Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1902-04-24
Our Washington Letter.
WAsHINoToN. April 81, 1902.

WAcuAN0AVN, APEh "a ASVS.
After the most dramatic session of |
the Fifty Seventh Congress. and
perhaps OF many preceding Con-
crosses, the Cuban reciprocity bill
passed the House OF Representatives
last Friday by vote of 247 TO 80.
The bill, as passed, does not, how
ever, meet with the approval of the |
friends of Cuba. Through
the efforts Of the democrats, who |
voted as one man and with an exhi-
bition of discipline such as has been
seldom equalled and with the help
of certain republicans who, it is
claimed, had for their object the
eventual defeat of the measure, the
bill was amended in the Committee
of the Whole so that it would, on
going into operation, remove the
differential on refined sugar and so
afford relief to the American con-
sumers as well as the the Cuban
producers and-at the expense OF
the American Sugar Refining Com
pany, popularity known as theSugar
Trust. In this form the bill goes to
the Senate where the republicans
have majority of nearly two to one
and it remains to be seen whether
those republicans who were so ready
to afford relief to Cuba at the ex-
pense Of the beet sugar industry,
will be ready to afford that relief
when it curtails the profits OF the
Trust.
-
A notable incident of the debate,
which preceded the amendment of
the bill by the Committee of the
Whole, was the presentation as an
amendment, by Mr.. Richardson, of
the bill previously offered by Repre-
sentative Babcock of Wisconsin and
which had for its purpose the re-
moyal or revision of those sections
of the Dingley tariff act which serve
to so greatly augment the profits of
the Steel Trust. Although the
House had just oyer-ruled the de-
cision of the Chair and had deter
mined that the sugar amendment
above referred TO was in order, and
by the same reasoning must have
considered the amendment of Mr..
Richardson in order, it permitted
Dir. Sherman to reject it as not ger
name and SO proved how thoroughly
hollow and insincerehave been repub-
lican protestations that they desired
an opportunity 10 curtail the profits
of the Steel Trust. The position
taken by the republican leaders,
that the amending of the Reciprocity
bill will insure its defeat in the
Senate, would imply that the re-
publicans viii offer a serious affront
to the President in rejecting a
policy he has so strongly advocated
but the country will withhold its
judgment until the Senate has had
an opportunity to demonstrate
whether its allegiance to the Sugar
Trust outweighs its allegiance to the
President, and its regard for Cubans,
and American consumers.
-
The most remarkable feature of
the prolonged debate on Cuban reci-
procity was the speech of Represen-
tative Cushman Of Washington who
paid his respects to the Reed. rules
and made the assertion that in order
to secure the passage of any meas
ure, no matter how just he knew it
10 be, member of the House must
put his manhood in his pocket and
go trotting down the little pathway
that leads to the Speakers room,
where, by comparison, all the glory
that clustered around the holy of
holies in Solomon s temple looks like |
thirty cents" He further charac-
terized the rules of the House as
''unrepnblican. undemocratic and |
Referring to Gen
eral Grosvenor, of Ohio. Dir. Cush-
man said that he had in his campaign
many constituents who held absolute
" opposing views but, he continued,
i finally procured the speeches of
Congressman Grosvenor had them
bound together, and l went through
that campaign without q scratch be-
cause | could always prove or dis
prove anything that ever came up
BY the speeches of the gentleman of
0hio. -