Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-06-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.


| EdLtOr PTeSS:-
History has been made rapidly
in Washington during the past
week. AS predicted in my last
letter, the message of the President
produced little effect upon those
Senators who are opposed to Cuban
reciprocity and two conferences of
the Republican members of the
Senate have been without results.
That there will be no reciprocal
Legislation at this session of
Congress is generally conceded by
its most ardent advocates. Never
theless, Mr.. Roosevelt considers
that the honor of the nation is
involved and he has stated Off
cially that he will not give up the
fight. 1t is now deemed probable
that he will either call the Senate
in extra session to consider treaty
which he will meanwhile negotiate
with Cuba, or that he will submit
such treaty as soon as Congress
conVenes in December.
Last Wednesday evening the
Republican Senators called a
conference to consider the subject
of the Presidents message and the
beet sugar Senators were given
ample opportunity to express their
views. Seventeen Senators declar-
ed themselves irrevocable opposed
to any legislation which would
reduce the duty on raw sugar and
two others, who were not present.
has authorized similar expression
of their views. The conference
adjouned without action to meet
again on Friday afternoon. At
the adjourned meeting a number
| vi ddhllIIlSUIdtlOu senators
pleaded for harmony and what thev
represented as the honor of the
country. Senator Hanna said,
II declare to you, as chairman Of
our National Committee, that our
party will suffer at the polls in the
coming election if this pledge which
we have made is not carried into
execution. " The conference.
however, was compelled to adjourn
without action and subject to the
call of the chairman, Senator
Allison, who told me after adjourn
ment that he did not believe the
conference would meet ''again
soon". Another administration
Senator told me that he anticipated
no trouble in securing the
ratification of reciprocal treaty
fter the elections and that he felt
sure that would be the ultimate
outcome of the Presidents earnest
efforts in behalf of Cuba. He said
Mr.. Roosevelt would appeal to the
country, in support of Cuban
reciprocity, on the trip he expects
to make this fall, and that he
would not ask for support in vain,
On Thursday, by a vote of 40 to
81, the Senate decided in favor of
the Panama-Colon route for the
isthmian canal. The test vote
came on a motion to substitute the
Spooner bill for the Hepburn
Nicaraguan bill passed by the
House. An amendment offered by
Senator Fairbanks was adopted, by
virtue of which the government
will upon the settlement of the
route question by the President,
issue two per cent interest bearing,
gold bonds to the amount of
$130, 100000 to defray the expense
of the undertaking. Under the
provisions of the Spooner amend
ment, the President is authorized
topurchase the entire plant, rights,
etc. of the Panama canal company
for $40, 100000, provided he can
secure thereto a satisfactory title
and provided he can procure from
Colombian government the perpe-
tual right to a strip of land six
miles wide in the proper location,
etc. In the event that he cannot
secure satisfactory title or proper
! concessions from the Colombian
Government, he is to secure such
concessions from the Nicaraguan
and Costa Rican governments and
commence operations on that route.