The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-09
DEMOCRATS DIVIDED
r,,rv FAIL TO AGREE ON CUBAN
RECIPROCITY.
MR.PAYNE OPENS THE DEBATE
srxrs THE TWENTY PER
CENT. RELIEF BILL

..rican Industry Will Be In
,.red. He COntended, and the Gu
SMEAR Planters VIII he Great
IL Renefited-Win Tide Them over
mn the European Bounty System
l. Removed sept. L, 19o3-Sugnr
r-nst Has Not Bought the Crop.
,,,rrocfty Good Democratic Doe
line. said McCIeIland of New
York.
washington. April S.-The first day
81 debate ON the Cuban reciprocity bill
which opened in the House to-day was
disappointing from spectacular
standpoint. There were no sensational
olashes after the debate was actually
,,aueurated, and none of the bitterness
which was expected to crop out on the
aoor came to the surface. The vote on
the motion to go into committee OF
tho whole to consider the bill, how
ever. developed the lines of cleavage
and showed that the Democrats are
unite as much divided on the question
&C is the majority. The motion was
carried. III to 80. In the division,
which is regarded as practically test
vote on the bill, ia Republicans and
81 Democrats voted for the
motion. and Al Democrats and
80 Republicans against it. The vote
was in reality more embarrassing to
the Democrats than to the Republic
cans. as the members of the minority
had called a conference for tonight at
which they desired to get together upon
a course of action. The vote forced
the hands of the Democrats as indi-
viduals before the caucus.
Must Tide Cuba Over.
Mr. Payne, the Republican leader,
opened the debate for the bill to-day
in a strong speech which commanded
close attention from both sides of the
House. Mr.. Payne declared that If
cuba was to have chance to become
free and independent Republic it was
absolutely necessary to tide her over
the present crisis. The twenty per cent.
reduction would save the planters from
bankruptcy until the removal of the
bounty system in Europe, which the
Brussels conference abolished to take
effect Sept. 1, 1908. 1t was hoped this
would result in the return of sugar to
its normal price.
Mir. Payne declared that he had not
been ready to make this concession
until he became convinced that it
would injure no American industry.
He charged that a portion of the OPP
position to this bill was in reality
seeking to bring about free trade with
Cuba. 1t was noticeable that Mr.
Payne addressed his remarks almost
entirely to those Republicans who are
opposing reciprocity. He seldom even
locked over toward the Democrats on
the other side of the political aisle
Mr.. Payne was very insistent in his
contention that the Cuban planters
would reap the entire advantage of
the 20 per cent. reduction of the duty
and that the sugar trust would get
nothing.
Mr.. Payne denied that the sugar
trust had bought up a large portion of
the present crop in Cuba. Mr.. Payne
said it had been predicted that as
result of concessions to Cuba in few
years we would have the bulk of the
Cuban trade and that our exports to
that country would reach 100000, 900.
He also dwelt upon the other advan-
tages-the exclusion of cheap labor
from Cuba by the enactment of our inn
migration and labor laws.
To BE State Some Day.
DO you propose. to treat Cuba as If
she were a part of the United States?"
asked Mr.. Lloyd of Missouri.
Cuba is not now a part OF the
United States" replied Mr. Payne. Il
d. not want her to be, but l believe
she will be and so believing / am in
favor of preparing her as best we can
for the day of her Incorporation with
in our limits
w, A. Smith of Michigan created
some amusement by springing on Mr..
Payne an extract from a speech made
by Mr.. Payne during the considera-
ton of the Dingley bill when Mr..
Payne said that if the beet
sugar industry was established in
this country the tariff would not be
disturbed for twenty-five years. 1--WE
took you at your word" said Mr..
Smith, land we invested $10,O0O.OOO in
Michigan in the industry
Mr.. Newlands, q Democrat of Ne
vada took the position that the con-
cession should not be made to Cuba
unless she were invited at the same
time to become a part of the United
States.
Good Democratic Doctrine.
Mr.. Mcclellan, a New York Demo-
crat, who was the last speaker, favor
go so per cent. reduction for the ben
eft of Cuba, but gave notice that if
the rate of reduction was not in
creased he would vote for the bill, be-
cause it would breach the wall of pro-
lection. Mr.. Mcclellan defended his
advocacy of reciprocity, insisting that
reciprocity was Democratic doctrine.
Thomas Jefferson was the first Amer
lean to preach reciprocity Franklin
Pierce, Democratic President, nego-
uated the reciprocity treaty with Cam
ada, and Cleveland had renewed the
Hawaiian treaty. Reciprocity, he said,
might have terrors for Republicans,