Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-04-04
CONGRESSIONAL
RELIEF FOR CUBA.
President Confers with Opponents Of
Reciprocity Plan.

Reciprocity Plan.
WASHINGTON, d. C.-(Special.)
A conference was held at the White
en- Of the members of the house of rep
resentatives who have been foremost
in opposing the plan Of Cuban reel
procity urged by the ways and means
committee and understood to have the
support of the administration. The
call was at the request of the pres
ident who desired an exchange Of
views to the end that harmonious &C
ton might be secured in such steps az
are taken in behalf of Cuba. AS Cen
eral Wood has arrived here from Cuba,
and as several members of the cabinet
were at the White House while the
congressman were there, report
gained circulation that Secretary Root
and General Wood were present dur
ing the conference. This, however,
was not the case, as the president and
the congressman remained alone In
the cabinet room for the hour and
half that they were together. The
talk took wide range, covering the
conditions in Cuba, what should be
done to meet these conditions and
also the question of harmonizing the
conflicting interests so that there
might be unanimity of action in con-
gress. 1t was stated afterward by
those who had participated in the con-
ference that it was of the most adj
mirable and pleasant character, and
that there was not the remotest sug-
gestion on the part of the chief exc
cutive which could be construed as
seeking to urge them to yield their
personal convictions. On the contrary,
it was stated, the president listened
to the recital of difficulties which had
been encountered by those who op.
posed the reciprocity plan, and also
heard from them the various plans by
which they had hopes to reach an
agreement.
The interchange of views became
quite general, there being nothing in
the way of definite propositions one
way or the other. but merely an agree
able expression of opinion as to what
was best to be done under all the cir
cumstances of the situation.
At the conclusion of the conference
the general understanding was reach
ed that any statements made to the
public would be to the general effect
that no conclusions were reached and
that the conference was confined to
general interchange of views. 1t is
understood that the president will see
some of the members of the ways and
means committee, thus familiarizing
himself with both sides of the issue
which has recently arisen in the house
He hopes that this general interchange
with his leaders from both sides may
bring about unanimity of action in
whatever is done in behalf of Cuba.
The oleomargarine bill will receive
the greater share of the attention OF
the senate during the present week,
but If this should be time when no
one is prepared to speak on it, it will
give way to the Chinese exclusion bill.
which is in the hands of Senator Pen
rose. Senator Proctor will call the
oleomargarine bill up and will make
a statement of the intent and purposes
of the bill. 1t is probable that further
consideration then will be postponed
for a day. Senator Proctor expresses
me opinion that the final vote on the
bill will not be long postponed and it
is understood that the embers of the
committee on agriculture VINO are op-
posed to the bill will not contend for
many days for debate. Senator Proc
tor already has presented to them the
desirability of fixing time for a vote,
and while many senators have made
no opposition to this proposition Sena-
tor Bailey thus far has objected. The
present indications are that the bill
will not be before the senate a great
length of time Senators Penrose,
Mitchell and Fairbanks will be among
those who will make speeches in sup
port of the Chinese bill. This measure
will provoke no little controversy. The
Indian appropriation bill probably will
be reported from the committee dur
ing the week and will receive early at
tention. There is bare possibility
that the fight over the question of
Cuba reciprocity will be transferred to
the floor of the house during the COM
ing week.
The House spent day passing pri-
vate pension bills. In all, 215 were
passed. with one exception this is
the record for the number of such bills
passed at single session. The presi-
dents policy with regard to the veto
Of bills to remove the charge of deser-