Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-03-15
CONFERENCE ON
CUBAN QUESTION
Speaker Henderson and Rep
resentative Cannon Talk
With Roosevelt.
HOPEFUL OF OUTCOME
Solution OF tho Problem That VIII
Not Endanser Any American In
dustry" in Sight According
to Cabinet Members.

derson and Representative Cannon of
Illinois called at the White house yes
terday and discussed with President
Roosevelt the subject of Cuban reci-
procity and sentiment thereon in the
house.
Active canvassing continued among
the republican members yesterday pre-
liminary to the third caucus on Cuban
reciprocity to be held tonight. The
most positive claims were made by
those opposed TO Representative
Payne's 20 per cent reciprocity plan
that there was a clear majority against
II.
Mr.. Payne and his associates did not
concede this, however, and expressed
the belief that a concession 10 Cuba
ultimately would be granted. 1t was
said I'm this connection that Speaker
Henderson is now favorable to the po-
sition taken by the majority of the
ways and means committee and that
this would exert most influence in
shaping the final outcome.
During the day several members of
the cabinet were called on by Messrs.
Tawney of the ways n means COM
mittee, who has proposed the rebate
plan as q substitute for Chairman
Payne's 20 per cent reciprocity plan,
and Morris of Minnesota, who also has
proposed q plan differing from that of
phI ii lle.
AS an outcome of these calls It was
asserted that three members of the
cabinet, namely, Postmaster General
Payne, Secretary Shaw and Secretary
Wilson, were hopeful Of seeing a So
luton Of the problem which would not
%endanger any American industry. This
was construed in some quarters TO
show a division In the cabinet, but 1t
was stated by those conversant with
the situation that the attitude OF the
cabinet members did not warrant any
such construction.
Later in the day Representative
Tawney called at the White house and
had a conference lasting nearly an
hour and a half with the president.
AT Its conclusion Mr.. Tawney joined
several of his associates who are OPP
posed TO the Payne resolution.
1t developed that Mr.. Tawney told
the president there was little or no
possibility OF the adoption OF the Payne
plan by the republican conference, and
that If II was adopted some forty re-
publican members would not consider
themselves bound and would carry the
question to the floor of the house,
where there would be additional OBJ
struction owing to the attitude Of the
democratic members.
The president is understood to have
made his position quite clear, and in so
doing lie said TO have removed several
misapprehensions which have been
aloat of late. He said he had no In
tention at present Of sending a special
message to congress on the subject.
The president expressed the most
earnest solicitude that a satisfactory
adjustment be reached by congress,
saying that t his was an Inherited
problem" meaning that it had come
to him from the Mckinley admins
tration.
Furthermore, the president, It is as
serted, indicated no positive determine
alton in favor OF any particular idea,
but rather q desire that congress should
deal with the subject according to It's
best lights. After hearing from Mr..
Tawney his associates expressed the
belief that the president would accept
the rebate proposition if congress sent
Ii to him. They also were considerably
encouraged to hear from Mr.. Tawney
that the president was not laying
Town any emphatic imatu In favor
OF the plan as presented by Mr.. Payne.
While these conferences were going
on at the White house Chairman
Payne n members of the ways and
means committee supporting him were
In conference. Later one of the mem
bers said hat he was confident the
Payne reciprocity proposition COM
manded a majority of the republican
members, but that the majority was
so large and was so disposed to. carry
the contest into the house that MI.
Payne and his friends recognized the
seriousness Of the situation. However,,
there was no disposition, he said. TO
accept the rebate plan, as 1t was stated
that this was merely a repetition of
the plan proposed by the head OF the
beet sugar organization two months
ago.
Members Of the house were Informed
during the afternoon that several mem
bers OF the cabinet would confer with
the president on the Cuban question,
but so far as could be learned at the
capitol the only members of the cab
met to call were Postmaster General
Payne and Secretary Root, and the
nature of their conferences was not
%divulged.
Postmaster General Payne said last
night that the conference at the White
house was perfectly harmonious II
agreeable. He said that it was brought
about by the report that the president
would SEM a message to congress ex-
pressing his views on the subject. He
denied that there was any friction Of
any kind whatever. The president, he
said, In order TO get q clear idea OF the
situation, wanted to hear boil sides
Of the case and to ascertain the real
feeling existing among the republican
members of the house.
The president has no intention at this
time, he said, of sending any message
to congress on the subject.
Representative Cannon of Illinois
said last night hat he had called at the
White house on a matter personal to
himself, the speaker accompanying
him. While there he (Cannon) brought
up the subject of Cuban reciprocity
and stated to the president that there
was a division of sentiment in the
house as to what should be done, If
anything, IN the matter Of q CONNER
cial agreement with Cuba. He told the
president hat the beet sugar n to-
bacco people did not entirely agree
among themselves as to what course
should be pursued, some favoring no
action and others favoring the TaWney
or Norris propositions.
Speaker Henderson, Mr.. Cannon said,
was present during all Of the interview,
and shared his views.
"Our going to the White house."
saiad Mr.. Cannon, did not in anyway
have for it's object the urging OF the
president to delay sending q message
to congress on the subject, as Moth
Ing was thought OF e. message, and
nothing was said o a message"