Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-07
57TH CONGRESS.
Cuban Reciprocity Battle to Be
Fought in House.
Chinese Exclusion and Philippine
Government in the Senate.
Prctractcd and Warm FIGHTS on Each
Arc Expected.

Washington, April 6.-The battle over
Cuban reciprocity which created such
a protractcd struggle among the Re
pub!icanS, both in caucus and i'm the
committee on ways and means, will be
fought out on the floor of the House,
this week. The ultimate passage of the
Payne bill providing for 20 per cent.
reduction on the products of Cuba
after the negotiate Of Il reciprocity
treaty and the enactment OF our i!nmi-
grafton laws by the republic of Cuba
is regarded as forcgone conclusion,
but the situation is a complicated one
owing to the divisions among the DEM
ocrats as well as the Republicans.
How far thu Republican opponents of
the proposed legislation will carry
their opposition is not definitely deter
mined. The strength of this opposition
has dWindled until it probably numbers
less than so. On the other hand, UP to
the present time a large ma jority of
the Democrats favor the greatest pos
sibla freedom of trade with Cuba and
would vote for deeper cut than the
ways and means bill proposes. Others,
like Newlands of Nevada, are in favor
of the immediate annexation of the is
lands, and quite number under the
lead of the Louisiana members will
|strenuously oppose any tariff conces-
sions whatever.
1t is limited that the attitude of the
Democrats in the Senate who have
fixed on program of opposition there
may result before the vote is taken in
more unity of action on the part of the
Democrats of the House. Some of the
Republican opponents of the bill will
speak against it, but the leaders of the
Republican opposition show strong
Discrimination to participate in the de-
bate on the ground that there is no
hope of defeating the bill and that
their speeches would become Demo-
cratic campaign material in the COM
ing congressional campaign.
The bill viii be brought up. Tues
day as a revenue bill, which is priv
LEGGED under the rules, but no special
order will be brought in for it's con-
Sideration. In this way the possibility
Of the defeat of a rule through COM
bination of the Republican rccalcitrants
and the Democrats will be avoided. The
general debate will be allowed to cy-
haust itself. The leaders on both sides
estimate that not more than three days
will be consumed in general debate.
The real fight will come when the
bill is read for amendment under the
5-minutc rule. 1t will be then that the
Democrats will seek to offer amend
mcnts having for their purpose the
opening up of the whole tariff question
While some of these amendments might
command some Republican votes if
they should actually come to vote,
they will be ruled out of order in the
House as they were in committee and
the only method by which they can
be reached would be by everything the
decision of the Chair. 1t is certain
that not half a dozen, if indeed any
Republicans will go to this length, 50
that the Republican leaders feel as
sured that none of these propositions
will come to an actual vote.
The only amendments which will be
held to be gcrmane and in order Will
be those increasing or decreasing the
amount of the concession and the lead
eTs feel reasonably safe in the predic-
ton that the caucus decision for 20 per
cent reduction will stand 1t is their
hope that on the final vote the bill
will be passed by Republican votes.
The Chinese exclusion bill, which will
come to a final vote, tomorrow, will
command practically every vote in the
House. The only question is as to how
far the majority bill will be amended
by the insertion of provisions to make
it more in line with the more drastic
substitute which has been offered by
the minority.