Evening star., 1902-08-12


ban recommendations seems to be the NOV
| ing force in this demand for new republican
| leadership. If they had been carried out
| less would have been heard of 1t. This
seems to be the one question which has
vitality, perhaps because the news from
Cuba won't let 1t rest.
Representative A. ]. Hopkins, who was
| indorsed by the Illinois republican state
convention for United States senator, and
| who will be elected by the legislature, told
me that his support Of Cuban reciprocity
had been one Of the chief elements Of
strength in his canvass. He means to keep
| it to the front in his campaign. Uncle
Joe" Cannon has the same idea. and says
| that the people Of his district want to be
| just to Cuba, and at the same time they
| have a little straightforward selishness.
They think that there Is a lot of trade in
| the island, and they want a share of it.
An Indiana representative who from the
beginning was an advocate of Cuban reci-
| procity said that. notwithstanding his own
position, this matter Is giving him more
| trouble than anything else. His people are
finding fault with the beet sugar republican
representatives, and seem to think that he
is in some way responsible for their mis-
deeds.
I have been in the districts of several of
the representatives who aligned themselves
with the beet sugar interests. In no case
does their cause seem to have given them
strength. Where the constituents do not
criticise their members they show decided
Indifference
In talking with some c the beet sugar
representatives l have noticed the lack of
confidence which they show in me future
encoura cement to their special industry
| They do not quite understand themselves
how nothing was done for Cuban sugar
when their own stand had been made with
the hope of preventing a reduction greater
| than % per cent. This is the admission on
all sides. If next November reciprocity
treaty carrying 33 to 40 per cent should be
presented to the Senate these beet sugar
men now admit that they feel no certainty
in their ability to prevent its ratification
A United States senator from beet
sugar state took a very gloomy view OF the
situation. This reciprocity business" he
said, sis going to destroy the republican
party and Cuba Is the wedge. l am going
to have a clear conscience and stand by
the industries of my state. The sugar
trust can howl all it wants to for Cuban
reciprocity, but I shan't bulge"
This senator has some notions of humor
but he was very serious when ne TAXED
about the sugar trust being in antagonism
to the beet root trust. That week interests
identified with the American Sugar Rein
ing Company had bought 45 per cent or the
stock Of the leading beet sugar factories
crecy about the transaction.
What the President Gould Have Done.
The one criticism which the western poll
ticians make of President Roosevelt Is, that
he left them with the troublesome Cuban
ouestion. when, by vigorous management,
he might have settled 1t. BY vigorous man
| aeement they men that he should have put
the screws of the party machinery and the
moral influence Of a national adnlnlstra-
ton on the insurgents. They don't under
stand how representative or a senator
can be for a national administration In gen
eral and against 1t In particular. 1t may
be that they do not make allowance for
the peculiar conditions which existed In
Washington. Yet they are sincere in be-
ueying that the President should have been
more pronounced in enforcing party disci-
pine.
These western republican leaders are for
Roosevelt for one reason. because they have
to be- The popular sentiment would not let
them be for anybody else. But beyond this
they like the President and his ways. and
they want to see him win out IN his policy.
They all say that he will do well to keep the
Cuban reciprocity well to the front in his
western trip, and after that he must not
let the situation get away from him. This
| Is STRAIGHTFORWARD criticism or advice and Is
worth needing.
Democratic Prospects.
About democratic candidates and pros
poets, so little is said that they can be
| disposed Of In a paragraph. David B. Hill
has a quiet movement under way In the
west. A Missouri gold democrat told me
that they hope to bring 1t to head. but he
was a very hopeful man, because he made
the statement after the Missouri demo-
Gratis had reaffirmed overwhelmingly their
continued faith in silver at 16 to 1.
Mr.. Bryan knows all about the Hill move
ment. His utterances are directed against
1t, though occasionally he pauses to tell
his followers his opinion of Mr.. Cleveland.
Bryan's following is still strong and will
hold together till the next national conven-
ton, but 1t is with the idea of preventing
the nomination OF an unacceptable candi-
date rather than OF carrying through
Bryan's ideas as to platform and prin-
ciples.
Illinois has passed entirely out of the
hands of the Bryanites. With the death of
Ex-Governor Altgeld there is no potent in
dividuality to raise a disturbance. The Illi-
nois democrats will have their squabbles
and their factions, but these will not divide
on the line of Bryan and anti-Bryan. For
mer Mayor John p. Hopkins has got con-
troll of the party organization. In the past
he has been with the eastern democratic
leaders. He stin leans to them for support
and advice. How far they can make Illi-
nois the groundwork of an anti-Bryan
movement throughout the middle ives.
cannot be guessed for six months yet.