The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-07
The Latter Believed the Rest.

Washington, March 6,--Chairman l Payne of the ways and means com mittee. to-day gave out the following authorized statement in connection
 with the discussion over Cuban reel
 procity:
 T think the large majority of the re- 1 pubicans have made up their minds 1 that we must do something for Cuba There are three propositions presented which have this professed end in view. The proposition of MT. Morris, of Min nesota provides for an increase in the tariff on sugar to the outside world and rebate on sugar imported from Cuba.
 It does not seem to me that many rep resentatives are willing to increase the duty on sugar. Then there is the prop
 osition of MT, Tawney to vote between
 s7, ,00o, 900 and $S, O00, 900 directly into the
 Cuban treasury and to ask the Cuban
 government to distribute about s1 000-
 
 Cuban planters This first payment is
 to be paid without any compensation
 from Cuba in any way or manner--a
 pure gift to the Cuban government It
 hardly needs the opinion of lawyer to
 say that such procedure would be un-
 constitutional, His proposition further
 is to pay a like sum yearly on the
 granting of reciprocal concessions and
 the passage of our immigration and ex-
 clusion laws
 "Of course, no bounty of this kind could be distributed without a scandal and fraud In the next place, seven
 eighths of the Cuban laborerS would still remain without work. It would be
 just as easy for the sugar trust to ob- tain a concession on the sugar they
 bought on account of the bounty as to obtain concession where the planter knew he was to have 20 per cent con- eession in duty So that MT. Tawney's proposition has no advantages over that for a 20 per cent. reduction, and 1t has the sadvantage named
 The third proposition Is that for a 20 per cent reduction of duties. This would injure no home industry. Coupl- ed with the proposition to extend our exclusion laws to Cuba, no one appear ing before the committee on ways and means contended that it would so in- iure home industries. All agreed that the price of sugar to the American SUI gar would remain the same. Nor world it inure to the benefit of the su- gar trust. The witnesses before the committee united in testifying-and the statistics prove-that the trus has re- ceived no benei in buying sugar, either in Hawaii or Porto Rico, since the duty was reduced or removed The entire | benefits have been reaped by the plant | CTS in these islands We have every f reason to believe the same would prove l true as to Cuba. Many misleading | as to the attitude of the l president, the cabinet and the house ] republicans are appearing in the news l papers, I cannot speak of conferences | with the president.
 But I have every assurance that the cabinet is not divided on this question. nor have majority of the house re- publicans committed themselves either ' to the Morris, the Tawney. or the do i nOInlng pOllCy. The proposition +Of a 20 ! per cent. reduction, if adopted, will put | off, in my judgment, the annexation of Cuba for many years. She will not come In until her population is Americanized from the states. It will settle the question for generations to come and give rest and tranquility to the sugar business. If the reduction is made no further change will be made until we nave action and free trade. To refuse 70 do anything would put the house in ! position hostile to the president would cause uncertainty and a feeling f apprehension to the producers of lugar in the states, and would be utter y demoralizing."