Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-19
SUGAR LOBBY Is BUSY
Strenuous Efforts to Influence
Congress Against Cuban
Reciprocity Project.
Republicans Of the Ways and
Means Committee Are
Not Agreed.
An Attempt Will Be Made to
Frame a Bill
Today.

Washington, ID. C., feD. 18Th mere IL
to be a conference of the republican
members of the ways and means COM
mittee today, at which an effort Will be
made to reach basis of agreement on
the Cuban question. Almost every
member of the committee on the re-
publican side has different scheme for
the relief of the Cubans, and these run
all the way from a temporary bounty
to be paid the Cuban planters. thru the
different grades of rebates. differential
duties, and similar deceptive devices,
up to reciprocity. pure and simple.
1t is quite true that the member of
the ways and means committee are
much at sea as to what is to be the out
come of their deliberations. There are
so many schemes in the air that it is
difficult to say just now what the COM
mittee will agree upon. In fact, it
makes little difference what 1t reports,
because there can be scarcely any
doubt that when the Cuban question
comes before the senate legitimately
the upper house of congress Will not
waste much time over the various COM
promises, all of which have been de-
vised by Mr.. OXnard and small CO.
terie OF refiners of beet sugar.
The Cuban relief bill, as it leaves the
senate, will provide for straight reci-
procity. In return for a concession on
our duties on sugar and tobacco the
mi vi no
elusive privileges on flour. cattle, hogs.
beef. pork. rice and possibly manufac-
lures of cotton. This reciprocity may
be limited to n comparatively small
of years, but there is scarcely
any doubt, in spite of the hesitation
and vacillation of the leaders of the
house, that no other scheme will be
adopted, except reciprocity. which will
benefit both the Cuban planters and the
American farmers and laboring men
at the same time.
preliminary canvass of the senate
shows that TO matter what device the
house leaders contrive to dodge the
issue the sentiment of the senate will
be overwhelming for genuine COM
mercial union between the United
States and Cuba. and as the sentiment
of the country is unquestionably In fa-
vor of this proposition, it is safe to pre-
dict even now that recopricity with
Cuba will surely come about the time
that the new government of the island
republic is in condition to do bust
ness and make treaties.
During all this agitation it has been
curious to note that the beet sugar lob
by, under the control of Mr.. Oxnard,
has been employing exactly the same
tactics as We're used in the vain attempt
by the same man and his same associ-
ates to prevent the annexation of Ha.
wall. An attempt has been made to
have it appear that practically all the
states in the Mississippi valley are di-
rectly interested in the production of
ar commodities.
The hearings before the ways and
means committee have shown that the
states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana. Illi-
aois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa,
and Kansas forming the great
wheat belt of the United States, would
gain larger market for flour in Gu
Oh than the total value of all the beet
sugar manufactured in the same terri
.ory.
Leading In the campaign against the
relief OF Cuba have been the states of
Michigan, California, Colorado, and Ne
iada. They are conceded to be the i
great beet states of the country The |
MEMBERS from those states. however,
nave made a clever effort to enlist the |
representatives from Illinois, Indiana I
owa, and Missouri on the cry that
lome of the sugar beet, and hence that |
he farmers in those states are directly
Interested in preventing any conces- |
lions to Cuban sugar.
Aside from the fact that the four
states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and I
are in the wheat belt and al I
Ways will produce much more flour
han they do beet sugar, the hearings
before the ways and means committee
lave demonstrated that these states are
lot likely ever TO become great sugar |
PRODUCERS.
These statements have been collated |
~ members of the ways and means
ommittee and are expected to have a
asst amount of influence upon the sit
lation in the house. At first most of the
MEMBERS from the Mississippi Valley
we're led to believe that the growing of
eets for sugar was a steadily growing
Industry all over the Mississippi VAL
ey, and that the farmers there would
Utterly resent any concessions to the
'ubans on that account.
DR.. Wileys reports however, show
hat the beet sugar area in the Mssis-
ippi Valley at least is exceedingly re-
tricted and probably is determined by
Innate reasons which can not be
hanged by the art of man.
On the other hand, the advocates of
to Cuba are preparing to
inter- upon campaign to show that the
armers of the Mississippi Valley can
xpect n direct personal pecuniary adj
antage from the admission into Cuba
t reduced rate of their cattle, hogs
nd flour
1t is believed that when the represen-
atives from the south, with the excep-
on of Louisiana, realize that they new
+ can raise any beet sugar, but that
ley can secure an exclusive market in
uba for their rice, the settlement of l
he pending question will be extremely
asy.
1t is a notorious fact that the agita- ,
on in the house against relief for Cuba
ould not last for forty eight hours if it
ere not for the assistance 1t has re-
eived from the iron and steel interests |
Pennsylvania, the highly protected ]