Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-02-14
WASHINGTON LETTER

(From our Regular Correspondent
Washington, Feb. 10-There exist
a peculiar situation in the House o.
representatives, and that Chamber
appears to be bent upon amply demons
| trating to the country that with a re
publican majority and the Reed Rules
it is thoroughly impotent and ire
sponsible body. Even the President
has ceased to urge his wishes upon the
lower house and has concentrated his
efforts upon the Senate where there
seems to be every reason to believe that
they have proved effective. The re.
cent statements of Senator Platt, of
Connecticut, chairman OF the Commit.
tee on Relations with Cuba, and Sena-
tor Proctor, of Vermont, are regarded,
not only as indicative of the attitude
of the Senate On the question of Cuban
reciprocity, but as a threat that if the
House does not pursue a reasona BILE
course the Senate will disregard it and
effect the desired reciprocal relations
by means of a treaty.
The excessive fear, inspired by the
attack of Representative Babcock up
on that portion of the Dingley tariff
bill which serves to augment the i'm
mense profits of the Steel Trust, seems
to have paralyZed the Ways and Means
Committee and that body is afraid to
report any measure granting reciproc-
ity to Cuba because of Mr.. Babcock e
announced intention to move the
amendment Of the bill to secure mod
dicum of tariff reform. While the
Ways and Means Committee is domi-
mated by the extreme protectionist
view such is not true of the entire
House and Republican member who
would not permit me to use his name,
said yesterday: 1.-The situation is most
distressing to the more progressive re-
publicans. They appreciate the truth
of Senator Platt e statement that pro
lection is likely to suffer most in the
house OF its friends and they rea lie
that, if the Democrats have the tore
sight to drop their anti expansion
theories and go before the country on
a straight tariff reform platform they
will make serious inroads in our ranks.
Our only hope is that the Democratic
propensity to blunder will lead them
to adopt anti expansion as their slo-
gan rather than tariff REFORM" The
speaker was an astute Western Repub-
lican who may be counted upon to
know the situation in his section, at
least.
The republicans are holding a Der
feet love feast in the Senate commit.
tee on the-P Philippines over the testi-
mony Of Judge Taft in regard to con-
ditiOns in the islands. 1t never seems
to occur to them that gentleman who
Is drawing salary of $40, 900 per an
mum for governing the colony is
most likely to see the rosy side of the
situation. Without impugning Judge
Taft's sincerity, it is reasonable to as
sumo that from his magnificently fur
nished offices in Manila, and surround
ed by the members of commission all
handsomely recompensed for their SER
vices, things may look very bright in
the Philippines. AS matter of fact,
however, there are others, perhaps
equally competent to testify, many of
them officers who have penetrated in
to the strongholds of the instruction,
who do not regard the situation from
the same hopeful and complacent
standpoint as does Governor Taft.
The Philippine tariff bill continues
to occupy the attention of the Senate
and drastic censure Of the course of
the administration has been the usual
order of the day on the democratic
aide. Senator Lodge has, however.
stated that the Senate proposes to pass
the measure regardless of the opinion
Of the minority; and his position, that
he and his colleagues are not open to
Re ason or conviction, may serve to pre-
CT pitate the passage of the bill, in
view of the large amount of business
which the Senate still has to consider.
Representative Newlands, Of New
ada, has introduced a resolution in the
House providing for the collection OF
three fourths Of the Dingley rates on
Cuban sugar and tobacco in considera
t N of recipr rl concessions from
Cuba and concludes with an invitation
to Cuba to C me- into the United States
under a telrltorisl form of government !
and with the proviso that statehood i,
Will be granted when, in the Judgment |
OF congress. it seems advisable. Mr..
Newlands deems such course the