Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-07-04
WASHINGTON, June "a, 1902,
tFrom our regular correspondent

Uent hOOSeVelt Is Illuminated and the
Republican party is split in twain.
Such ia the practical result Of the con.
ference of Republican Senators held
last evening. Although the session
adjourned without action, seventeen
Republican Senators expressed unqual-
flied opposition to Cuban reciprocity.
An adjourned session will be held to-
morrow, but no results are expected.
All this might have been avoided had
the President or his supporters, known
as The" administration Senators" been
willing to sacrifice, even to a moderate
degree, the interests OF the Sugar
Trust, for the Democrats would gladly
have assisted them in passing the reci.
procity law as it came from the House
and, as then no conference would have
been possible, no trouble would have
been experienced with those Rspubli-
cans in the lower chamber who voted
to remove the differential duty on
refined sugar with view to defeating
reciprocal legislation. What the re-.
suit to Cuba of the defeat of this legis.
lation will prove, no one can foretell,
but it is evident that Senator Elkins,
who on last Saturday introduced a res.
olution providing for the annexation
OF Cuba as State OF the Union, antic.
ipates that annexation will follow aud
that the capitalists, who are the main
support of the Republican party, will
have an opportunity TO exploit the
island as they now propose to do the
Philippines.
Throughout the Cuban fight there
has been evident to the close observer
an underlying desire to humiliate the
President. He is no more acceptable
to the politicians of the party to-day
than he was when he was "laid on the
shelf" by his nomination as Vice Pres.
ident and if the people can be made to
believe that he is incompetent as a
party leader he will be more effectually
retired at the next national conven.
ton. A serious grievance which = GER
tain class Of Senators have had against
him has been his support of the Sec
retary of the Interior in policy which
has operated to curtail tho special
privileges of the cattle barons who
have for years regarded the public
domain in the far west as theirs by
special grant Of the Republican party.
In the eyes OF the typical Republican
politicians. Mr.. Roosevelt has been
senselessly honest, hence their efforts
at his defeat.
On Tuesday the Committee on Re-
lations with Cuba brought in the
Spooner substitute for the reciprocity
bill passed in the House and which
reduced tho concession, which it au-
thorized the President to make to
Cuba, to 20 per cent. To-day the SEN
ate will vote on the Nicaraguan Canal
bill and then there will remain only
the general deficiency bill to consider.
Senator Qusy has given notice that he
will make an attempt to annul the
action of Senator Beveridge's commit.
tee in postponing action on the Omni.
bus territorial bill, as soon as the vote
on the canal bill is concluded and it is
possible that some time will be devot.
ed to that measure before adjournment.
Last Friday, the House passed the
Hansbrough. .Newlands Irrigation bill
and the Senate has agreed to the
House amendments so that it requires
only the signature OF the President to
become law. Practically all the pub.
lie land open to settlement and capable
OF improvement has been exhausted
and by the provisions of this bill many
more acres will be opened up. No
funds will be taken directly from the
Treasury for irrigation purposes. but
the proceeds from the sale of public
lands in sixteen States will be set aside
as . fund to extend irrigation OF the
arid lands.
Since the passage OF the Irrigation
bill, the House has devoted itself to
the consideration OF various minor
laws and amendments to the statutes,
including some changes in the pension
law-which it is intimated we're made
for the purpose of securing votes at
the fall elections and without any ex.
pectation that the Senate would ratify
them, and also some amendments to
the bankruptcy act. Yesterday the
General Deficiency bill was passed,
which completes the appropriation
bills to be passed by the House at this
session. To-day the House takes up
the Philippine bill and will spend one
week in its consideration, the last two
days OF which will be devoted to
amendments under the five minute
rule. There is ample material for