The Washington times., 1902-04-07
Chinese Exclusion Bill the
Pending Measure.
CUBAN TARIFF A BUGBEAR
Lively Fight Expected Before Its Final
Passage-Threats of the Beet Sugar
Senators to Talk the Bill to Death of
Little Avail.

The week in the Senate bids fair to be
a busy one. AS a matter of fact the situa-
tion Is more uncertain and quite as
satisfactory TO the Republicans as it is in
the House. although owing to the better
leadership and the superior party disci-
pline there will not be SO much family
linen washed in public as will doubtless
be the case while the Cuban tariff ques-
tion is pending in the House.
All but a handful of Republican Sen
ators from beet sugar States are in favor
/ of carrying out the recommendations Of
the President for commercial relief to
Cuba and supporting in all particulars the
| Governments policy in dealing with the
Cuban people preliminary to setting up
the independent Government on May 20.
| A majority of the Senate believes that
! 20 per cent Is not a sufficient reduction.
and it has been informally decided among
| Republican Senators who are members OF
| the Committee on Cuban Relations and
| others to change the form OF the House
| bill into a straight-out % per cent recip-
rocal reduction on Cuban products i'm
ported into the United States to be pro-
claimed by the President whenever Cuba
shall announce like reduction on United
States products going into the island.
Republican Senators from beet sugar
States declare that they will never sub
init to this and that they will. il neces-
sary. use the license OF freedom in debate
granted by the Senate rules to prevent
the enactment of any bill making a re-
duction in the tariff on Cuban products
The number of Senators who take this
radical stand. however is not great, and
it is not at all likely that they will sue
ceed in holding up the Senate in the man
ner threatened.
Beet Sugar Senator'S
a much more serious warning OF oppo-
sition comes from a few influential Re-
publican Senator's from beet sugar States
who declare that while they do not fear
the effect of 25 per cent reduction upon
the beet sugar industry of their respec-
tive States. they DO fear the good faith
of the Cuban people and the new Cuban
government. They announce therefore.
that they will oppose the passage OF any
bill granting tariff reductions to Cuba un-
til after the Palma government shall have
made treaty with the United States en-
bodying the terms of the Plat amend
States and Cuba.
The Senator in charge of the tariff bill
says this means simply a postponement
of the question 50 that 1t cannot be acted
upon at this session. thus defeating the
plans of The Administration and the Re-
publican leaders in Congress for carrying
out the recommendations of the, Presi-
dents annual message.
They argue that as the Cuban Govern
ment VIII not be inaUgurated until May
20. it would not be possible to negotiate
treaty and have il ratified in Washing
ton and Havana sufficiently early to leave
time for the passage OF a tariff bill be-
fore Congress adjourns in June or July.
The Democrats Split.
The Democratic Senators are split into
factions on the Cuban tariff question
Some of them will support the proposed
reduction, as it is in the direction of
free trade. and others will oppose it be-
direction. A dozen or more under the
lead of Senator Teller of Colorado will
assail the Republican party for proposing
to reduce the Cuban sugar tariff to en-
rich the Sugar Trust which they offer to
prove owns the bulk of the sugar pro-
duced in Cuba. Other Democrats under
other leaders will oppose any reduction
in the tariff on the ground that by so
doing they hasten the day when Cuba
will apply for annexation to the United
States.
Altogether. the situation in the Senate
with regard to the Cuban tariff reduction
bill is more mixed and more unsatisfactory
than in the House of Representatives.
the apparent confusion
influences are at work under guise of the
more astute and experienced of the Re
publican Senators that make it certain
that within a reasonable time after the
bill shall have passed the House of Rep
the legislation will be ap-
proved by the United States Senate and
sent to the President for his signature.
The amount of tariff reduction VIII be
increased and the limit OF its operation
will be extended beyond December 1. 1903.
as stated in the House bill. The opposi-
tion of the Democrats will be ignored and
that of the Republicans from beet sugar
States will. it is believed. be overcome.
Treaty With Cuba.
After the relief demanded by the Cuban
people shall thus have been granted
treaty will be. negotiated putting into
binding and lasting form the provisions
in the so-called Platt amendment to the
army appropriation bill of last year. which
are the terms under which the United
states FORCES are TO ce Withdrawn from
Cuba preliminary to the setting up of the
independent government.
AS soon as the pending Chinese ex,
cluSiOn bill is disposed of the Senate will
turn its attention to the Philippines tenn
porary civil government bill This will
start partisan debate that will continue
At least until the Cuban bill comes over
frcm the House. After the Chinese,
Philippines and Cuban questions are out
of the way the Nicaragua Canal bill will
be brought forward.
Because the steering committee has
seen fit to put it last en- the programme
of important questions to be considered
1t this session. there is popular belief
hat it is destined to be pigeonhoIed.
This is believed to be an error. \ canal
'ill Of some sort. providing for the adop-
ion Of the Nicaragua or the Panama
quite or of the compromise proposition
rom Senator Spooner of Wisconsin, au-
hCrizing the President to select the
Panama route if a clear title can be OBJ
aimed. otherwise the Nicaragua route.
5 certain to be pass ed before the ses-
zion ends This has been arranged for
~ the Republican Senator's in charge Of
he legislative programme.