The Washington times., 1902-03-25
Cuban Tariff Concession
Question Still in an I'm
settled Condition.
No AGREEMENT REACHED
Asks Proposition for Compromise-None
Found Acceptable = Opposition Find
Fiaws-Coucession Plan-Cuban Mar
kets May Be Flooded With Inferior
T0baccos.

The prediction of a speedy collapse of
the opposition to Cuban reciprocity and
the early passage of the bill foretold i'm
| mediately after the action of the latest
Republican conference have failed to put
in an appearance. and the situation is
more complicated than before the Repub-
lican conference by a small majority au-
thorized the Ways and Means Committee
to report the bill.
Tho leaders" would have an easy thing
OF II were it not for two facts First that
they will have difficult task to get tho
Payne bill out of the Committee on Ways
and Means. and second, that they have
no assurance it can pass the House The
leaders are doing all they can to secure
enough Republican votes to insure the
passage of the bill and explain their eff
forts on the ground that they want thar
mony and united action" and do no.
want the bill to pass by the aid of Demo-
cratic votes. :.
IL is highly probable that they fear a
combination between dissenting Republic
cans and the Democrats to play hob with
the bill in the committee and in the
House, and it is absolutely necessary that
they secure majority from the Republic
can side alone. as they cannot count on
the support OF the Democrats.
That such is the situation was evidenced
by the work going on yesterday. At the
capitol the pressure was directed toward
securing enough votes of Republican mem
bers of the committee to ensure favor
able report on the bill, while at the
White House the President sought to win
over some of the leaders of the malcon-
tents, or, falling that, to arrange com
promise which would secure the votes of
a sufficient number of Republicans to en-
sure its passage
Summoned to the White House.
Shortly before o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon a number of notes were received
marked Immediate" As the result of
these missives, Messrs. Metcalf OF Cali
fornia, Dick of Ohio. Minor of Wisconsin.
William Alden Smith of Michigan, Taw-
ney and Morris of Minnesota, and Day
ton of West Virginia were soon on their
way to the White House. They were re-
ceived very pleasantly by the President,
who briefly explained that he was sr-
tremely anxious that something be done
for Cuba. and that he favored the Payne
He invited those present to lay
before him any suggestions they might
have in mind which might form a basis
for compromise.
At his invitation. therefore it was pro-
posed that a rebate be given on Cuban
products, to be paid directly into the
Cuban treasury. This was an old propo-
'ition, and was rejected on the same
grounds as before. 1t was then suggested
hat the United States shonid pay Cuba
for the ccaling stations and other prop
critics and privileges reserved to ii IN
Ter the Platt amendment, and in doing
so should make the payment most liberal.
thereby placing in the Cuban treasury
large sum of monay as a ''nest-egg.'
Only Temporary Relief.
The President did not like this SUCCESS
ton any more than the other. saying that
such relief would be only temporary, and
he wished whatever action should be
arrangement. The proposition
was then advanced that the beet sugar
men would accept the Payne bill il n
should be amended so as to remove the
on refined sugar.
Continued on Fourth Pagel