Evening star., 1902-03-12
ADJOURNED AGAIN
Republican Caucus on Cuban
Sugar Reduction.
APPEAL FOR HARMONY
STIRRING SPEECHES MADE FOR
AND AGAINST RECIPROCITY.
Mr.. Tayler's Protest Against Ways and
Means Committees Plan-Beet
Sugar Men Defeated.

Sugar Men Defeated.
About 100 men were present last night at
the fourth conference of House republicans
called to consider the question OF CUBAN
reciprocity. Speaker Henderson and the
leaders on both sides of the controversy
were In attendance. Representative Cannon
Of Illinois presided and an arrangement
was made for a division of the time be-
tween the advocates and opponents OF reel
procity. Representative Long OF Kansas,
a member Of the ways and means commit
tee, opened with an exhaustive argument
in favor of the 20 per cent concession ad-
vocated by his colleagues Of the ways and
means committee. He argued that the
maintenance of a protective tariff was not
involved in the proposition Of the ways and
means committee, but that the policy OF
reciprocity was.
THE defeat of this BILL" said he, means
that the republican party has refused to
follow the leadership of Blaine, of MckIn-
ley and of Roosevelt, and 1t would mean
that reciprocity was no longer a part OF
the republican faith He pointed out that
the republican platform Of 1896 referred to
the repeal of the reciprocity agreements
under the Mckinley law as national
calamity, and demanded their renewal and
extension. The original section Of the
Dingley bill authorizing reciprocity agree
the articles on which the President was
authorized to reduce the duties, but the
section was changed in the Senate and
sugar was stricken out.
The Dingley law authorized the President
to make reciprocal agreements on articles
produced in this country. and President
Mckinley made agreements with France,
Germany, Italy and Portugal that were
now in force, that he maintained that
those who favored reciprocity with Cuba
were not untrue to the doctrines OF the
republican party, because tobacco and Su-
gar produced in this country We're included.
Moreover, he insisted that the hearings be-
fore the committee on ways and means
on Cuban sugar would not affect the price
Of sugar in this country, and that the beet
sugar industry would not be injured.
Reduction Not Competitive.
A reduction Of 20 per cent on Cuban su-
gar, leaving the duty on such sugar at s1.34
per hundred pounds, would not enable the
Cuban, after paying freight rates and cost
of refining, to compete with beet sugar In
Chicago, Kansas City or Denver, which
are the principal markets for beet sugar.
He espoused reciprocity with Cuba, he said.
not only because 1t would be helpful to
Cuba, but because he believed we would
get an adequate return, and in support OF
that belief he inStanced the result Of the
reciprocity with Cuba under the Mckinley
law, from September /, 1891, to August q,
1894. Under that law sugar, molasses cof-
fee and hides were admitted free, and in
return Spain made concessions on our pro-
ducts entering Cuba. The results were
demonstrated in the fact that our exports
to Cuba increased from $12, 2,224, ,SSS in 1891
to $24 157 COS in 1893.
In 1885, after the agreement was abro-
gated, they had fallen to $3.50, $50. Our
exports to Cuba were now only SIS, ,01S 7O2
out of the total Of $65, $50. 141. The witnesses
before the ways and means committee he
said stated that with prosperity in Cuba
the importations of that island would
amount to s15O,OOO,OO0 to $2OOOOO,OOO an
nually. This. he argued, was the trade
that Cuba offered us In return for conces-
sions on sugar and tobacco. This was not
charity. 1t was good bargain.
Mr.. Long contended that In addition to
self-interest there was moral obligation
upon the United States to grant conces-
sions. He declared that when the commits
sion from Cuba was prevailed upon to ac-
cept the Platt amendment that President
Mckinley assured them that in considera-
ton Of Its acceptance he would do all In
his power to secure economic concessions
and said that the commission so reported to
the Cuban convention. He presented de-
tailed figures to show that the Porto Rican
sugar growers had received the full benefit
Of the free admission Of sugar from that
island. from which he argued that the Gu
bans, not the sugar trust, would get the
benef1t-and all the beneit-of any reduc-
ton Congress might make.
Treaty Can Bring Free Sugar.
In conclusion Mr.. Long said: IF this leg
islation fails, and no concession be made to
Cuba-if the policy Of President Mckinley
and President Roosevelt be defeated by this
House-it does not mean that the beet su-
gar industry, by the control Of this House,
can prevent free sugar from Cuba After
the establishment of the republic Of Cuba
treaty can be negotiated with that coun-
try by the President. That treaty can pro-
vide for the annexation OF Cuba, as the re-
cent treaty did for the annexation of The
Danish West Indies: and that treaty can be
submitted to the Senate and ratified The
moment that the ratifications are ex-
changed, under the decision Of the Supreme
Court in the Porto Rican case, we would
have free trade with Cuba on all products.
The House would be powerless to pre-
vent 1t.
$50 this House is not supreme: and II
does not control or dominate this situation.
1t would be the part Of wisdom for the
beet sugar interests to agree to reasona-
BILE concession that would not injure their
industry In the remotest degree; rather
than be compelled to accept possible an
nexation in the immediate future.
Annexation will come in the not far
distant future. but when 1t does come 1
Cuban people, and when they come per-
manently under flag l do not want
them to feel they were the victims Of forci-
Die annexation, which President Mckinley
characterized as criminal aggression"
Mr.. Tayler's Protest.
When Mr.. Long finished speaking Mr..
Tayler of Ohio presented a protest against
the plan of the ways and means committee.
The protest was drafted at the conference
which the republicans opposed to reciproc-
ity held Monday night. 1t was In the nature
Of manifesto setting out the grounds on
which their opposition was Dased, being
largely an amplification of the contention
that reduction of the duty or Cuban
reciprocity involved a relaxation OF the
protective principle. In lieu of the Taw-
ney proposition for a rebate Mr.. Taylsr CT
fered the following resolution:
Resolved, first, That we reaffirm cur
adherence to the republican national Ilat-
form of 1895, insuring adequate protection
to the cane and beet sugar industries in
the United States and to the policy Of rec
iprocity as declared in our platform of
1900
Second. That we have maintained, and
will continue to faithfully discharge. the
obligations to Cuba assumed by virtue Of
the treaty of Paris and the Platt amend
ments; and that we favor such commercial
agreements with her as her government
when established NAV No Willing 70 y,,e 10