protecdonists that gained
the day; it was the organization of these
defenders by a little band Of insurgents
who had no more interest in the beet
sugar industry than Kansas has ii the
cotton business in the south.
The reason that the beet people did
not have a leader shrewd enough to
carry a primary in a rural township.
Perhaps this trife far-fetched when
you consider William Alden Smith of
Michigan, who is really halfway clever
fellow, but certainly he is a lone excep-
ton. Outside of Burrows. of Michigan.
who came over TO the house to assure
the beet representatives on the Republic
an side that II they successfully pressed
the Morris amendment to strike off The
dinerential between raw and refined sug-
ar-the protection 10 the beet people
A+aaA the 6ElldAt A0LlQ lltf IT pass LllS
reciprocity measure, there was not q
single man on the beet side VINO had
any influence beyond his own individual
vote. And Burrows, who is clever
enough speaker, was never known in the
house where he served for years, as 4
skillful leader, by any means.
The question may then be asked: "Who
was Il that won the victory If not by
tEs beet peOple?"
It was 4 coterie consisting OF three
invertebrates Z. IAttleneld OF Maine: and
Page Morris and James a. Tawney CT
Minnesota
Littlefeld IS a natural born knocker /
He came into public life up in Maine /
''a-knocking" and has been at the job !
ever since. Littlefold is an able, clever !
fellow He IS a good speaker He IS /
sharp. good IN debate, ready at reply. /
but there you stop in enumerating his |
good qualities. He Is erretlc. He sadly /
is lacking in balance He wobbles His /
judgment IS not sound on political ques- /
lions. If perchance he does figure out ]
the way a thing should be done. the /
fact that 1t may be done makes him |
obstinately take the other side 1t is |
related that in the Maine legislature Lit |
tlefield made his reputation by knocking /
on the older members; the leaders: the
men who were there years before him.
He was successful sometimes; sometimes
not But Dat is how he made his reputa-
ton. Tire went on and when Nelson
Dingley ditf, Littleheld came TO congress
in the greer tariff leaders place. Little
field argued that since his predecessor
was chairman Of the greatest committee
OF the American congress, he as success
sor. should be at least q member, If not
chairman. of the committee. His nerve
was superb So because he did not get
on ways and means, he first began to
knock. Then he knocked on the Roberts
case. when it was proposition whether
the house ut the beginning Of the Fifty
sixth congress would exclude Roberts or
seat him and expel him. Littleaeld lost
in that contest. Again came the Porto
Ricsn tariff contest. Littleheld baked
again. He made a several hours speech
against the constitutionality of the mea-
sure-and again lost. He has opposed
army bills and administration policy and
in fact nearly everything the house or
ganization sought to do. for the three
years that he has been here.
Mr. Tawney Of Ways and means. an
Q1neT OF the LEtHillAlIdkr. III MS cary ia I
was a blacksmith. and he became so used
to the hammer that he never got over
81. He still knocks. He was too jealous
OF tho leaders. He got crosswise. and
nothing do but TO fight the leaders.
Page Norris Of Duluth, Minnesota, is
the man who defeated Charles A. Towne
the famous silverite in ls9S- Norris is
a good lawyer. has been Judge. and IS
clear-headed but in this Cuban reciproc-
ftv fight. he could not see the wisdom
the policy Of doing something for Cuba.
or II he did. he was blinded by q wish
20 thwart the leaders OF the house. Pos
sibly OF all The antl-organizations Nor
ris was most violent. it was his amend
raeut over which the ma jority split. Sher-
man OF New York ruling is not germane.
and Norris. Bittlefield and Tawney rally
ing the beet men TO stand with the Dem
ocrats. remove the deferenual and top
pie over the Republican organization CT
the house.
But IN leading the beet people Little
field. Morris and Tswney led them into
the dark woods. Shrewd as they might
be. these three men did not comprehend
some things For instance Morris had
had his Observation-Disclosures idea work
ing overtime for three months get there
was one thing he never discovered, nor
Tawney nor Littlefeld-that in his amend
inent his plan abolishing the differential
between raw and refined sugars the cOun-
tervailing duty on refined sugar Of about
IS cents per hundred pounds also was
abolished. The German government pays
its reiners FOR export purposes IS cents
per hundred pounds bounty. The United
States. under provision Of the Dingley
law, imposes what Is known as coun-
duty on all articles on which
bounties are placed by exporting govern
ment: the countervailing duty equals
the bounty and is imposed at port OF (
entry plus the regular duty. So refined
sugar from Germany now pays the regu-
lar duty. 1875 per hundred pounds. and
In addition IS cents peg hundred pounds
duty. Now the Norris
which removes nearly an {
the dinerential, also removes through its
rerbi.ge. the countervailing duty as well I
So the German renner can now put the G
IS cents per hundred pounds ia his peck !
e and cut down his price Of refined sugar
after be gets into this country. as well j
as secure his entry At a lower rate than I
before always granting the Morris !
amendment becomes a Law. and force )
American rehners 10 sell at greatly re- !
suced prices. or course this strikes OK y
the beet rehners equally with the sugar .
-rus5. Therefore the woods dark and 4
gloomy and dangerous into which the :
triumvirate which cared moth :
ng in reality for bcets led the unsus- 2
eeoting and Innocent beet representa- !
l.