The Washington times., 1902-03-08
REET SUGAR MEN
DECLINECOMPROMISE

| beet sugar States was called and the line
| of action given above was agreed to.
1t has been evident from the star, that
| the compromise proposition of the Ways
| and Means Committee had but halfh
| ed support from those members Offering
| it, and substantially none whatever from,
! the outside members.
The members of the Ways and Means
| Committee who have supported the COM
| promise. find themselves in a most em-
| barrassing position. Hitherto they have
always been able to appeal to the Repub-
4 licans to support the committee and
have had behind them formidable Uncle"
| Joe Cannon. chairman of the Committee
| on Appropriations; 'Pungent" Pete Hep
| burn. and the other leaders,, to say
nothing of the Speaker. who always stood
| together as leaders" who wish 10 re-
| main leaders" should.
A Division in Front Ranks.
But in this instance it is Payne. Dal
zell. Grosvenor Mccall. Long. and Hop
kins against substantially all the re
mainder of the House. OF those men
tened only the last two are Lnequivocaliy
| committed TO the compromise.
Men with records like Payne, Grosre-
nor. and Dalzell are not the class of men
| to abandon their protective theories and
| follow after strange gods without ex-
planning to their associates uic.r reasons
! for doing it.
They are now in a precarious condition,
for they are leaders without followers.
Unless they can persuade tbeir flock to
fall in line. the best thing they can do IS
to jump the fence and head the process
sion the other way.
A last appeal is being made to the
House to follow old leaders, not because
| they are headed the right way. but be-
cause the opposition is headed by one
| never before recognized as a leader"
/ Representative Tawney of Michigan The
effect of such an appeal remains to be
| seen.
1t is apparent that those seeking to
bring the House to accept the compro-
| mise believed that. as in the case of Porto
! Rico, they would have the White House
influence behind them. In this they found
| themselves woefully mistaken.
Refuses to Exert Influence.
1t is true the President has never re-
oeded from his position that he desired
a reduction of the duties on a reciprocal
! basis. but he has steadily refused to exert
! the W ME 11DuSC III VI
the measure. preferring, on the contrary,
that it Should rest on its own merits.
There has been no "quid pro quo, and
consequently no pressure on the House.
Representative Dalzell told the con-
/ ference Thursday night in plain language
that while there were no moral or legal
/ oil legations to Cuba necessitating reduc-
! tion in the duty he thought there was
| ha Unit ad
/ in favor of it. Diligent search has been
made for such a sentiment. but IL has not
! revealed itself except i'll isolated spots
where interested parties are agitating the
subject.
No Evidence Produced.
| It is admitted On all sides there has
! been no evidence produced. not even by
! Colonel Bliss, the authorized agent of
General Wood, to show there is the slight
| est distress in Cuba. and no depression,
except that from which all the sugar pro-
ducers of the world are suffering, due TO
overproduction.
proposition. which is rcetiEg with
| considerable fave on the aoor of The
| House, is for the appointment of Il com
mission which shall thoroughly investigate
the subject to report at the next session
| of Congress. The proposed investigation
| would include a thorough inspection of
Cuba, and the possible financial needs %
| the people. with the consideration of the
mutual benefits to be had from reciproci
| ty; the investigation of the cost of pro-
ducing sugar in Cuba, Louisiana and the
beet sugar States, and the preparation Of
a form of relief should 1t lie considered
| necessary. or of reciprocal trade relations
1t is agreed on all sides that no com
. prehensive idea of the situation can De
had from the eX parte testimony before
I the committee, with the Cuban bankers
and Spanish and American planters OF The
one side and the domestic beet sugar
/ manufacturers on the other.
What the members of the House want
to learn is the S5ndition of the Cuban
sugar cane grower as compared TO that
| OF the American sugar beet grower, and
I their views upon this subject
Several propositions looking TO com
| promise of the existing troubles have been
! made One is that d bill should be
| passed fixing the reduction of the duty
| on Cuban products at 20 per cent. with
the understanding that it was nowhere
to be made any greater. and that 1t was
to be but temporary. Another, that each
side should appoint a committee OF three
and the recommendations of a majority
of these six to be adopted by the con-
| ference. third proposition provides ior
/ the appointment of commission which
| shall thoroughly investigate the subject
! to report at the next session OF Con-
| gress.
MINORITY COM